Hopeful, Happy New Year

After the challenges of 2020, we all hope for a better year in 2021, however, C19 is still around and promises to keep challenging us in this new year.

Today is Friday and I woke up at 8:13 am after going to bed completely sober at 12:45 am.

As the only drinker in our two-person family, I had consumed a bottle of Carlton Zero which, unlike Heineken's equivalent has NO alcohol, and two glasses of Barefoot Shiraz. The former was a bit gassy and came in a piddling 330 ml bottle. I usually only buy 375 ml or larger but made an exception this time to try the new brew.

The only complaints I have about Carlton Zero is it's small, gassy and doesn't come in cans which are easier to fit into the fridge.

Yeah, I know, there are much more important things to think about like C19, poverty, homelessness, the push to "Reset" us by the UN, the Chinese trade challenge etc.

Whatever, 2021 will bring with it what it brings and there's not much we can do about that.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it is to make the most of your life for the next 12 months. Try to stay healthy, happy and content.

Happy New Year!

Robin

Christmas Day Was Almost Spectacular

We had a very pleasant Christmas Day 2011, with the sole exception that our grandson Tory wasn't with us. Had he been present, it would have been a spectacular day.

However, as I cooked roast lamb, chicken and pork in our backyard barbecue amid a 39C temperature, I couldn't help but ponder how inappropriate many of the traditions brought to Australia by our English forefathers were in our climate. Roast dinner in the Central Australian heat? I wonder.
With the rather hot outside temperature and lack of breeze, we decided to have lunch inside in airconditioned luxury. Around midday we untabbed our first cans of beer and blew the cork off a bottle of Moet Champagne for the women. (Real men don't drink campagne ... and it tastes terrible too).

The meat was cooked to perfection, but some of the vegetables were slightly overdone. Not to worry, we managed to have a lovely feast from about 2 pm and topped off the roast, vegetables and salads with two different types of cheese cake. Nobody complained about the food.

Friends Tina and Vivek had also contributed some Indian food, some of which, because I can never recall the name which sounds something like the politically incorrect gollywog, I call mystery bags. Whatever they are called, they are very tasty and usually come with an equally tasty sauce.

Incredibly, my total alcohol intake for the day was two cans of beer (1 x 500ml, the other 375ml) and a large glass of red wine. I can't recall a time in the last few decades when I have consumed so little at Christmas. I really must get a grip of myself before I become a teetotaller.

Above are photos of Dale and me with the vegies and Christina and Meredith taking a break from preparing something in the kitchen.

We hope you had a lovely Christmas Day too.

Robin