Twelfth Night

I was glad to see that many people still had their Christmas lights blazing away today, when I was out and about.  God knows, we need something to brighten up these cold gloomy days.  But all that will end tonight, with the media urging us to take the decorations down as we've reached Twelfth Night.  not that they bother marking the end of 'Christmastide' in any other way, (just as they ignore all the days of Christmas which fall after 1st January).  Anyway, I'm busy trying to enjoy my own, personal, Twelfth Night celebration - which mainly involves eating as much of the stuff I've got left over from Christmas as possible.  I've already spent the evening eating chocolates and I've currently got the last of my cocktail sausage rolls baking in the oven.  Then there's the cheese - I've got to finish that tonight, as well.  Not to mention some mince pies. Of course, the one thing I won't be able to finish today is the Christmas cake which my mother insists on making for me every year.  Don't misunderstand me, it's very nice Christmas cake, which I enjoy greatly.  But it does take me an age to get through.  I'll undoubtedly still be eating it next week.

This little celebration is at least providing me with some temporary cheer in an otherwise miserable week.  It's always tough going back to work after a holiday, but going back over Christmas is worse still.  Apart from the abrupt end to all that seasonal cheer, there are inevitably also sub-zero temperatures to deal with.  I've spent the entire week so far feeling that I should still be at home, in bed.  But hey, surely TV, which was apparently so glad to hasten away Christmas, will provide us with some respite?  After all, with the festive season consigned to history for another year, they're free to show us all their fabulous new programming, which will chase away the New Year blues, won't they?  Yeah.  Tory voting tax dodger Gary Barlow is just the thing to brighten up our Saturday evenings, isn't he?  Well, that's what the BBC seem to think, as they have him fronting yet another talent show.  ITV, meanwhile, are countering it by dredging up an equally stale format in the shape of The Voice, poached from the BBC despite its singular failure to set the ratings alight.  And to think, on top of all that. we've still got Brexit and a Trump presidency to look forward to in the coming months.  Jesus Christ!  2017 is already shaping up to be a shitter of a year!