The new boy

Jake is back. He's been to visit before, of course, but this time, it looks as if he's here to stay. Not that I was consulted, of course, oh no! It's lucky we get on so well, that's all I can say. Mind you, he doesn't look quite the handsome chappie he did before. His coat has been clipped so short that Jenny decided she's better buy him a coat to wear outside till it grows again and he's put on some weight too - more like a sausage dog than a bichon frise these days. So Jenny's put him on a diet but I don't think he's realised  it yet. Mind you, he's not stupid. She tried to slip the worming tablets into our food this morning, but he saw that coming, just like I did and we both managed to eat everything except the tablets. Jenny didn't seem to notice that though and she gave us each a nice piece of rolled up ham a bit later. 
Other than that, the daily routine hasn't changed much. I still get taken for my walk on my own and then it's Jake's turn when I get back. Of course, I do the old weeping and wailing routine to make Jenny feel guilty about leaving me behind but it doesn't work, AND I have heard a few comments about how much better behaved Jake is on the lead than me. That MUST be a mistake!
Anyway, as long as the little mutt remembers his place and doesn't forget that I'm the boss around here, I think we should get on OK.
I'll let you know...

And here he is again!


Look who Father Christmas brought us this year!
Well, Giles actually, but we're not splitting hairs. And it looks as if he is staying.
(NB If you are of a sensitive disposition, you may prefer to watch this video clip with the sound turned down.)


Is it time to go back to bed yet?

No doubt you will have looked at the title of this post and assumed that alcohol was flowing freely last night chez Jennyta and that I am now suffering the inevitable results. In fact, that is not the case. Yes, we enjoyed a couple of glasses of 'rouge' but were in bed by eleven, the reason being that, as in November, the neighbourhood was populated by idiots with nothing better to do with their time and money than waste it on extremely noisy fireworks, starting at 6.30pm and ending at around 2.30am. The inevitable result of this was that Paddy got progressively more disturbed as the night went on and he didn't stop barking until three o'clock this morning, by which time, we were so wound up that it took us a further hour to get to sleep. Well, I say 'us' but Keith was evidently asleep long before me because he was snoring!
So this morning, having finally surfaced at ten o'clock, I dragged myself out on dog-walking duties in the pouring rain and now I'm back at home seeking refuge in a mug of strong coffee and wondering how many hours before I can decently go back to bed.
Now, what would make this day even more brilliant than it already is? Ah yes, Keith watching wall to wall 'Scrapheap Challenge' on TV -  which he is already doing! Fantastic!
I am just hoping that the day so far is not in any way a taste of the rest of the year!

Happy New Year, everyone.

Plaster board and dust

So, we're still no further forward on the British Gas smart meter front and I've given up making non-existent appointments with them...