Hitting the buffers

Finished work at midday. Felt truly exhausted. We took it in turns to clean and snooze and ease ourselves off the hamster wheel of NHS existence and start getting into the Christmas spirit. The cats followed us around with self satisfied and happy feline auras as if they knew they would be having plenty of time with us the next few days.

I discovered lots of videos on YouTube of train journeys from the train driver’s perspective. There is something curiously relaxing about the view from the cab of the lunchtime train from Bar to Poseljani in Montenegro, although the twenty minutes spent in the 6km tunnel did get a little tedious. Very glad to see the light at the end of that one. I might do the trans Siberian railway next. Only at Christmas...

We don’t send cards, haven’t done for years, but we do still receive a few. This may be my favourite Xmas card ever, very funny and rather apt for today. I love the understated quality of Shepherds Bush. Made me snigger to think of it, a kind of Benny Hill does Yule joke ...

Going back to Montenegro (as one must if driving the train) Top Gun came home and saw the video up on the screen and is so well read these days that he could actually tell us a joke that the Slovaks tell about Montenegrins. They claim they are so lazy that they can’t be bothered to have sex and just lie naked face down on the ground and wait for an earthquake. I guess thats what you call regional humour ...

Hopefully I will be raring to go tomorrow after a good nights sleep. Much to do but happy days in prospect...