Yule Blog: New Year's Day (Feast of St. Mary, Mother of God)

That I was able to watch sunrise at all on the first day of the New Year is not so much a tribute to the party last night as to the fact that I had the will power to leave the party last night! My friends, Lucy and Phil, threw a wonderful party at their home in Molesey last night. The venue and the company were excellent! But then, for a party with my friends, I have come to expect no less!

At 19:30 last night I was sitting at the kitchen counter working on some paperwork I had allowed to stack-up over the holidays. I had a cab reserved for 20:15. The party was to start at 20:00 so I figured that if I left here about fifteen minutes after it started, arrived late by about half-an-hour, I would not be the first one but would be there early enough that if Lucy and Phil needed anything done at the last minute (run for ice, whatever) I was there to help.

Three bottles of red wine sat in the carrier on the counter, three bottles of white sat cooling in the 'fridge and a couple bottles of Champaign (or as they refer to it here: "Fizz") cooling with them. So when the cab arrived nearly half an hour early, I was still doing paperwork and grabbed my coat and headed out with him. I was two blocks from the house when I remembered the mobile phone (which I almost immediately discovered was in my pocket after-all). We were in the street that my friends live in when I remembered the wine! I was empty-handed when I rang the bell at 20:00.

The food was excellent! Lucy arranged for Phil to make a Boeuf Bourguignon. (We kidded Lucy all night about how wonderful the stew was. It is a joke because Lucy admits that she is no cook!) There was also a huge roast turkey and a ham. The trimmings were all there as well! Terry and Angie had helped by making sprouts and mashed potatoes.

There was food and wine a plenty. There were an assortment of beers and there was fizz! At midnight, we all went out the back garden (those of us who fit into the garden) or into the solarium and watched the fireworks being lit off. It was a really good party.

I feel honored to have made such good friends here in London. I really enjoy the time I get to spend with them. But this week and next I am watching a dog for a friend of mine so I called for a cab to collect me at 02:00. (The mini-cab service here is excellent and reasonably priced as compared to the London Black cabs that everyone thinks of when you say "London Taxi" to almost anyone back in the states.) But last night being New Year's Eve and having a bit of a brisk business, I had to wait until nearly 03:00 for the cab to arrive.

I took a short nap to refresh myself, fed Saga, played with her for a while so that she knew I still loved her and was riding to Elaine's in Tolworth to look after Daisy by 06:00.

Around lunchtime, I returned to The Villa to collect Saga and her trailer and ride down to the pub. My gang was to collect at The King's Arms around 14:00. Not surprisingly, it was closer to 15:30 when the party reconvened at the big table between the bar and the radiator. Stories of last night's debauchery were swapped. (Not that there was any debauchery, mind you!)

It has been a long day! Saga and I headed home around 18:00 and I was back in Tolworth an hour later. I'm writing this before I go to bed. It's time for a long winter's nap. What a wonderful way to start the New Year!

I hope wherever you are, your year ended, and the new one began in the company of your friends and family.

Don Bergquist - 01 January 2007 - Tolworth, Surrey, UK