Another year over and done with ...

Afternoon All,  

It goes without saying that last week's blog post was an emotional one and to be honest, the last few weeks have been since Saturday 19th December 2020 when that prat BoJo cancelled Christmas for millions across the Home Counties, despite the Prime Minister saying days beforehand that it would be “inhuman” to do so. 

Following the emergency announcement that our area was going into the most severe of tiers within hours (Tier 4) Mr Warehouse and I had to work out which side of the fence we were going to side with. Were we going to throw caution to the wind, say "fuck you Boris and Corona" and essentially carry on as planned and hope not to get caught out by the law; Or were we going to stick to what Government had advised and simply go without this Christmas in seeing friends and family? We chose the latter however with everything that has happened this year and how much has been stolen from not just me but my family as well, missing out on BBQ's, parties, seeing loved ones, birthdays, new babies, holidays and our damned fucking wedding (which I don't feel totally optimistic about going ahead next year either at the moment) would anyone blame us for wanting to act out?

But alas we did not. After much discussion, deliberation and heated debate (maybe some would call it an argument) Mr Warehouse and I settled on our Christmas 2020 plans. I called the restaurant for our traditional Christmas eve meal and cancelled our booking, something which I have not not done in all my 29 years. I called the venue we were due to visit on and have our Christmas dinner and again cancelled our plans. Boxing day I planned out which places I could still go out and do a spot of retail therapy in preparation for Christmas 2021, hoping it will be better. I booked in at the dentist and planned out "COVID-friendly" things to occupy my time whilst off work between Christmas and New Year - Tidy the spare room, spring clean the house, wallpaper the bedroom and list all those bits on eBay. 

Christmas eve was started watching daytime telly whilst munching on mince pies and a great big mug of coffee, hoping against all hopes that it would fill the hole. It didn't. I wanted nothing more for my morning binge to be interrupted by a news bulletin stating that we got it all wrong or that the PM had a change of heart or something. With Christmas bubbles axed and many areas including London, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire amongst other in the South East in basically fucking lockdown number 3 it was going to be the first time in my entire life that I would not be spending it with my family. I suppose you could even really think of it as the first Christmas I have spent with just my own little family, and maybe the last one as just me and my fiance as next year we anticipate a huge shin-dig and the following year we will hopefully have a little Christmas pudding of our own?

* pukes in mouth for being so sickeningly sweet and wholesome *

That afternoon Mr Warehouse and I went shopping and grabbed some bits for dinner that night and subsequent days in which we should have either been eating out or with others, something I know many other will have experienced in buying in food and bits when they had not expected such expense. Braving the shops and grabbing a few bits I knew we would like for picky-teas and snacking on, I knew that there are many more hundreds of thousands of families that are far worse off than I am and now, like us, they need to try and make the best and scrape together to make Christmas as best as they can. At least we had jobs to pay for the food in our basket. At least we had a roof over our heads. At least Mr Warehouse and I had each other. Rounding off the day with a KFC take-out and a Christmas film we headed to bed and anticipated Santa's arrival in the morning.

Dawn soon broke and after a peaceful sleep, something I have struggled with and still am since the new restrictions were in place, we headed downstairs to start the FaceTimes and WhatsApp video calls. Opening presents and gifts we had received from my Dad and his wife I was delighted with my box of mince pies, Chocolates and Phillip Schofield autobiography (not started it yet and will probably remain on my bookshelf for many months to come until my next holiday). Mr Warehouse also seemed pleased with his beer bread making kit, mint chocolate collection and football memorabilia.

After a long and chilly dog walk with our little one (our older pooch just can't handle long walks anymore and our fear of her hurting herself attempting it just isn't worth the pain of her puppy dog eyes when the leads come out) we stopped by the local village pub and picked up our Christmas dinner takeaway and headed home, gravy daintily positioned on my lap with Mr Warehouse all the while under strict instructions to drive carefully and not spill any of the boiling liquid. Once home we settled in for the afternoon and soon it was time to open my gifts from Mr Warehouse. Copious amounts of gin, a bottle of Baileys, make-up brushes and most of the stock items from LUSH not to mention the much needed and highly anticipated stationary for my new job (which, by this time next week I would have completed my first day in the office - Eeek!) With Christmas dinner done and out the way Mr Warehouse and I cuddled on the sofa with our dogs and binged on Xmas telly.

Truth be told it was a relief to have it all over and done with for another year, just finishing off what a shitty year it has been cannot come fast enough. I cannot begin to tell you how angry and depressed I have felt these last few days. And yes depressed is a strong word however I feel that it is relevant and strong enough for what I and others have and are still feeling. You know I am sure from previous posts and blogs that I do not use the words surrounding depression or mental health lightly and instead hope they add to the gravitas this situation needs. Yes my Christmas was not as bad as I had expected or as worse as I had made out in my head

All this being said however, I need to keep at the forefront of my mind that things will get better than this for it is only a temporary measure. I just hope that this is all worth the wait, worth the purging so that Mr Warehouse and I can finally have the year we were meant to have in 2020.

'Til next year, Love A.Lou xx