The first day of the rest of the year. January 2nd 2007: back to work. Ugh.

It was indescribably difficult to get up this morning. I think the half of the MacUser team that took today off had the right idea. I arrived back at my desk to find it in the same mess as I had left it (not surprisingly), complete with the half-finished John Malkovich mask I’d been cutting out when the power to our block blew and we were turfed out onto the street.

That all feels uncomfortably recent.

New Year was much fun. I drove up to see Rich on the 31st, which was his birthday, and we went from there to Lowestoft for a long, relaxing lunch, capped by games of Scrabble and backgammon. I’ve not played backgammon in years, so was sketchy on the rules, but it’s easy to pick up, and although I was mercilessly thrashed, I think a little practice will pay dividends.

This has been a Christmas of game-playing, and it’s inspired me to learn more (and improve those I already know). Two films, the first half of the Vicar of Dibley double-bill, two Jam and Jerusalems, Dr Who and 10 minutes of the fireworks as 2006 slipped into history are the only TV I’ve seen since leaving work almost two weeks ago, and I’ve not missed it at all.

(As an aside, Viv and I also discovered that the Bezique set is much older than we’d thought, as it has my grandmother’s maiden initials written on one of the scoring dials, which must make it 70 years old at least).

So, after our New Year’s Eve lunch we drove back through the rain and high winds that were lashing the Suffolk coast. We holed up at Rich’s, stoked a log fire and saw in the new year eating baked camambert and drinking a bottle of very nice champagne, which was good enough to leave us entirely clear headed on the first morning of 2007.

Just as well, really, as we headed out for a muddy walk through the Gipping Valley. It was very picturesque, but slow-going. The previous night’s rain had churned the banks to slippery mud, which sent us skating towards the water rather more often than we might have liked. It took us three and a half hours to complete the loop, which was quite shameful when the guide we were following said it was do-able in two.

We were very lucky with the weather. Despite the foul downpour of the night before, the skies were clear and blue, and the sun so strong that at times I was far too hot under my four layers, plus hat, scarf, gloves and hiking socks.

It was justification for then eating Christmas cake and mince pies, though, so perhaps a fitting end to the festive break.

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