A Catch-up

New Year Resolutions - Why do we make them? Haven't kept to any of mine.

So what's new in my world.

Jo's had a major birthday - daren't say which one! Unfortunately she's missing two cards. They arrived on Wednesday and I put them somewhere safe for the BIG DAY. Come the day and I got all the presents and cards together and two envelopes were missing a red one and a yellow one. I have looked in every possible place and even every impossible place. I have looked in the likely places at least four times - in some places at least ten times - and I've looked in the most unlikely places. How on earth can two cards disappear???

Ah well. I'm sure they'll turn up her before next birthday.

We had a most enjoyable banquet - just Jo and I - at the Mei Mei Chinese restaurant in Berry Street, Liverpool. From my point of view the best Chinese restaurant on Merseyside. Great staff, great service, great food, great atmosphere (have I missed anything out? - if so that's great as well!)

Jo has finished one of her jobs and can now concentrate on her other half dozen! I've been helping her set up the library of her training centre and that's about half done.

GB will be sorry to hear that Linghams in West Kirby - one of the few non-chain booksellers left in North west England - has closed down. Fortunately the Heswall one - complete with its cafe - is still open. I'm hoping the new owners won't change it too much.

Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend - my forecast for a future world champion is Sergio Perez. I was right with Schumacher (who I forecast from Eddie Jordan days), Hamilton (who I watched in GP2 and forecast at that stage), Button and MototGP's Valentino Rossi (who I followed in his 125cc MotoGP days). So far as I can recall the only one I forecast would be a World Champion who didn't become one (and is unlikely to now despite still driving) is Rubens Barichello.

It's the Grand National today - we've put our bets on and will be sat in front of the television at 4.15. I know there are those who don't like horse racing but perhaps with living on Merseyside the Grand National is one of the highlights of the year for me. The National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup are generally the only races I bet on but I missed the Gold Cup this year. I think I was having one of my bad spells.

We have a friend staying with us at the moment. Her two sons are in hospital in Liverpool. One had renal failure after eating a toadstool two years ago and the other has donated him a kidney. All has gone well despite a complication or two and the donor brother is leaving hospital today. The recipient has passed water (too much information! but if you hadn't done it for two years you'd be shouting about it, too.)

Jo has been ferrying Sue back and forth but on Wednesday I showed her the way on the bus and took the opportunity to go to the Museum. As always I spent most of my time in the aquarium.

I've just about finished my first revision of my book and am shortly to send it out into the big wide world in the hope of becoming the next Agatha Christie. (After all, every new crime writer seems to get compared to dear Agatha.)

Oh yes, and the other news - we haven't won the Lottery. (Actually, I lie. I've had two ten pound wins and two two pounds 50p in the last couple of weeks but that's won't quite buy us a new house).