Last Christmas my brother gave my sister and me a voucher for an expensive country house hotel. All year long, I have been looking forward to using it.
Eventually, we had to use it because it expires on December 18. This weekend was the only weekend where there were rooms available before Christmas, so we booked it. There are a number of problems with this weekend:
1. I spent Wednesday, Thursday and yesterday away for work only arriving home late last night. The children were delighted to see me this morning and correspondingly displeased when I told them I was leaving this afternoon.
3. Though intellectually, Mr. Waffle fully supports my opportunity to enjoy my first night away from my family for pleasure since the children were born and he realises that going away for my job is not fun, he is still bitter despite himself.
4. Next week is a particularly busy one at work involving starts before the children wake up and several finishes after they go to bed.
5. My sister and I were supposed to leave at lunch time but guilt made me push it back to 4 and due to horrendous traffic, we didn’t get here until 7 (she is gracefully forebearing from criticism but I would be critical, if I were her).
6. I have come down with a ferocious and miserable cold meaning that the spa, pool, sauna and the like are deeply unappealing prospects (even had I remembered to bring my togs which I have not).
7. My sister has got them to give us a cheaper room. At 200 euros less, it means we can enjoy an excellent dinner (free, hurrah!). But the room is displeasing to me as it is off in a distant outhouse which is not a country house – more country stable – all very well in its way but not entirely meeting my needs. I have previously confessed to delusions of grandeur – don’t mock the afflicted. On the plus side, she brought her laptop, in case I wanted to update my blog – there’s kindness and virtue. I would hate to drop out on day 29 of Nablopomo.
