Home Again

[wateroverstone]

 I've had a lovely few days away with family but home now and it's time to unpack. This will take ages as all the family packed up my stuff in the interests of getting me home in a timely manner so now, of course, I have no idea where anything is and am finding the things I need most quite randomly. Didn't make it out of bed yesterday which is a vanishingly rare occurance for me: bed to chair in the living room is reasonable frequent ( bless you chronic fatigue)  but to stay in bed all day is unusual.  Nothing really wrong with me bar tiredness, I think. Despite a luxuriously large bed and a sufficiency of pillows, I slept very badly at the holiday house to the point I was too tired to eat and my system just needed a day to reset itself. I've slept about 18 hours over the last couple of days and am  officially recovered. 
Ex husband arrived yesterday bearing car key and MOIT certificate so today I walked to the Post Office to get my road tax. Post office computer said'no' and the help line was unable to live up to its name. I've left all my documents there so the Post Master(who was on a day off today) can have another go in the morning. I have a reference number so I can prove to the DVLA that it's not my fault if my car is spotted parked up without road tax.
Today was the return of the pram race. A wheeled vehicle of some variety, themed with its pushers, leaves the top of the village and races the other entrants to a pub at the bottom of the village with seven shot stops on the way( it used to be half pints but shots have a less catastrophic effect on the racers). My favourite ever entry was from a precovid race where  a team were in inflatable dinosaur costumes. They looked wonderful running through the village. Entries incorporating bubble machines are also good. Today's highlight was watching whoever was dressed as a pantomime horse trying to get their shot to their mouth - a rule is that all participants must drink which is why there is an over 18 age restriction. Needless to say, the road is not closed for this event so dodging traffic is part of it.
Time to stop procrastinating and write my Airdrop entry in Word rather than my head.
Hop everyone has had a very Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for the New Year.

Comments

[sholio]

I'm glad you had a good time! It sounds like you really needed that rest.

I love those absolutely ridiculous local events. We have a 5K race that everyone dresses in costumes for (since it also has a walking option, I've thought about doing it some year, but never got around to it) and a boat race on the local river with homemade boats and a grand prize for "most creative" which means that the results are usually completely non-waterworthy and mostly sink. One year a local friend got a bunch of us together and we built a sea serpent with segments that were handmade and hand-painted cardboard rafts floating on barrels ... actually, a picture is worth a thousand words here:



It looked amazing on the rare occasions when it was actually in a straight line instead of getting tangled up with itself while all the different segments (each with one or two people on them) fought over who should be paddling, who shouldn't be paddling, and whose fault it was that the tail was in front again. Some of us gave up, jumped off and waded ashore. (It's not a very deep river.)

[sheron]

oooo this looks really pretty!

[wateroverstone]

I'm very lucky to live in a place which has a high number of ridiculous traditions. There's a New Year's Day dip in the Irish Sea for charity and the annual visit of the Mummers to the pubs on Christmas Eve.'Every year at Christmas-tide the St. Bees Mummers set forth around the village of St. Bees in West Cumbria, to perform their ancient play: “Alexander and the King of Egypt”. It has been performed in the area since the 1700’s, but died out in the 1920’s. Revived in 1974 to raise money for the RNLI, and 600-plus performances later, it is still going strong.'
I think it was completely rewritten rather than revived, but I could be maligning those involved. There is great uncertainty as to what the play is about, even by some who have learnt the lines and taken part but there is definitely a sword and a revival of the 'killed' character.
Raft races are great fun: your sea serpent looks amazing. I participated in one at Chester once and was exceedingly envious of the entry by the local chemical factory which had armed its raft with water cannon and added aniline dyes to the mix. I was multicoloured for days as the stuff didn't wash off.

[sholio]

This sounds amazing and delightful. I heartily approve.

[debriswoman]

Glad you have had a chance to catch up on sleep, and that the village contopinues to entertain. All the best for 2024

[wateroverstone]

Village entertainment is usually good.I have a games party booked in for New Year's Eve. Happy New Year to you, too.

[sheron]

Sounds like you had a really good time! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[wateroverstone]

I had a lovely time. It's always nice to be spoiled a little.The cat's pleased I'm home again, though she's getting better at being left. The friend who fed her said he was only hissed at once this time.

[philomytha]

Sounds like a good if exhausting holiday, and I hope the DVLA can sort themselves out in good time. Perhaps they're all out pram racing instead...

[wateroverstone]

I have a vision of the DVLA wandering around assessing the vehicles for road worthiness and tax.' I hope you aren't going to look at your phone and smoke whilst on that unicycle Mr M?' I was going to return to the PO this afternoon to pick up my documents and see if they've managed to do it but the weather is filthy and I don't feel safe out in it.