Happy New year guys!

My new year didn't start of great as my grandad pastaway on the 2nd.

He wasn't well for awhile and he said he'd see Christmas and next year, just didn't expect it to be so soon after.

The trip to the hospital was pleasant either, now off for a few days (only get 5 paid days of bereavement, so trying use them wisely) to process it all.

My nan is doing better than we all thought (she may have realised he wasn't in a good place) but see how she does going forward, like can see her being upset on her birthday which is soon as just be her by herself (we will go for a meal but you know what I mean) for first time in like 60 years.

Taunton did beat Tivvy on Monday, so that's something.

That's an utter bollocks of a start to the year Mas, apologies. Hope you can move on at least to some degree in those five days, and all the best to your nan.

Thanks

And because it's just 5 days I'm only taking 2 this week but does give me four days odd together, then I'll use the other 3 days around the time of the funeral.

Sorry you've had such a bummer of a start to the year, mas. Hopefully you get the time and support you need to process everything!

Ah bugger, sorry to hear that Mas. Sucks any time, of course, but particularly at the holidays.

Sorry to read that masofdas - hope you're all doing well.

I'm really sorry mas. I hope all goes as well as it can.

I'm really sorry to hear that Mas. Hope you and your family are doing as best as you can be.

The end of the year is a good time to take a step back and to reflect, and personally I think I’ll remember 2024 as one of the best in my adulthood. Socially it’s been more enjoyable than any year since COVID, with plenty of days away and nights out to look back on memorably. On that, being able to follow Scotland to Germany to see them play in an international tournament is an experience that’ll forever live with me, even if the football itself was utter pish.

Professionally it’s been all right too, having been afforded more self and team-wide developmental opportunities to go alongside a couple of new working environments. Where I was based before was at the arse-end of nowhere and a properly dead-end job with no prospects at all, but now I’m in settings that are much more rewarding. I recently got to mentor students doing the postgraduate course you require to complete in order to do my job, which was a pain in the arse formative learning experience.

Personally speaking, 2024 was the year in which I’d finally bought my first house. It’s in the town I grew up in and it’s the type of place I’ve been hoping I could move into since I started working full-time with my qualifications over a decade ago. It's got everything I'd want and more, I'm really chuffed about it. I’m furnishing the place as I go along but most of the rooms aren’t far off being done. It’s then I’ll turn my attention to what others have been advising me to return into an office and/or a library. Baws to that: it’s getting turned into my retro games room. Finally, I’ll be able to have all these games I’ve been collecting for over thirty years on display.   

Here’s to a brilliant 2025 - a Happy New Year to you and yours!

Chuffed it worked out for you Cappa, I've been vaguely aware through here that you've had a few stinking years and it's good to see this one wasn't that.

My 2024 was massively overshadowed by two/three things: the cats, and The Lady's mum's health issues.  We had big plans for the year domestically speaking, the first full year in our new house (we were going down the library route, not got enough retro games for the other option).  That didn't happen: The Lady's NHS-sponsored finances took an absolute battering, and there were chunks of time where I barely saw her.  The health issues feel self-inflicted as well in ways I won't go into, which made it worse.  That we managed to take our first week abroad since before COVID this year baffles me.  Then I remember the holiday was in the first half of it, when we were dewy-eyed and optimistic and everything hadn't gone to shit yet.

The cats have made me incredibly happy though.  Just a lovely presence.  Odd to recall that they were only born this year.  (A bit more difficult to navigate them and work when it's just me in the house, mind...)  And I got three weeks off work before starting a new job next year, so that's good.  

Happy 2025 to everybody here!  We had The Lady's friends over for a small but highly alcoholic party.  I've just about recovered.