Happy eat to much holyday!

Happy Christmas everyone.
I'm just about to start watching Nine Carols and Lessons from Kings College Cambridge, the start of Christmas for me.

Many people are familiar with a holiday song about an anthropomorphic animal with an incandescent nose. What people don't know about is the story behind the song. We know, of course, that there is no biological process that makes a reindeer's nose glow in the dark. Yet, there is a definite point behind the mention of the bright red light. You see, this story happens at a time where the population of the world was reaching a density that made traditional gift delivery more difficult. At the same time, as cities formed it was no longer possible for public safety to be served by neighbors helping neighbors. There needed to be men who made a profession of serving and protecting their community. Emergencies don't respect a calendar or a clock; and so these men could not be home with their families for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. You hear it described as heckling Rudolph for his differences; but it is really his sense of duty keeping him away from the games. There were two problems in play: a lack of personnel, and a group of dedicated public servants who had to be away from their families. One particularly bad year, it all came to a head; and a solution to both problems was found. The men would use the time while they were standing by to serve as delivery crews on Santa's behalf. Their trucks were made to handle bad weather, and get to where they needed to go; and the men were dedicated. The arrangement has worked well, and carries on, to this day. The song was correct about them going down in history, however, with modesty winning out over pride; so the memory was written down as a song about an animal. This year, when you see the brave lads, and now also brave ladies, in their sturdy trucks with the bright red light on the nose; remember a fire truck called Rudolph. Remember also, your fire crews who remain ready to respond to your emergencies, whether it be fire, or storms, or delivering Christmas to good girls and boys. Thank your fire crews, and thank your service organizations, who are Santa's helpers in your community. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

"I dont care who you think you are, get them bloody reindeer of my roof"

I drunk a little too much brandy butter [it melted on the hot pud?..] ow ow ow ow... happy hangover people, we had a houseful, it was very merry from quite early [The only day when a breakfast is crunchy nut cornflakes with Baileys on them] until very late, I slept like a log, got up 11:30, I am still on my first cup of coffee.

Happy new year can wait because I will talk to you all before then, and we have a lot of work to do for that meal as well... another houseful I hope?.