As Is Tradition

It's Christmas Day and after getting the dogs nicely muddied up on the park, we head home to get the goose cooked, and also to make a start on disposing of the eggnog.

We are not one of the 10 million people in the UK who have turkey. I'm not sure where this turkey thing came from, the UK is on it's own in making this a Christmas tradition. In 1588, Elizabeth I enacted a law making it an offence to eat any bird other than Goose on Christmas day, I wouldn't want to disobey.

L also sticks to tradition with her dashing black stocking look; this should also be passed in law.

Her present to the dogs this year are a couple of pigs. Not real ones, toy ones although they sound very authentic. At first MD is terrified of both of them but it doesn't take long for him to overcome that fear and to get his teeth around their throats.

My parents arrive and we head off for another tradition, the lunchtime pint down the Plough, before returning for lunch. My Mum has been struck down with the lurgy that everyone seems to be getting at the moment but at least she's well enough for Christmas lunch.

The Goose, and we've never had problems before, turns out to be a bit of a tough old bird. Like someone had substituted grilled collie instead... Daughter? which would most certainly have been a bit tough and grizzled but no, a quick head count and we still have two of the brutes.

After my parents have gone, we revive another tradition, the Christmas Day run. It's obviously not a popular tradition because we don't see anyone else out pounding the streets. Although there were a few getting it in early this morning.

I try out my new Christmas present from L, an Ipod sensor that fits into your training shoe and tells you on your Ipod how far you've ran. It tells us rather generously we've done about 7km when we know it's nearer to 5km. It may be wrong but it's still a rather cool gadget and it'll hopefully be even cooler when I've got it calibrated and it starts giving out the correct information.

We get back home in time for the traditional Christmas message, from Wallace And Grommit.