Plans and resolutions

WE'RE IN the process of making some New Year plans and resolutions. Amongst them are the discussions of what we require for our new kitchen. Some of the old units are falling apart, literally! Moreover, the room is in dire need of a redecorate; the carpet tiles are filthy and starting to curl at the corners, while the wallpaper hasn't been changed since we had the house rewired, about four years ago. As soon as My Good Lady has fully recovered from her cold, we're off to the January sales to see what we can find.

Our other resolution concerns the Pub. How on earth have we ended up going there quite so frequently? If we miss a single day we seem to be on the receiving end of phone calls demanding to know if we're still alive, and if so where are we. Somehow, the assumption is that we'll be there, ready to give such assistance and companionship as is required. And yet, I get the feeling that we're not regarded as proper "locals" at all, at least not by some of folk we know. There was a Christmas party held at the Pub, meant for all the regulars, and nobody even thought to mention it to us! Similarly with some of the Christmas and New Year parties - not that we would have actually attended any of them, our days of such gallivanting are well and truly over - but the thought would have been nice. The result is a rather hurtful feeling that we're being taken for granted. "Oh, the Fox and his Lady, they'll be here, they'll do it, they'll help, they'll give us a lift, no question!" We do have some good friends at the Pub, people whose company we cherish, but others are going to have to look elsewhere to find a pair of such helpful muggins.