Well, the good news is that today was my last day at work until 5 January. I love University holidays. I took off 6 1/2 days of vacation and with days the University is closed it comes to 3 weeks off in total.

The bad news is that Steph seems to have the same nasty stomach infection I had a week and a half or so ago. We seem to have been passing this backwards and forwards between us for too long now. And tomorrow we're due to drive from Leeds to Weston-super-Mare to visit my mum and drop off Nika, who is going to stay there over Christmas. It's about a five hour drive, maybe a little longer with a dog who gets car sick.

Anyway, hopefully Steph will be on the mend in a day or two and I won't come down with it again. Then I can finally unwind and enjoy a proper holiday. I might even get some serious writing done, something that's eluded me for too many weeks now.

Well, it's getting late. Nika's teeth need brushing, then I have to take her for a walk. And the washing up is looking lonesome, so I'm off. The journal is going to be neglected rather until the new year, I suspect, but I won't have as easy access to a computer. Sunny, summery Michigan awaits, but at least I have a real coat this year (I hope). And at least it shouldn't be raining, unlike Leeds.