Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

I mentioned a month or so back about my good friends who have recently split up. Anyway, my friend A rang me up at the weekend and she was wondering how I would feel about a few days away over New Year. I have for most of the past ten years, spent New Year with her family but obviously this year was always going to be different. My initial reaction though when she asked about the chance of getting away was cautious as I am not what could be described as ‘flush’ in the financial area. She pressed on and told me that what she wanted to do was see this year out with a real ‘bang’ and thus was proposing to take me and my children, plus some other mutual friends to Lapland for four days…her treat.

I don’t think I heard anything she said after that for the following twenty minutes or so having gone into a deep catatonic shock caused by not believing the evidence of my own ears. After that time I had to ask her to repeat everything she had just told me, but it would really seem to be the case that I shall be seeing in 2007 somewhere beyond the Artic Circle. New Year this time round will be different alright.

I don't know when my kids were last quite so excited about anything. Even D managed to smile in spite of realising he would be forced to miss a Cobblers match. (D to me,"Couldn't you and I get a plane out there after the match and catch up with the others in Finland?" Me to D "I don't really think so dear.")

Two days later I have finally got my head together sufficiently to look at the web site and start to imagine it. There are many things I want to know about where we are going, and what it will be like so I turned to the Frequently Asked Questions which are very helpful. Especially this one - ’Will it be cold?’ If anyone else is wondering about the answer to that tricky question related to a trip in mid winter to the north of Finland I should be able to get back to you with the definitive answer sometime after 2nd January 2007.