Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you!
The last few days have been fairly uneventful for Padz. He's refused point blank to even look at the hill we've been sledging down, chosing instead to take it easy, reading, playing board games, etc. His favourite warm hat has been showing its age recently so we took the chance to visit town today while the others went ice-skating. The sales of hats have been brisk so it wasnt easy to find one he liked. Our final shop had just the thing but he could not bring himself to try it on 'in public'. We sought out the changing room. As it was an adult hat, we approached the menswear changing room where there were no other customers in sight. I asked if we could use the facilities to try on the hat but was informed that the children's changing rooms were across the shop floor. Pads was quite worn out and I bridled. As I explained that P had just finished chemo the attendant's sympathy was stirred but Pads was willing to trapse across to the 'correct' facilities. When we arrived there, the young sales rep wondered why we needed a changing room to try out a hat: he got the 'hard stare' too, poor lad. It's a nice hat, shame about the nutters.
Back at the rink, the kids had the place to themselves and we discovered that it wouldnt be open again until March!
A jolly crowd gathered for the annual concert, with 22 high class acts, we ought to have started earlier. When the bells approached, we had to break off and exchange our best wishes for the New Year, but we'd still not done Pads' sketch and he crumpled. We packed him off to bed with the greatest alacrity. 15 minutes later he was back and in great form, carried the sketch (an attempt at 'Fork Handles') off a treat.