Wet.

I didn't get to sleep until after 3.00 so it was hard to wake up again at 6.00 but instead of doing 3 afternoons at school this week I had been asked to work all of today. Peter leaves a little before me but it was still dark (and wet) when I got into my car. I turned the key, the ignition started and then died away. Oops I thought, I must have been a bit too quick so I tried again. The same thing happened and at that point the air in the car turned blue. I used to have a lot of trouble with the landrover batteries but this micra has been pretty reliable. I tried for a third time and after a half- hearted wheeze it just about got going so I revved up to keep the engine running. I can only think that not turning off the back window heater might have drained the battery. I do hope I'm not going to start getting problems.

At school I worked with the year 2's in the morning and the reception children in the afternoon. I had forgotten that I would be in all day when it was the children's Christmas lunch. Having the whole school crammed into the hall makes for quite a noise. The teachers serve and clear away and in past years they ate with the children. It's now been changed so that the staff eat after all the children have finished. I hadn't booked myself a lunch but there was more than sufficient. I'm not keen on turkey, Brussels sprouts or stuffing but I enjoyed a couple of roast potatoes, peas and gravy. I made the mistake of having some of the carrots. Not only were they tinned and tasteless I had forgotten that what look like baby carrots are machine carved from old big carrots. This all sounds as if I'm picky which I'm not but I am only 1lb short of my Christmas target so I only indulge if it is something I really like. Unfortunately Santa in his helicopter flew over while the children were eating their lunch so for once they missed him.

It continued to rain all day but now the promised storm has arrived. The wind is howling through the trees and around the house and it's raining heavily. At the supermarket I got soaked in the few minutes it took to put my shopping in the back of my car. Today was my last day before the holidays but I'll be going in tomorrow for our little lunchtime do.