Goodbye 2008.

What a year!

Financial meltdown, wars, famine, terrorism, housing market collapse, record petrol prices, insane hikes in gas, electricity and food prices. On a high note - Barrack Hussein Obama being elected president of the USA! Back to the low-notes - the wettest summer ever recorded, health scares, expanding dole queues, factory closures, reduced production, redundancies, interest rate cuts, taxpayer bailouts of bust banks, VAT cut by a MASSIVE 2.5% to stop the rot in the high street (he (Darling) was obviously having a laugh)

And we said goodbye (or will be any time soon) to Woolworths, Adams, MFI, Zavvi, Whittard of Chelsea, USC and The Officers Club - all huge retail chains who were allowed by the greedy banks to borrow more than the companies were actually worth = and (after HM Treasury) who gets first bite at the Administration cherry, who is repaid ahead of staff, suppliers and all other creditors? - that's right, the greedy banks. (Makes my blood boil somewhat!)

On a personal note I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, put on steroids which destroyed my immune system and led to infection after infection, these were treated with antibiotics which undid all the good the steroids had done. I end the year as I began it - steroid free and still with dodgy guts.

So, that was 2008 - much turbulence on the Sea of Life. Bring on 2009, I'm setting sail for another challenging journey!!

Christmas.

Ah well, that's that for another twelve months - though it'll no doubt begin again in August 2009!

Christmas at the McArthurs was a wonderful affair as expected - dinner (cooked by yours truly) went down a storm and led to bloated bellies in front of Her Majesty at 3pm but the highlight of the day for everyone was watching Emily as she discovered Santa's footprints from the front door (The chimney was impractical as it would be "too hot" Emily informed us a few days before!!) through the lounge to a pile of presents resembling a delivery of stock to Toys R Us. The look of pure joy on her face as she found Rudolf's half eaten carrot and a note from the Big Man himself, thanking her for the glass of milk!! Priceless. Needless to say the entire morning was filled with the ripping off of wrapping paper and squeals of delight as the contents were discovered, "This wasn't on my list, how did he know I wanted it??"

 

Clever man that Santa!! Now all we have to do is build an extension to the house to store it all - thanks Santa!!

 

A great day was had by all.

 

(I am saving a post regarding the ridiculous amount of selotape, cable-ties, wires and string used to secure children's toys into their packaging until after the festivities, so as to renew my Victor Meldrew image for 2009!!)

 

Here's wishing you all a peaceful and prosperous 2009.

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BUY - "The Baboon's Left Testicle (Part One of Two)" - An appallingly lewd and juvenile comedy adventure written by Gary McArthur and Andrew Baker.

www.mcarthurbaker.co.uk

Vultures Circling - but just who are they?

Are me and the missus the only ones to cry (quite literally) at the demise of Woolies?

We must be the softest of soft people, but we feel for the staff - long term and Christmas recruits - who have suffered at the hands of senior 'Management'(?) yet again. Senior Management(?) who, no doubt awarded themselves enormous bonuses on the back of the Group's enormous 2.7billion profit for last year, whilst all along knowing that the retail element of their group was in a state of financial meltdown.

It's not the flocks of customers looking for a closing down sale price who should be criticised for grabbing the bargains,  but the Senior Management who made it possible.

Shame on them.

Book Finally Published!!

In a roundabout way we have finally managed to get our book published.

Total Fiction - the publishing firm we were signed up to has folded as a result of the credit crunch so we were forced to take drastic measures and self publish via Lulu.com, but what the heck! PLUS by doing so, we have drastically reduced our overheads.

So, we're finally in print and up for sale. If you like a juvenile, raucous cat and mouse chase, thrilling comedy adventure with undertones of Jacobs' The Monkey's Paw, if you've ever visited Hartlepool, Mold or London, encountered a Pearly Queen or been accosted by a Welsh Zombie then our book is for you - Mills & Boon it is not.

The Baboon's Left Testicle (Part One of Two) is now available in paperback and download from lulu.com

Follow the link below to buy, read and review.




You can read a bit more about The Baboon's Left Testicle at our website - http://www.mcarthurbaker.co.uk/


I have been a busy bee of late - so apologies for not getting round too many people - that will hopefully change from now on!