Merry Christmas!

Don't you just love those Christmas round-robin letters:

"Matilda was so good this year that we decided to buy her another pony."

"Julian got a new, ridiculously paid job and we celebrated by spending 3 months trekking in Patagonia followed by a diving holiday off the Great Barrier Reef."

(Real one from this year...) "Like last year, We started 2008 off in a chalet in the French Alps..."

This one takes it though, another real one: after the usual pleasantries;

"We explored Cairo for the next 3 days, reassembled the bikes and repacked the camping gear in preparation for our 12,000 km cycle ride to CapeTown..."

I've always wanted to try a new take on the Simpsons' year:

It was another good year. The ASBO has only one more year to run then we can start the parties again. We're all proud of the way that Laura is earning her own keep with her thriving dealing business, and James will be allowed out for two days over Christmas (as long as he wears the tag). We love the new car - it's looking a lot better after the respray and change of plates and is unlikely to be found now. And Wendy is so much better after her holiday - it was good of the council to fund the trip without actually checking the sick note we wrote.