HAPPY NEW YEAR

Good news: Ravensburger are going to send us another "Tigger Tigger Bounce" game. I just hope it works. Anyway, it shows that it does pay to complain, especially if you're polite. Good customer service on their part too.

Bad news: The Dunfermline (De)Press is still as parochial as ever. There's no sign of the story I gave them about the overflowing postboxes and yet this week's issue is a cop-out with stories from the last 12 months and very little by way of actual news.

Good news: Two of the three CDs I ordered from Amazon (to compensate for only getting one CD for Christmas) have arrived. I ordered Candi Payne's "I Wish I Could Have Loved You More", which will arrive soon but the postie made by day by bringing "Dreambabes Vol 8 - Stockingtop Pop" (aka the musical subsection known as "brass and birds") and another Mod compilation called "Take My Tip (25 Sixties Mod Gems)". "Dreambabes 8" is more of the same as previous volumes although it is more set in the 70s.

Bad news: The Scottish Football Association's decision (or should that be non-decision) to only cancel some of the games in the wake of Phil O'Donnell's tragic death.

Good news: Claire from The Scotsman phoned me today to pick my brains about any songs that might fit into the category of Pro-Work or Anti-Work. The first one came to mind was Cilla Black's "Work Is A Four Letter Word" (from Dreambabes Vol 2). She said that I was becoming her "musical source", which was a nice thing to say.

Bad news: Watched The Simpsons movie, which Santa brought me, and I was somewhat underwhelmed by it. It was good but not that good. still, it came with a free spider pig.

Good news: I've applied for two more quiz/game shows today. At long last, there's been another casting call for "Deal Or No Deal". It was on the show this afternoon and not unsurprisingly the website was bombarded and the server went down. I tried later on, filled in the form and sent it off with a reasonable picture. Fingers crossed. The other show is one called "Only Connect". It's a pilot, to be filmed in Cardiff, with posh totty Victoria Coren.

Bad news: Only three days until I'm back at work. Deep joy.

Good news: Did my bit for recycling by updating our Christmas card list (for next year - whose in and whose binned) and split the cards so that the fronts can be reused as postcards for competitions. Sometimes we serrate the edges too. also went to our local "civic amenity" to dump our old PC and DVD player, which has finally packed in. We can't complain because it's about 7 years old and we won it in a competition. I went to Tesco Extra in Corstorphine and got a replacement one (a Phillips) for less than £30. I also got myself a CD Walkman for under £7!! £7 - that's ridiculous.

Bad news: Went to Asda in Dunfermline to get two copies of the Simon and Garfunkel collection box set, which had been priced at £9.77 before Christmas. My worst fears were realised when I found it, but with no price. I asked the girl in the Electrical department for a price and was greeted with "£14.97, is that alright?" "No, it bloody isn't", thought I. I thanked her and left. I then went to PC world to get CD labels as I couldn't find any in the study (I'd made a compilation for Hazel's birthday, the 31st, and I needed to finish it off before I could post it). PC World, a place I detest, didn't have what I wanted and certainly not at the price I wanted. Sure enough I go to Tesco Extra and they have what I want and at another crazy price.

Good news: I'm not making any resolutions. I do need to lose some weight but I don't smoke (well, not for a couple of years) and I don't drink too much. I just want to get a new job, preferably in a more creative environment. Only time will tell.

Bad news: I still haven't finished The Herald's Christmas Crossword (not even close, in fact) and I'm frustratingly close to completely the NME Christmas Quiz. I only need 6 - three pictures of indie star' teeth and three quotes from NME interviews in 2007. Just in case any readers know them, here they are:

1. "No song and dance, it's not a big deal, it's just a piece of music"
2. "I don't recommend anyone getting stabbed. It's shit"
4. "My first thought was I'd shoot him down with some choice words, but in the end I resorted to violence".

I've sent an e-mail to the co-writer of the quiz, who I know, offering sexual favours but I haven't heard back from him!

Here's to an interesting 2008 - Happy New Year one and all.