Oops - or, 'what do you MEAN January is nearly over?'

I honestly didn't intend for there to be quite such a blogging hiatus when I last posted.  But January just flew by in a blur of work trips and schnail (= snow + hail + sleet + rain, all falling at the same time).  I had very good intentions to blog about the run my sister and I did on the 6th January to kick off 2013 in style.  It was a beautiful day, we were in the South of France, we ran through pine forests ... and my phone didn't save any of the photos.

Now it's the tail end of January and I am in the throes of packing for my forthcoming trip to Australia.  When the work is over I'm hoping to visit a couple of places I've never been (including - finally - some proper red desert Outback where I'll meet a taciturn Drover-type who turns out to be perfectly charming and also possessing a white dinner jacket.)  On the way back from Oz I'm spending a couple of days in Abu Dhabi which will be my first new country visited in 2013.  (I have actually been in the airport in Abu Dhabi on a previous trip but I don't think it counts unless you actually step outside the airport.)

I leave you now to go and celebrate International Potato, Wine and Crossword Day (this is the annual commemoration of my Granny's birthday; though Granny is no longer with us we like to think that she's still enjoying the aforementioned potatoes, wine and crosswords, which were three of her favourite things.)  However, I promise, PROMISE, that I won't wait another month to post.