It’s nearly time for the old holliers.

In four weeks time I shall be heading off for a bit of warmth and many gallons of wine.  I’m not really a wine person, but just as we keep the good Guinness for ourselves, so the French keep the good wine for France.  And it’s dirt cheap very reasonably priced.

There has been one small change to our plans – Sandy has decided not to come.  She announced this a couple of weeks ago and no amount of persuasion will change her mind.  She says that she is not used to driving on the wrong side of the road [which isn’t true] and has heard that the country is infested with poodles.  She is determined to stay at home.  She says poodles are gay.

In the meantime of course, I had booked her a kennel for each way on the ferry.  They call it a kennel, but it’s actually just a steel box on the car deck.  So now I have a kennel with nothing to put into it.  I did suggest that Herself would be more at home there than in a bed, but she declined the offer.

I phoned Irish Ferries and told ‘em I wouldn’t be needing the kennels and could I have my money back, thanks very much.

They said no, thanks very much.

Fuck!

So now I have booked a return journey and have paid way over the odds.  Hate that.

Now I wasn’t born yesterday [or the day before, for that matter] and there are always ways of getting the old money’s worth.  I demanded an upgrade to the cabin.  I had originally booked a two star, two berth cabin with a window.  They said they had no three star cabins left and would I like a four star, two berth with a window?  Does a bear shit in the woods, I replied.

I have just been checking on-line as to the differences between two star, three star and four star. 

Apparently I will have my own personal steward.

Boy is that bloke going to earn his pay!

Heh!