The plan was very simple. I made a list of what I would like from Aude for Christmas this year. At the top of the list was this:

Instead of a nice, new, shiny Corvette, what I got from Aude was this:

A stinking cold. So I’ve spent most of the day sitting at home feeling sorry for myself as I battle this case of ‘man flu’ with all the brave stoicism you’d expect. In other words, I’ve been whining all day.

In situations like this, I generally turn to the Jews. After all, the religion that brought us the Kosher hot dog and the word “schmuck” can’t be all bad. And they know a thing or two about curing a cold, so I’ve decided to self-medicate with Jewish penicillin – the theory being that chicken soup will cure all ails. And it turns out that there’s some medical evidence to back up this theory…

My favourite quote from the article: “It should be added that to benefit from Jewish penicillin, one need not be Jewish.”

A pot of chicken soup boiling on the stove. For any Jews making notes, the Goy version contains chicken, onions, carrots, celery, turnips, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and a bouquet garnis.

In other news, I’ve chosen the wine for our New Years Eve dinner. We’re spending the dinner with French friends in Brussels. Stubborn as I am, I’ve offered a French Chinon to go with the starter, but have stood my ground and selected a nice California Zinfandel, which should go nicely with our steak with Roquefort sauce.

A nice Chinon to go with our smoked duck salad, and a Californian Zinfandel to go with the main course.

Since this is likely my last blog of the year, I just thought I should wish everyone a Happy New Year! See you in 2007…