A quiet New Year's Eve in Doncaster, waiting for Nicky to pop. Which she didn't, of course.

This usually takes place when the post resumes - Dad and Mandy sent over some more Christmas prezzies, which were duly torn apart and worn!

Nicky perched on the sofa in Joel's office, doing tech support queries for Fotopic...

It was hell - people everywhere, lots of idiots, but Joel came away with a DAB radio and some XSLT O'Reillys.

We went over to Nicky's parents in Doncaster for tea, where Ellie pottered around playing with everyone and Joel dozed.

Ellie's second Christmas, where she worked out how to unwrap presents! Santa brought her a rocking horse, a wendy house, and a play kitchen - among other things. Then to lunch, where Joel cooked for Ellie, Nicky, Mum K, Grandma T and Tim. Yum!

Wrapping Christmas presents, drinking copious quantities of champagne and white wine, and sorting stuff out - all with Rachel and Matt and Bling.

Preparing for Christmas with shopping, a quick visit to Moorends, where we bumped into Karen, Beryl, Brian, Sam and Jessica. Then home to finish the reindeer buns, which ended up without antlers - so they're reinhinds instead.

Late night at Tesco, followed by some baking. Mmmm, buns.

We had to move the Christmas tree, after the cat climbed up it and wrapped his legs around the lights, his front paws around the tinsel, and got a bauble stuck in his ear.

Toys-R-Us was deserted, Wakefield was quiet. Not a shopper was stirring. Except us.

Relaxing with Guinness and some cracking music at O'Donoghues in Wakefield, with Kieran and Jon. I'm your hoochie-coochie man, so they tell me.

Another odd company day passes, so we all go to the Pen after work for a few recuperative beers. Never rains but pours...

I had some stuff to give to Dan, so we went for a quiet Monday evening pint in the Pot Oil in Wrenthorpe. Yum.

Nicky's almost due, but we want the bugger out for Christmas! So, time for curry, raspberry tea, a walk to do shopping, and of course...

Lunch at the Rockingham in Doncaster, followed by decorating the Christmas tree and (yes you guessed it) more Fotopic order processing!

We all went out for cocktails, then to the Formosa for a Christmas celebration in Fulham. Was a bit of an odd night given various bits of company news during the day, but fun nontheless.

It had been a stressful day, so a few of us went to the pub for some medicinal cushioning fluid. Well, the plan was to get an early night, but ended up hotfooting it up North cos Nicky reckoned she was in labour.

More mug orders, some nice flowers from Nat, and all the rest of it...

Joel and Neal had a chat with Vicky in Baby Jupiter, who fancies coming and working with Fotopic as a marketing person - ace! Then back to Wrenthorpe for more sweatshop work producing mugs for Christmas presents.

Pressing some of the new baseball-style t-shirts, and Ellie doing her hiding thing behind the curtains.

Lots of hurting heads, so a big Sunday lunch was in order.

Starting out with a pint in O'Donoghues, then off up to Mex Millennium for serious amounts of food and beer. We then wandered off to a few noisy bars before settling in at the Inns of Court and returning to Wrenthorpe, where Joel fell off the floor.

A quick jaunt to Wakefield to get some clothes for the party, then wandering to Doncaster to drop Ellie off with her grandparents.

Me, Gav and Chris were cabling the new CentralNic offices, then of course we nipped to the pub for one before hometime.

A couple of quick beers in the Pelican, the lack of signal on the Orange GC75, and stuff.

We're moving downstairs again, into what used to be the Salt Mines. But it's nice and airy, and bright, and has aircon, and stuff! Woo! Yay! Pity the poor sods who have to share an office with me after a night on the curry though

Trawling the bars - Bar Latino, The Graziers, O'Donoghues, and the god-awful Bing-Bada-Boom, finally terminating down Kirkgate with a kebab. Ow, my head.

For a change we went out to see the boats at Stanley Ferry, since Ellie seems to be going through a 'boat stage' at the moment. So we had lunch by the canal, then home to potter around.

Always nice to see Peter, Heidi and their daughter Tarryn.