Bah humbug

Can it really be less than three weeks til Christmas? I am usually in full on festive mode by now, making mulled wine, sending Christmas cards and buying presents but the Scrooge in me has taken over and I am in denial this year, particularly as the car has given up the ghost and so, two weeks before we depart foggy, rainy France for snowy, freezing London we still don't know how we are going to get there.

The original plan was to drive with kids, dogs and Christmas pressies, smugly bypassing any wildcat airline strikes, closed airports and snowbound runways and stopping off as and when we need to (with Oscar the car-hating, nauseous pug in tow that will be about every 10 minutes.)

However, even the chance of booking the car into a garage before Christmas is proving to be about as likely as witnessing the second coming. I was very efficient, French even, in my tactics this morning. On the phone at dead on 8.30am to request an appointment at their earliest convenience. The receptionist took my name and number and told me a technician would ring me back. Two hours passed, nothing. Then my phone rang with an unfamilar number as I sat in Cafe Latin in Valbonne with a friend so I started into my spiel about the car being stuck permanently in second gear, only to discover it was actually Fenelon, asking where Livvy was! Not sure who was more surprised, me or Msr Motet!

I rang the garage again at 11.30, explaining that I would quite like to be able to make an appointment before the end of 2010 to be told they had my message and my number and yes, someone would be ringing me back to arrange an appointment. Needless to say, nothing. I'd find it disappointing if I wasn't so familiar with this scenario.

While the weather has been doing its worst here, I have been busy beavering away on my website www.karenhockneymedia.com. Have had some great feedback already from friends and colleagues and the guys at Brightbox did a fab job of making it look slick and professional (if only they could perform the same magic on me!)

Spoke to the lovely Dermot O'Leary last week, who has never changed despite now being one of the hottest hosts on TV. He's hosting the National TV Awards next month and talked about why he won't wait as long as Simon Cowell to tie the knot, how his personal trainer kicks his butt to kick him in shape and why he would do pretty much anything for the job of US X Factor host. Coming soon in Closer and Hello.....

Finally, the photo at the top is destined to remind everyone in Blighty that snow can be quite lovely really...first day of ski season last Saturday in Greolieres with views down to the coast, fresh snow, sunshine and a Snickers and a grand creme to die for....