People with ME tend to avoid parties, so I stayed in as usual last night and indulged by watching “Love Actually” for the zillionth time. In the early hours my cat Fynn held his own private football match with a ping-pong ball that ricocheted noisily across the tiled floors and limestone walls. I had decided against the earplugs, which help me sleep but also sometimes make me worry about what necessary noises I might be missing. I’ll be in good company around the world with my fuzzy achy head this morning. If you over indulged last night and are feeling the worse for wear today, keep in mind that for most people with ME this is how we wake up feeling every single day of the year.

"Once in a blue moon" - a full blue moon over St Paul's Island, early morning, 1st January 2010.