Despite all attempts to avoid it, the first minor meltdown has dropped in for a mince pie. How's it going for you negotiating the minefield of yule?
still at the barbed wire fence that says "achtung Weihnachten"
Don't finish work until the early hours of the 25th. Mince pies on standby.
Frail and elderly neighbour just bin brought home by two of Santa's Elves (female paramedics) following a fall he had whilst out getting his Xmas pension. 🙁
He's ok though; doctor coming round in a bit to check him over propply.
Personally, I can't wait until Monday. * Christmas. Tis the season to pretend to be nice; the rest of the year we can all go back to being *s.
Are they mint ones? Ooh ta!
Our christmas preperation has involved having the house go on fire a bit, so that's made things a wee bit fraught... Still, lucky escape so no matter what else this christmas we can always say "Hey, at least the house didn't burn down"
Save one for me Elf.
and yet no pics ? 🙄Our christmas preperation has involved having the house go on fire a bit
(hope it was a little bit)
Nah, it doesn't look very impressive in photos... Mostly furniture and stuff burned so that all got chucked into the garden, the room's just a bit smoky and has a few black patches and holes in the carpet and such.
If I'd known the aftermath was going to be so disappointing, I'd have taken some pics before I put the fire out!
Humbug, indeed.
I'm still unsure how it happened, but today I ended up driving for over two hours through heavy rain and bollocks Christmas traffic to Wakefield Westgate station to pick up my sister-in-law, only to discover that she'd changed her plans and gone to Crewe to be collected by the mother-in-law instead, and hadn't bothered to tell us. And she had the nerve to imply that it was somehow my fault for not psychically deducing her modified transport arrangements. She also didn't tell us that they weren't staying for dinner after all, so my wife has prepared a shitload of food that wasn't needed.
This year we had elected not to see my wife's family, because, as you can hopefully see from the above example, they're a bit of a nightmare. This was my wife's decision, not mine, I hasten to add, I am perfectly capable of MTFUing and dealing with them when necessary. Somehow, however, said sister- and mother-in-law managed to break the embargo and invite themselves round, for reasons too spurious to go into here; we've only seen 20% of the buggers and it's not even Xmas eve, yet my in-laws are still well in line for being the most awkward bit of the whole festive period, as per bloody usual.
Next year I want to spend Xmas in an undisclosed location, preferably somewhere fancy and warm in the southern hemisphere. 🙄
Mintimperial I feel your pain. Before we had kids we were always abroad for the stressmas.
Mine kicked off around 7.20 this morning when I was holding down a fifty yr old bloke in the rain for 20 minutes to stop him from throwing himself under the next bus while I waited for an ambulance.
Edit: oh hang on though, I did the same on Wednesday too ( same bloke, same place, different weather)
Bregante - Now thats properly tough. Hope things level out.
Bregante, would you happen to work for 'the uniformed branch of social services' by any chance? 😉
You'd be correct bravehotel8er
Not yet, but I meet my girlfriend's brother and his wife for the first time tomorrow.
Her family haven't been in contact with either of them since their wedding which descended into carnage, amongst the highlights were the bride's last minute decision to remove the groom's father's speech from the order of service in favour of a spoken word 'performance' by her friend, who later turned out to be a sex worker catering to a somewhat niche market.
Can't wait to see what happens!
You have my sympathy then Bregante, I work for probation so I imagine we come into contact with much the same 'service users'*
*Other terms are available!
Tis here.....first festive punch up at the pub down the road....one of them had a santa hat as well.
Spending the time cycling with gf and dropping by real ale establishments. The antithesis of sress.
Mine kicked off last Saturday when our babysitter disturbed a burglar who was hiding in my youngest son's bedroom (and yes the little un was asleep in there). Cue half a dozen coppers and dog handling teams and an arrest after they found the ****er hiding in a nearby garden. Took a couple of days off this week to repair a section of the rear fence, fit a new side gate and two security lights. it's all good now, we aren't letting anything or anyone knock us off course.
Yes it has.. Yes it most certainly has started.
I finished work last Friday, been in That Yarkshyre playing around on Roadie and Lefty in the wind and rain... Slight detour on Weds to lay to rest one of my Nephews who'd passed away the week before, where long lost cousins and family members I'd not seen for the best part of 15 years arrived with a jolly "Hello, wooooo haven't you grown up/look like your father/aren't you looking skinny" comments flowed..
A reaquaintance with the cattle here and mucking out duties, driving around in battered/beaten up Landys and generally fooling around and looking up recipies for a blow out Boxing Day lunch for 17 of the now extended Bouy household..
Only one drink has passed my lips, I'm totting up the miles for Raphas Festive 500 and looking forward to burning my legs off on some of Yarksyres finest road/trails..
Have a cracking holiday you lot.
Mine kicked off yesterday when the boiler failed and the replacement part can't be fitted until next Wednesday. Previously that wouldn't be a problem as we would be away at xmas, this year we're hosting for the first time.
Luckily the weather warmer than last year.
Finished work Friday 12:30. Txt at 13:58 with a Mag 5.8 earthquake in Christchurch and more gear ****d. Worried for friends and colleagues, then a 5.3 and a monster 6 an hour later FFS. Managed to sort everything out and now have 2 very scared house guests who have toughed out a year of earthquakes and have now given up and decided to leave for good - 3rd house that has been written off in 18 months. Feeding them good food, as much whisky as is required and attempting to increase the laugh level.
Has put my petty whingeing in check again that is for sure.

