Christmas Survival Thread (group therapy)

Poorly dog, sick and squirty shite all over new cream carpet, ho ho **** ho 🙄

I’ve decided to just take Xmas day and Boxing Day off this year as the only family I have is mum and if we spend too much time together we end up fighting.

Being self employed does have it’s upside 😉

Went best mates last night for a Chinese so today quick bike ride out to nans grave, lunch then probably just browsing on here or planning some holidays for the new year.

All the best to everyone on here. * gone teetotal so raises mug of fruit tea to toast *

Sat in a Premier Inn near [major UK airport] about to fly 180 people to a famous skiing destination.

Return trip will be near-supersonic as I’m intending to be home before midnight and have 220 miles to drive afterwards.

So those of you whining that you can only bear to spend one day with your families, bear in mind that some people don’t get a choice. FFS, someone here said last night they ended up punching their dad.

Is it wrong to be hiding on the loo BEFORE the Outlaws turn up?

Our trick has been to go skiing over Xmas. Has worked a treat for the last few years!

Poorly dog, sick and squirty shite all over new cream carpet, ho ho **** ho

He must have caught it from me…great Christmas present.

Happy Christmas woppit, your drink matches the walls!

Aging parents who are now declining rapidly that need full time professional care.

And smile!!!

Stockings opened with kids (22 and 20!) on the bed
Dog walked
Church service
Margaux decanted
Bubbly and Puligny Montrachet (tribute to my dear old man) in the fridge
Hoovering done, table laid
Waiting for PILs

Missing my old man and friend across the road (RIP both of you)
Sad that my mum is in hospital with broken hip, but bravo to physios working on her this morning and to my bro for being there

No food yet, but looking forward to a nice gorge

THM. Liking the wine choices.

At my partner’s house, her brother doing the cooking, her daughter cleaning the place. I’m low profiling it.

The beef is going to be cremated so her mum likes it, and I am going to have to sit at the same table as sprouts and parsnips and two brexiteers… but could be worse.

My mum in a home and doesn’t know the year let alone the day. My dad seems off the radar, again. Kids with their mum. I too prefer skiing xmases.

New record for FIL he managed nearly 24hrs without saying something rediclously offensive.

It was going so well until he started trying to defend the celebrities of the 70’s who have been proven as peados…

Also the glass that I found that was the perfect size for my White Russians has turned out to not be a glass but an empty Candle, nobody told me

Alcohol works here.
Going great .Drinks etc and child tantrums at friends in the morning.
Now the boy has gone to play with his friends (learning loads of Italian swear words).
Late dinner to follow and my local has just given me a free beer. London is blissfully quiet.
Epping slop ride on the cards for the morning ,not quite Skiddaw but I’ll take it.
🙂

BiL’s GF is a loud and abrasive,………..

No probs here with a bike build going on in the lounge. 8) Son and I talk about bikes all day long, so far it’s been about tyres, wheels and brakes.

I’m considering lacing the MiLs next glass of wine with xanax

FIL spent 2 hours building one of the kids toys (knex dinosaur) and tells them off for touching it in case they break it! It’s the kids and it’s a toy ffs!

And I’ve been told I’m drinking too much when I haven’t even drank enough to be over the limit to drive.

Obviously the Mrs sides with him as he can do no wrong and is the perfect father despite the fact he left her and her siblings with their abusive mother when he ran away and didn’t see them for years…

To balance the grumpy posts, I’m at the folks house with my gf. Drinking a selection of great local beers, the folks are nice as ever, I think they like my gf even more than me. Life is pretty sweet today.

Don’t come here with your happiness :p

The time spent with the kids is great the whole day hasn’t been ruined just the bits when a certain person is talking…

Kids are starting to run out of steam – for the 2yo that means having a book read to her, for 11yo it means strutting about like Kevin the Teenager from back when Harry Enfield was funny. Pouting because he’s missed Doctor Who despite the fact he knows full well it’s on the iPlayer and he’s been glued to his Xbox since 8am.

FiL came for lunch, he’s quiet and introverted like me so we get on fine.

I’ve done the dishes and degreesed the kitchen – there’s a huge amount of left-overs from yesterday’s party and stuff that’s not even opened – it’s got a few days before it’s recycled, shameful waste but we ‘had’ to get it or Xmas would be ruined.

Mums tomorrow, Wife might join us later but she’s working tomorrow – 3 days of over eating and unwanted social interaction – I could do with a nice long ride and a dose of picolax – can’t do either this week so I’ll punish myself in the gym on the 27th instead.

I’m the miserable one in our house. You guys should have some sympathy for those of us who feel under pressure to be jolly when it doesn’t come naturally.

The decibel level has gone off the scale with MIL and SIL shrieking shite at each other. Junior and I have escaped upstairs to make some lego!

FIL is staying over…

He has just gone to pick the mrs up from work and he managed not to moan about immigration/other bigotry in the few hours he was here so going well so far.

My FIL (who is staying for 3 days) and reads the Express and Mail religiously and believes every word in them. Quite shocking really, he’s a nice person who has just been completely brain washed into becoming a racist / xenophobe.

Me & mrsp at my folks. We don’t drink much, my folks do. Father becomes increasingly racist and intolerant as he drinks, now has fallen asleep. Bored stupid and already making plans to spend Xmas 2017 away,or at least say I’m away.

BiL now spouting rubbish, I’m shooting the worst down(Thankyou Wikipedia).

Mil Fil auntie in law and wife happy watching strictly. I can’t drink and thinking of gouging my eyes out. 🙁

These are great and I’m now feeling much better!
In laws here until Boxing Day. They live 10 mins away but for some reason they need to stay last night and tonight!!!
Some days I do wish I hadn’t given up drinking.

And why is it whenever the MIL comes to our house she goes on and on about how warm our house is and how cold her is. Its hotter than the Gates of Hades here.

I cooked 99% of the dinner, made everyone breakfast and drinks all day, walked the dog and done the enormous pile of washing up yet I have to sort the kids out and get them to bed because “you haven’t done much today”

Oh well, at least you didn’t literally have to try to survive Christmas thanks to the RAF’s finest, like the people of Augsburg.

Juesss !! come on you guys/gals, some horror stories here, but 90% of all this stuff can be prevented by learning one simple word…………NO.

Just had a massive row here with a nightmare guest. He was supposed to be staying until the 29th but has just booked the 6.20am flight back to London tomorrow! Hurrah!

No, no , no Noooo!

Just trying them on for size.

Just been for a stroll round the village on my own.

Not been a bad day at all, but needed to clear my head and encourage the digestion.

The diet starts tomorrow. Maybe.

Tom_W1987 as quoted in the Beeb article:
“Most Germans celebrating Christmas open their presents and have their main festive meal on 24 December, rather than Christmas Day”.

So it didn’t actually ruin anyone’s day.

Tbf my in laws (staying for a few days) are less daily mail than my own folks, so pretty chilled
Spent the day building Lego with the kids, it on their new bikes and then made the dinner (sprouts/ lardons/chestnuts we a big hit)

BIL coming tomorrow then my folks for me year’s day, Brexit will not be discussed 🙂

My planned walk for myself and my partner from dinner back to where we were staying was ruined by the demand that it was raining and therefore was too dangerous to walk the 4 miles along a disused railway walk in Wales. Had to resort to a stroll around the village instead 🙁

planing to rebuild and true multiple wheelsets next christmas to keep me occupied. nuff said

I head home tomorrow, it’s been 3 days (today’s the third) and I’ve been ill with cold (so minimal interaction) the Aga and radiators have actually worked for once (I had to reset the whole bloody system) and today I’m off to Yorkshire Sculpture Park to see some beautiful things, sure there will be some works of Art there too 😉

There’s been no infighting, no disasters in the kitchen, not a cross word.

Just my angst to contend with.

And breathe..