Only just started having the Christmas buzz myself today. Picked up my daughter from school for the holidays (she's all excited, bless her) and am really looking foward to staying with the 'outlaws' over the festive season. No tv, internet or phones (i know where the off button is, lol), just proper quality time with my family. 😀

How about you?

Just had to make all our lads redundant today. Company will probably make it into middle of January before we all go under.

Not really.

shit, puts it all into perspective.

The Christmas feeling for me will kick in in around 35 mins
Working from home so a very short commute to the beer fridge 🙂

Yes!

Wait, no. That's frostbite.

Really sorry to hear that, lowey. A very tough time for all involved. Wishing you & your family all the best of luck.

My boiler bust last night so no.

Sorry to hear your news Lowey. Hopefully something good will come out of it for all involved

No.

The stress of the precariousness of my job, combined with looking after Mrs North (who's not v well), combined with attending a wedding reception tonight, combined with probably not seeing my family at Christmas, combined with a low mood again today, combined with decorating and furniture moving tomorrow and possibly no riding at the weekend is getting to me.

All I want to do is buy some stuff and then use it to build my fixed road bike and be left alone.

I'm interested in your fixed road bike idea's as i've a Trek 1.5 which is either gonna be single or fixie in the new year.
Good luck with all the other stuff going on too !

Sounds like a lot of people are having a tough one this year.
It's not been a great one for me but at least i still have my physical health (mental is another matter).

Best wishes to all who are facing up to a difficult holiday season.

Looking forward to my first Christmas ever unemployed. Normally love Christmas but dreading it this year.

I'm interested in your fixed road bike idea's

Got an old 1970s Holdsworth off a mate – it's one of the lowest frames they did then, not like my other friend's Holdsworth Professional – which is to be converted into road fixed duties for commuting and general riding.

I was given the bike in full, original condition, and so only need to pay for the build. I set myself a target of £200 to do it, and so far have done well – £100 for a pair of wheels built with OnOne track hubs; £47 for bars and stem (Cinelli), bartape and chainset; £13 seatpost (on its way from eBay); free saddle from a friend.

Need to buy: sprocket(s), chain, bottom bracket, brake blocks, new brake cables, tyres. Must order those from P-X tonight..!

It's not been a great one for me but at least i still have my physical health (mental is another matter).

It's the principle I keep poking myself with – I've not yet got to the point of giving up on the bike, and so it is the only thing that's really keeping me sane.

Chin up, fella.

Yep, finished today for 2 weeks and there's snow on the ground.

Lowey and others, feel for you all, been there myself 3 times. It does sort itself out eventually but I know (from bitter experience) that advice like that really doesn't help much.

For some weird reason certain ads on the telly seemed to really rub my nose in my situation, don't know why.

Just try and switch off over Christmas, you are pretty unlikely to get anything sorted in the next week or so, just try and have a week off (mentally).

At least Mr Brown will joining the ranks of the unemployed come May. Been a cr*p year for loads of people, even those of us lucky enough to hang onto a job, it's gotta be better next year.

I am committed to switching off and forgetting about it. I have the next 2 weeks off. What happens will happen. I have to stick it out as I have pumped 18 years into the small family company I work for so cant jeopardise any redundancy payments. I have my health and a great family and my bike, there are shit loads of others worse off.

Still, it broke my heart today telling the guys.

Oh, and the wife has crashed her car today on the ice. If I dont laugh I;d weep.

lowey – that's a bl**dy good attitude, hang onto it. It's your strength and attitude that'll get you through it.

No xmas feeling for me this year – I apparently have CFS/ME. Not been out on the bike in weeks and no prospect of it happening any time soon.

Edit: Perhaps didn't want to say any of that…

Started came out from xmas shopping and drove home through the snow, nipped into my home town and seen all the lights in the snow. Then picked the kids up who were playing in the snow.

Well it'll be short lived as working over xmas but least I'm lucky and still have a job to work for.

Not yet. Just in from work, same again tomorrow and Sunday. Christmassyness will start on Monday, school sing-a-long, other kids stuff in the village. Then setting off after work on Christmas Eve to arrive at family on Christmas morning, the first of ten days off!

Not at all for me. I'm away with work and not home until Wednesday. Even hearing a band playing carols the other day did nothing for me. I think my brain can't comprehend Christmas and 35 C outside together.