Party Time

Last night our next door neighbours returned from where ever they had been to continue their party, just as we were heading off to bed for a party of our own. I couldn't help but laugh when they played Cyndi Lauper 'cos in this house the girls really did just wanna have fun!

And now it's time to hit the road, I'm heading south to spend the next few days with my mum, leaving the wife to entertain her own family. At least she's sending my on my way with a smile on my face, if a little bleary eyed!

Live and Let Live

There seems to be so much hassle surrounding being politically correct at Christmas so as to avoid offending non-christians. This afternoon the wife and I went into town to finish our shopping and I noticed that while the lights used to feature Santa and reindeers and Christmas trees, for the last few years they seem to represent nothing in particular. Indeed in a number of places the decorations are no longer Christmas lights but have been renamed 'winter lights'. As I understand it, the UK is a Christian country, our head of state being the head of the Church of England and all that, therefore what is wrong with referring to this holiday period as Christmas. Further more, I have colleagues at work who are Muslims and all participated in the various celebrations we had and they each gave me cards saying 'Happy Christmas' - the very phrase which the P.C. brigade claim non-Christians are offened by. I just don't get it. Is it yet again all about pandering to the extremists?

Holidays are here (almost)

I have finished work for Christmas. I can't remember the last time I finished this early. Further more, the university is closed until the 3rd of January so I don't even have the choice of going to work until then. It gets better. We closed at lunch time today (unfortuantely that meant that the Christmas drinks were at 10.30 this morning and as much as I enjoy the odd glass of wine not even I could manage it at that time of the day) giving me time to hit the shops. One hour and fifteen minutes later I was heading home with as many bags as I could carry and very little left to get. That's what I would call a successful shopping trip.

I also remembered today why I leave my shopping until the last minute. We finally got around to getting a tree but had no decorations to put on it - lights, baubles and tinsel all at half price. And two giant stockings to fill with little things for the kids (of any age) to dip into whenever they come to visit. Tree now up and twinkling away in the corner, just waiting for those presents to be wrapped to go around the bottom. It's starting to feel like Christmas around here.

Pet Hates

I hate doctors. The last two occasions that I went to the doctors were not becuase I was ill but becuase I had to, and both times they found something wrong with me and subjected me to all sorts. I've had ear pain for several weeks now. I've tried the 'ignore it and it will go away' approach and drops to get rid of any wax but neither of them worked and in the end the wife convinced me to see the doctor. The doctor couldn't see anything wrong with my ear. The doctor kept talking about referred pain and said I should get checked over by a dentist. I hate doctors but I hate dentists even more! The pain isn't really that bad. No really, it isn't.

Bass

Last night the wife did us sea bass and Mediterranean roasted vegetables - thrown together from the contents of the cupboards and fridge. Today was our departmental Christmas lunch and I went for the sea bass (ordered last week before knowing what we were eating last night). So of the two meals, one costing less than £4 for the two of us or the one meal for £15, guess which was the nicest? It's not just that I'm prejudiced by that fact that my wife prepared last nights meal with her own fair hands. I paid good money for shite today and if there's one thing I hate it's a meal that I don't enjoy, whether I'm paying for it or not. Food is one of lifes great pleasures.

Let me catch up

At a time when most people are decorating their homes with all things festive we are still decorating with wallpaper and paint. The aim was to have the downstairs finished by Christmas and we are determined to do so (not least because it means we can get a wardrobe up in the downstairs bedroom - we haven't had a wardrobe since we moved in May and I still have two suitcases full of my winter clothes that I'm getting desperate to unpack). People keep giving us Christmas cards and telling me how they are all ready for Christmas. I've only bought one thing for one of the six kids and not even managed to get anything yet for the Secret Santa at work tomorrow. This weekend Christmas has to start in our house, regardless of whether we are ready or not. I mean it's not as if we haven't known it was going to be happening for a while now!

Friday Feelings

The experiment I've been trying to get to work for weeks will today give me something good. I can feel in in my bones. Or perhaps it's just the fact that it's Friday, the rain has stopped, the sun is shining and all is well with the world. Sort of.

Update 2 hrs later: Of course it didn't work! What was I thinking! I have one more trick up my sleeve before giving up.

Our house...

... is a very, very, very fine house

It's six months and a few days since we moved into this house and yesterday we got the final coat of paint on the walls to finish the kitchen (apart from a few tiles above the cooker). We started it not long after we moved in but it's now finally looking finished.

It is virtually unrecognisible as the same kitchen. It feels so much bigger and we've gone from having one small bench to acres of space, plus all mod cons!

Much blood, sweat and tears have been spilt in this house in the last six months but it is starting to feel like it was worth all the effort.

Christmas meme

As seen over at Sassy's place.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate every time, and not just at Christmas. Just the thought of egg nog... blurgh.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Of course Santa wraps them, but he never bothers with ribbon or bows in our house.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We have two a fibre optic trees, the main tree and then a tiny one I inherited from my Gran. Both are coloured. This year though now that we've got extra room we're getting a real tree as well - who knows what sort of lights we will put on it!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Oh yeah! I'm thinking putting it in the hall between the three main rooms will give the best value for money!

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually a couple of weeks before Christmas.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Just one dish? That's hard. I love sandwiches made with cold turkey, stuffing & cranberry sauce on boxing day (and the following three days)!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: My Dad disappearing into the garage at about 5pm Christmas day and reappearing with a big box. Just when we thought we were all done, out came this one last parcel.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth about Santa? Just what does he get up to with those elves?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope. A couple of years ago we didn't even manage to open any on Christmas day, they had to wait until Boxing day.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Just a bit of tinsel and a few baubles. I'm planning on going to town on the real one this year though, I just don't know how yet. And of course there are sweets and chocolates on them - for the kids, honest!

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it. Just as long as it clears in time for my drive back home.

12. Can you ice skate? Haven't tried for years but now that you've put the idea in my head I might have to borrow a kid and find out if I still can.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A rocking horse when I was about five. I loved that rocking horse. Oh and one year I got a fountain pen with pink ink and an autograph book. My two grandmothers were the first to sign it and I still have it. There they are, ahead of sports stars of the 1980's and the 90's boy band 'Worlds Apart'. And the wife surprised me with a guitar a few years ago - I'd wanted one for ages but am ashamed to say that I've never really made the time to learn to play it properly.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? These days it's getting to spend some time with my family then coming home to spend more time with the wife.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? It has to be traditional Christmas pud with my mums homemade brandy butter.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? The family meal we have on Christmas eve, after the shops have shut and there is no option but for everyone to stop worrying and just enjoy it. My most favorite is the tradition the wife and I have started - celebrating our own christmas on New Years day. Since we spend Christmas with our respective families we make this our special day - presents, a walk on the beach, big, big dinner and whatever else we have the energy left for.

17. What tops your tree? I think it's usually a white fluffy angel.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving, but only if it's appreciated and not "I hope you kept the reciept". But I do love receiving something I wasn't expecting.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Wham, Last Christmas. It just puts me in the mood. But you can't beat a good medley of carols.

And after that I now feel ready to attempt some Christmas shopping.

Polythene and Paint

I'm that used to being able to find the information I want on the internet that when I can't it really bugs me. Is it me and the search terms I'm using or is the info just not out there? All I want to know is if I can buy replacement glazing panels for the greenhouse. Yesterday morning we discovered that one of the panels had blown away over night, and we were worried that the wind getting inside would lift the whole thing. So in the wind and the rain we fashioned a repair out of some plastic sheeting and a cardboard box that was lying around the garage (i.e. that we hadn't got around to throwing out yet and that's why I like to hoard things). Anyway now I need to know where I can get a replacement from or if we have to buy a whole greenhouse worth. The rest of my weekend was spent up a ladder with a paintbrush in my hand painting the ceiling and walls, I'd forgotten what a pain it is to paint over new plaster. I'm still picking bits of paint from under my fingernails.

Jam

Just passing time until the clock reaches the point where I don't feel too guilty about leaving work. Last night there was an 'incident' on the main bridge across the river i.e. some idiot picked the rush hour to decide to pretend he wanted to jump. An hour and a half after leaving work I could still see my building. Then I remembered I could access the internet on my phone and read some blogs, of course at which point the bridge re-opened. Tonight my logic is that people never try to jump two days running and everyone else in this city finishes early on a Friday meaning my road home will be clear!
 
(Yes today has been that dull that the most interesting thing I can find to talk about is a traffic jam)