[Closed] Sooo....hows it gone did you survive.?

T'was just me, Mum, Dad and the Dog.
Couldn't have been more perfect, despite being too poorly to drink and having work in the morning.
🙂

...and on to the cheese course. 😀

A very relaxing day...7.30 start, presents, Santa swim in the loch (wife and daughter) / watching Santa swim (boys and me), pub lunch, home for a nap, friends round for the evening for food and games and beer.

Up at 6.30 this morning for work at 8, so will see what the parishioners got up to yesterday. One more day tomorrow then a week off.

We had to wait until wife's sister arrived at 11am before Christmas could begin? WTF

It didn't feel like Christmas by then..

The house also had three smokers in it, back door open, smoking allowing their smoke to blow in. (I'm an ex smoker for over 12 years so detest it intensely)

I dealt with it all the best way I could but it was certainly helped by bucks fizz.

At least it reminded me why we've gone away for Christmas for the last three years.

Xmas day probably the best for years. Swim in the open air pool on Chesham. Children genuinely excited about presents although most were sensible and needed rather than tat e.g. replacement swimming goggles.Good roast turkey, best ever as not cooked with wings and legs on. Off to hospital to visit my elderly mum who managed to break her hip whilst staying with us before Xmas but even that was good, she was glad to see me.

Well good here too, probably the best Xmas in years, I don’t remember a better one since childhood which is odd given a couple of details (eldest in sickbay, 4 hours cooking, in-laws over who are great but I can’t relax around them) but we all had a good time.

Mrs off to work this morning, I’m sick now, youngest too by the sound of it then it’s off to my Mums for a bit - we’ll once I’ve cleaned and degreased the kitchen.

Never again are both sets of parents coming over for multiple nights.

Ever.

Roll on Wednesday.

Didn't kill anyone at work.......

Was close on Saturday . Office door no longer closes.

Successful festive period I think.

Equally video calling the wife last night I was quite glad not to be at the family meal.

Roll on Thursday.

Went out on bike for a bit, felt rough, cooked dinner, ate a bit, threw up and than later shat myself! All in all not a great day.

Too much booze every night for past 4 or 5, a few days recovery required ! Off till 3rd and hope to get some rides in though..

All good here though quiet one. Dad poorly so Mum and I walked the dog, played cards and cooked the dinner. Had fun Facetiming my brother who was working, and lovely to see p20 after work. Parents leave today after watching local Boxing Day run (Jonny Brownlee expected to win!). Will miss them, but then I realise spending another week with them from 28th, so probably for the best! First time I've 'done' Christmas, still some things to learn.

I was looking forward to a couple of slow relaxing days eating and drinking a lot.

Its not been relaxing yet, and the eating and drinking has made me feel quite uncomfortable. I now realise I’m not up to the task of anything classified as “debauchary” and must now slow down and limit myself to the far lesser volume which ends at “enjoyment”.

I can't even begin to accurately describe my family dynamics , two significantly elder brothers who barely speak to each other and have 60 years worth of grudges a 90 year old mother who still tries to do everything for everyone ,two nephews in constant sibling rivalry and my 6 year old completing for attention and throwing strops as he was poorly and tired. My wife sensibly decided not to come as she was knocked out by the boys illness.
It was ace, notwithstanding the tensions I love them all and only see them all together at Christmas.
Now three days of Lego building with the boy while the wife xrays people to find missing Sixpence's.

Great day me n missus and dogs. Had to go to my parents to see nephew. Sister and hubbie were there but they had to go to bed leaving my 75yo mum to walk their dog and sort dinner. We'd have stayed to help but an hour in the spoilt 42yo brats company was quite enough, she broke the wooden toy we got the boy by dragging something across the floor to allow her more slouch.

Pretty good here. For the 1st time in at least 25 years we went somewhere & got fed! Went to Mrs Egf's daughter's & got waited on hand & foot, it was awesome. There was honey slow cooked gammon, another slow cooked beef joint & a turkey plus about a million pigs in blankets, 8 or 9 veg, 2 different stuffings, Yorkshire puds & about 10 gallons of gravy. ( & that was just what I had)
We left when the crowds arrived at 6 last night though & came home for copiuos quantities of gin.
Grand day out Grommit!

Game of 2 half’s here. Lovely morning, wife went for a run, I hit the turbo, presents, Buck’s Fizz, pancakes, lovely. Then over to the in laws for lunch, top class and they were great company too.

Then returned home and basically had 6 hours with nothing to do. The wife’s black dog made an appearance, there were tears and talk of the pointlessness of it all.

Sane again today, at least the pubs are open though!

Very very quiet, just the two of us.

Didn’t over eat, didn’t over drink, went for a bracing long walk yesterday morning in a solid stiff westerly on the beach. Slammed the heating on to “melt skirting boards” hot and watched a bit of TV, then a film I’d recorded, then bed.

A normal day then. 😀

Went great just about to start the boxing dat gluttony.

Better than expected

Nice clear morning today, going to try and head out on the bike

Reverse Christmas as the wife was working yesterday. The gluttony is about to commence!

Should have been good. Me the Wife both sons and our daughter in law and we managed to jailbreak the father in law from hospital for a few hours. He has severe COPD issues and very nearly didn't make Christmas.
There was a real melancholy feel to the day as we all realised it was probably his last hurrah.
As we were about to take him back my wife assured him that we were doing everything possible to get him home with the right care package in place (she has been banging her head against the joint brick walls of the nhs and social services for over a week - they just don't talk to each other).
Rather than thank her for a fantastic meal and a great day out all he could say was 'well whatever you are doing you are not doing it fast enough'.
Cue one wife in bits, younger son in tears seeing his mum upset and me furious about the ingratitude. Old folks!!!

Nice easy morning at a the girlfriends, before her eldest and her partner, and her mum and partner turned up for heavy eating & boozing. Highlight of the day playing cards against humanity and gf's eldest having the explain to her nan what glory holes and cottaging are - laughing so hard led to beer out of nose, all over table!

bikebouy - Member
Very very quiet, just the two of us.

Didn’t over eat, didn’t over drink, went for a bracing long walk yesterday morning in a solid stiff westerly on the beach. Slammed the heating on to “melt skirting boards” hot and watched a bit of TV, then a film I’d recorded, then bed.

A normal day then.

Pretty much the same! (except for the stiff westerly).

We had it all planned out: after a year of endless bother from both sides of our family we decided to spend Xmas away from everyone, just me, the wife and the boy in a cosy cottage hidden away at the top of Anglesey. We were really looking forward to a nice, quiet one. Obviously it didn't actually work out that way...

We headed out there on Friday, settled in nicely, and everything was going swimmingly. Xmas day dawned a bit earlier than I'd have liked due to an overexcited 9 year old but I'd just about woken up enough whilst we opened presents, and had just lit the fire when my phone rang.

It was my mum, sounding very panicked: apparently my dad had collapsed and lost consciousness at church, bringing the entire service to a halt. Ambulances had been called, various medical types had done their stuff, and he was being bundled off to A and E. Naturally she was very worried indeed and I couldn't leave her on her own like that, so we packed up everything as quick as possible and raced back across Wales. I dropped wife and kid at home with all the stuff, and then spent the rest of the day in hospital. Fortunately it was a lot less bad than it could have been, dad was up and about and with it, and looked tired but ok. The doctors couldn't find anything seriously wrong, no signs of stroke or cardiac trauma, so they put his attack down to a bit of low blood pressure and slow HR, ordered some tests, and sent him home. I stayed with them overnight to make sure everything was ok, and they seemed alright when I left this morning giving him strict instructions to rest (he probably won't but you have to try). They have friends keeping an eye on them today, and my aunt is coming over tomorrow, and obviously I'll be checking up regularly.

We've written off the rest of the holiday, we can't be arsed to pack up again and drive all the way back to the cottage for just a couple more days, and I'd rather be near just in case, so we're going to hole up at home and try to salvage something festive from the next day or two. Still, could have been much worse, and I did get to see my little brother who lives abroad and dashed up from visiting his in-laws on short notice to check on them too. Anyway, Merry Xmas, hope you all had a better one than I did. 🙂

I'll let you know - folks arrive expecting roast and all the trimmings in the next hour. Wife has had a foot op and is sofa-bound. Yesterday was a quiet one.

felt rough, cooked dinner, ate a bit, threw up and than later shat myself!

<looks for meat thermometer> 🙂

Nearly .
Got told in no uncertain terms that my prescence was required at my sisters , with the powerkite nephews. So made it as painless as possible by turning up late , giving everyone scratch cards , eating and leaving. They went to Mauritius and did nothing. well , they used a sit on surf ski to paddle about in a lagoon. Not bad for a week away.

I thought my brother would like to see how bright a Nitecore TIP keyring torch was . So gave him a quick flash and then he was blind and unable to see. Its 360lm in a flood lens , so hardly enough to do any permanent damage . Made a hasty exit as he had a massive sense of humour failure. Sad to see my 84yr old mum defeated by a scratchcard though.
Turkey was nasty , gravy is now my favourite vegetable.

Awesome! Up for tea and pressies, which were all great, then traditional family brekkie of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon with Buck’s Fizz. Discovered the bramble whisky I’d made was way too sweet, but cut it with prosecco to invent the Bramblegasm. Put Nanna’s new Buble album on and left them to it for a walk with the dog and son. Got back in time to carve a pretty damn good three rib Beef roast, decent Malbec, and still feasting on cheese and an Aldi tawny port (tip..... don’t bother, it’s nowt special a couple of hours later. At this point Nanna remembers she hasn’t taken her pills, jumps up and manages to wipe out two of my heirloom Caithness wine glasses. Still, it isn’t as if they were new ones. Bit of guitar playing to see me through strictly and a game of cards with Mrs Scape and the Kids, dealt with an Alzheimer’s confusion tantrum by Nanna (just roll with it....) before finishing off with an Ardbeg and Despicable Me. Bliss

What I don't understand is why, after going on and on about having an xmas with the whole family together and how excited she was, My sister took all her family off after racing through dinner so they could watch the baking show without disturbance.

Spent the day skiing with the wife in Val d'Isere in glorious sunshine, then came back to Chalet and our host then cooked us a five course xmas dinner.

[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4732/39301425432_b40e8ff492_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4732/39301425432_b40e8ff492_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/22SW5xj ]Empty pistes[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Must go away over xmas more often....

I admit to taking a certain sadistic pleasure in sawing up the Xmas Tree and stuffing it in the garden waste bin today. I’m sure I saw next door mouth ‘Scrooge’ to her husband... yep. 😉

12 days and all that is a nice idea, but by my reckoning we’re on Day 112 as it starts as soon as the kids go back to school.

Only 63 ‘sleeps’ till Spring! Bring it!

Annnnnd, surfing today with the sun out too..

Awesome.

8)