Anything good planned for Christmas..Or the usual ??

The usual slog for me....Be flying home on the 13th with Jo and the midget...Rob will be staying with the in laws...

Then back for last minute shopping and then it's happy faces and kum by yah at Daddy's for Christmas meal and probably some awful game after...

New year's eve ..boring party at the same place while I pretend people I have nothing in common with...interest me !!..

Got to be done though...Hope you guys have got more interesting things lined up..

I'm working Xmas Eve, Xmas day and Boxing day. Bit of a pain but the money is good. So no plans but on the first of January I am flying to Berlin for 5 days so that is my Xmas holiday I guess

Me and the new Mrs Steffan are off to Winter Wonderland in Cardiff tomorrow for some mulled wine and bratwurst sausages. Plus we are going to go on the big wheel thing ride. I'm gonna wear my Xmas cardigan to get into the spirit

Haven't started any shopping yet though. Shopping is the worst bit...

In exactly two weeks I'll be jetting off!

Going to Hong Kong for three days and the to Manila for just under two weeks.

Spending Christmas Day with my girlfriend's family (who I've yet to meet). Not sure it'll be a huge deal though, they're Hindu.

Spending New Year on a beach called Boracay, look it up.

Never even been to Asia before so I'm really looking forward to having some new experiences. First Christmas away from my father and outside of Jersey. About bloody time.

as is tradition for me every Christmas. Making the pilgrimage down the coast with my best friends to catch the boxing day test after Christmas lunch with my family. Then down to Cape Town for the New year's test. My girlfriend's muy upset that I wont be around for new years though.

I suppose you could call it the usual. Christmas and the New Year will be spent with the grandparents, parents, brothers and significant others in London. But I love that, Christmas for me is family time. Most of us will go to midnight communion on Xmas eve to sing some carols, then on Xmas lunch we all go over to my uncle's house (which is bigger) and share a very long, delicious lunch: Foie gras and smoked salmon to start, then roast turkey with all the trimmings, then cheese, then Xmas pud, all washed down with some champagne to start, then some nice wine(s). Presents of course. New Year's eve is spent at the grandparents, usually a lovely dinner of roast duck, followed by a movie and then settling down to countdown to the new year. A really nice time of year for me.

This year's novelty will be that as I now live in the same country as one of my bros, he's invited my wife and me to their annual Xmas dinner which they have just before the holidays with some of his old uni mates.

Of course, this is all rather conditional on my wife's visa finally coming through. Otherwise I'll be heading back to Paris after said bro's Xmas meal and spending Christmas and the new year there with her, we might try to sneak a few days holiday somewhere in France between Christmas and the new year...

I love threads like this sounds like you've all got good times ahead (even you Truss )

On leave from the the 15th off for a big shop with the missus and kids to get some stockings bit and then a meal out as is our tradition these days.

Butlins from the 23rd as we loved it last time and it's more of a break for my better half, we get alittle tree and the kids get a million stocking bits (all cheap stuff) that'll last us up until we get home on the 30th for Christmas 2 with the Wifes Son and fella. Big Chrimbo pressies then and a day of drinking, chilling and of being bugged to build everything

New years eve we're off to the Pendulum in Manchester as they do a family themed night that's on until 01/02ish which is excellent (haven't been for a few years though) and my best buddy and his family will be there this year so really looking forward to it. To top it all off, my Dad's home from Nigeria and me and my Bro have started getting on better so hoping to see them all at some point too.

You remind me of James Stewart, Derby.

Good luck to you..

I'm going to see my dad in Melbourne - fly out the 18th and back the 4th January.

Believe it'll be a barbecue on Christmas day, boxing day we're going to the test match and then off to Sydney for New Years

Christmas with the family again this year. Same as always. Just the way I like it.

Having a run up to Leyton Orient on Boxing Day to watch the football. Play Up Pompey..!!

Welcome back Lion..

The usual. My kids are now 6, which has me wondering how many more Christmas's we have left before they know the big man isn't real.

I'm not a new year fan, even when I was young and was going out, I found it pretentious.

I hate Christmas.

Duty281 wrote:I hate Christmas.

Why's that?

Stella wrote:

Duty281 wrote:I hate Christmas.

Why's that?

Bloody families. Bloody people enjoying themselves. Bloody consumer capitalism. Bloody rubbish television adverts. Bloody Christmas trees.

Bahhhhh humbug

Duty281 wrote:

Stella wrote:

Duty281 wrote:I hate Christmas.

Why's that?

Bloody families. Bloody people enjoying themselves. Bloody consumer capitalism. Bloody rubbish television adverts. Bloody Christmas trees.

I'm sorry I asked!!!

Might I add, bloody Christmas music.

Stella wrote:The usual. My kids are now 6, which has me wondering how many more Christmas's we have left before they know the big man isn't real.

I'm not a new year fan, even when I was young and was going out, I found it pretentious.

@Truss i'm not sure if that's a compliment or not but i'll take it as one

@Stella, am still just about managing to convince the twins (8) that Santa still exists but I reckon it's the last year. Little Madame is too clever and pretty sure she doesn't really believe all them packages that have been delivered are bits for Mum and Dad's room or to be sent on to Father Christmas (he can't get everything himself you know).

It did help that last year I was moaning about being skint and then Santa got us a holiday to Butlins (he was there too .

New Years used to be pants, overpriced everywhere with pubs charging you to get in etc. Glad we found this family place though as it's just as boring staying in.

I can see where Duty is coming from...Not a great fan of Christmas, myself.

I like the time off and seeing loved ones happy...

But the whole commercialism coupled with the general chaos of the period does lend to irritation...

I am a cynical old grouch though...despite being sex and looking great for "39"...

Keep Cratchett in the office I say..

Derbymanc wrote:

Stella wrote:The usual. My kids are now 6, which has me wondering how many more Christmas's we have left before they know the big man isn't real.

I'm not a new year fan, even when I was young and was going out, I found it pretentious.

@Truss i'm not sure if that's a compliment or not but i'll take it as one

@Stella, am still just about managing to convince the twins (8) that Santa still exists but I reckon it's the last year. Little Madame is too clever and pretty sure she doesn't really believe all them packages that have been delivered are bits for Mum and Dad's room or to be sent on to Father Christmas (he can't get everything himself you know).

It did help that last year I was moaning about being skint and then Santa got us a holiday to Butlins (he was there too .

New Years used to be pants, overpriced everywhere with pubs charging you to get in etc. Glad we found this family place though as it's just as boring staying in.

Derby

It's my boy who is the cynical one. My girl will still believe when she's 20!

Good thing about being at Sea is that you miss most of the commercialism so Christmas only really ramps up when I actually get home.

I've asked the missus for a website about Santa and also search out for talk to Santa online. There's a couple of automated things where it looks like your chatting with him.

Love Christmas and as long as my mentalness doesn't kick in then it's always a good time of year.

When was the last time you were down Derby..

Down as in Depressed?

I've been up and down for a while now and have just been put back on Anti-D's (Fluoxetin for anyone intereseted). Am starting to get back on an even keep but when i'm good i'm great, when i'm bad i'm a nightmare. (My mood swings got a lot worse apparently, I never notice it but the missus does)

Down as in home?
Got home for the Perez/Crolla bout and loved every minute, the good thing about spending 8 months of the year away (the only good thing) is that you appreciate the time together a lot more. Even if we row (ie i'm in a mood) then it never lasts too long.