Mine was awful, just awful. It's safe to say that I'm never going to my maternal grandparent's house for Christmas again.
Too much petty bickering (unbelievably petty), Christian fundamentalist beliefs and bad weather. There are also way too many mosquitos at night, which caused me to throw my pillow at the wall more than once in anger, only to insantly regret that decision. ::)
I spent the entire time worrying about my dog back home.
:haironfire:
Yeah...so how was yours?
Sorry to hear about all of that. D:
I had a great Christmas. It was helped by me getting Christmas night off for like the first time since I started working back in early 2012.
My sister and her family came over. I got to see my nephew for the first time in months. I got to watch him open up gifts, and my sister even had him fingerpaint little snowmen on ornaments, and that was his gift to us. It was the most special gift of all. :D
My mom also prepared a lunch that was the best meal I've had in ages. She knows exactly what I'll eat (I'm extremely picky). I was so full on side-dishes I could hardly get to the meat!
The last many years of Christmas's have been depressing, and missing that magic that my childhood Christmas's had... I suppose this Christmas is what a great adulthood Christmas is like.
It all went smoothly and the kids loved it so 10/10.
Challenging! However, scamp seems to have had a good time and that's all that really matters.
Just like every other day.
Quote from: No one on December 28, 2015, 03:19:22 PM
Just like every other day.
Wow you must have a fun life!!!
Quote from: Radiant on December 28, 2015, 11:54:34 AM
Sorry to hear about all of that. D:
What's a little stress during the holidays? :hulk:
No major consequences other than the few wisdom hairs that seem to have sprouted overnight. :P
QuoteI had a great Christmas. It was helped by me getting Christmas night off for like the first time since I started working back in early 2012.
My sister and her family came over. I got to see my nephew for the first time in months. I got to watch him open up gifts, and my sister even had him fingerpaint little snowmen on ornaments, and that was his gift to us. It was the most special gift of all. :D
My mom also prepared a lunch that was the best meal I've had in ages. She knows exactly what I'll eat (I'm extremely picky). I was so full on side-dishes I could hardly get to the meat!
The last many years of Christmas's have been depressing, and missing that magic that my childhood Christmas's had... I suppose this Christmas is what a great adulthood Christmas is like.
Sounds like you had a great Christmas! :smilenod:
Quote from: Tank on December 28, 2015, 11:56:22 AM
It all went smoothly and the kids loved it so 10/10.
That's not normal!
Mine has been full-on entertaining and going out. I'm exhausted and have a belly to show for it. Hosted 2 x dinner parties so far, another one tomorrow and then a new years drinks party for 16 neighbours. Pay-back for a decade of not having a house worthy of guests. That's in between lunch and dinner dates out. Looking forward to beans-on-toast and no washing up or service charges. Upside: have gone the whole holiday having avoided turkey.
I've enjoyed this year because we've done everything on our own terms and been able to spend some fun and relaxing time with the kids and friends. They've also benefitted from a well-planned programme of activities and meetups.
Still got StarWars to look forward to on Wed's and going in to Town to see the lights and another dinner out.
Need to get back to work ASAP to pay for it all. This has been our most expensive Xmas ever!
All-in-all, an exhausted thumbs-up!
Mine was great. It was just the parents, brother and his girlfriend, Grandmom, and me. Lots of good food. Grandmom beat us all at Cards Against Humanity. Plus I got a surprise package containing mead and chocolate from G85. :D
Quote from: Budhorse4 on December 28, 2015, 06:27:00 PM
Mine was great. It was just the parents, brother and his girlfriend, Grandmom, and me. Lots of good food. Grandmom beat us all at Cards Against Humanity. Plus I got a surprise package containing mead and chocolate from G85. :D
Good for grandma! How old is she?
Quote from: Tank on December 28, 2015, 06:41:00 PM
Quote from: Budhorse4 on December 28, 2015, 06:27:00 PM
Mine was great. It was just the parents, brother and his girlfriend, Grandmom, and me. Lots of good food. Grandmom beat us all at Cards Against Humanity. Plus I got a surprise package containing mead and chocolate from G85. :D
Good for grandma! How old is she?
69.
Quote from: Budhorse4 on December 28, 2015, 06:45:21 PM
Quote from: Tank on December 28, 2015, 06:41:00 PM
Quote from: Budhorse4 on December 28, 2015, 06:27:00 PM
Mine was great. It was just the parents, brother and his girlfriend, Grandmom, and me. Lots of good food. Grandmom beat us all at Cards Against Humanity. Plus I got a surprise package containing mead and chocolate from G85. :D
Good for grandma! How old is she?
69.
I asked for that didn't I!
Quote from: Tank on December 28, 2015, 07:01:42 PM
I asked for that didn't I!
She really is 69 though. Turns 70 in May. Unless I'm missing some kind of joke??
Quote from: Budhorse4 on December 28, 2015, 07:05:20 PM
Quote from: Tank on December 28, 2015, 07:01:42 PM
I asked for that didn't I!
She really is 69 though. Turns 70 in May. Unless I'm missing some kind of joke??
Google it! ;D
Having moved back home obviously I have been spending Christmas with my family just like last year. My grandmother has been coming here for Christmas ever since my grandfather died a couple years ago.
So between her and my mother the food has been amazing. The gifts were nice, and excepting a few issues not directly related to the season it has been great.
Quote from: Budhorse4 on December 28, 2015, 07:05:20 PM
Quote from: Tank on December 28, 2015, 07:01:42 PM
I asked for that didn't I!
She really is 69 though. Turns 70 in May. Unless I'm missing some kind of joke??
69 is a sexual position associated with mutual oral sex.
I knew it was a sex position but here I was hoping that the dirty jokes wouldn't show up in the Christmas thread haha.
Quote from: Budhorse4 on December 28, 2015, 08:06:17 PM
I knew it was a sex position but here I was hoping that the dirty jokes wouldn't show up in the Christmas thread haha.
No chance :rofl:
The Blue xmas proceeded as normal at my sisters place. We share the costs with the main participants contributing to the meal. My sister provides the turkey and the veges, and I get the sparkling red wine, this year I got a rather tasty sparkling shiraz/durif, plus i always buy a 2.5 kg box of jumbo sized cherries. Mum does the studying for the turkey gets the duck fat for the roast spuds and brings chocolates (yum). This year's "ring-ins" brought some beautiful dips served in whole scooped out loaves of bread - delish!
Because it was a declared total fire ban day we couldn't cook the bird in the webber as planned so we did it in the oven and took it out early, wrapped it in foil and let it rest while we roasted the veges. The turkey turned out absolutely tender, juicy and succulent! Well be doing it this way in future.
All in all we had a great day. There were 15 people for lunch, we had a blast.
---
Edit: fixed predictive text errors
The nearby family came to their senses for this years holiday. The women decided: to hell with all that work and expense for the traditional fare of stuffed turkey, candied yams, and all those casseroles, condiments, and pies, and other goodies. They decided that we'd have soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with a suitable amount of beer. That worked out brilliantly, a good time was had by all, our stomachs were satisfied, our thirst quenched, and none of us bothered to thank Jesus or have a lot of dishes to wash. ............ Halleleulia!!!
Quote from: Budhorse4 on December 28, 2015, 08:06:17 PM
I knew it was a sex position but here I was hoping that the dirty jokes wouldn't show up in the Christmas thread haha.
Yeah, right! 8)
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on December 28, 2015, 11:23:24 AM
Mine was awful, just awful. It's safe to say that I'm never going to my maternal grandparent's house for Christmas again.
Sorry about all that xSPx, esp. the mosquitos. Fundamentalist relatives I can tune out, but not mosquitos.
Mine was quiet, but very nice. Teresa's daughter Olivia turned up for a surprise visit and they came over to my place for Xmas eve dinner (T cooked, so nobody got food poisoning): ham, mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts. I've been eating left-over ham for days.
Everybody gave me books, so I was happy. Even my brother gave me a book. At some point I can't remember I sent him a sketch book (inscription in front to remind me), and he sent it back filled up. Mostly he does rather abstract stuff -- weird looking to me because I'm a philistine. This sort of image turns up frequently:
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1631/24058689975_fa93478dbc_n.jpg)
This sketchbook, however, had a lot of very realistic drawings in it as well. My favorites:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5637/23763000420_07533ea241_n.jpg)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5685/23950526362_67e1b2ceda_n.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1520/24058693465_98f91f6a01_n.jpg)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5741/23690853769_3759bab38c_n.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1620/23690855279_4a06f5609c_n.jpg)
If I can get good photocopies made, I'm going to frame a few of them. The bear, definitely.
Those sketches are exceptionally good.
Quote from: Tank on December 30, 2015, 09:48:09 AM
Those sketches are exceptionally good.
I've always thought so, but then, he's my brother.
Very creative present.
In deciding to make things easy (8 of us), I bought prepared carrots and parsnips but they failed to cook in the allotted time, and by the time we had put them in the microwave to cook, having then to separate out the parsnips from the carrots because they cooked first, it was twice the work and the two o'clock serving time became 3.30. Fortunately everyone was well oiled with alcohol by then and no-one seemed to mind. When it's my turn again in two years' time, I'll do it all from scratch as usual. We had a lovely time though.
Quote from: Essie Mae on December 30, 2015, 11:38:41 PM
In deciding to make things easy (8 of us), I bought prepared carrots and parsnips but they failed to cook in the allotted time, and by the time we had put them in the microwave to cook, having then to separate out the parsnips from the carrots because they cooked first, it was twice the work and the two o'clock serving time became 3.30.
I have never known that not to happen at a holiday dinner -- "we'll eat at 2" becomes sit down at 5. Tho in my experience because somebody seriously underestimated the cooking time on the turkey. In any case, that's what alcohol and appetizers are for!
Those sketches are quite good!
Neither the wife or I celebrate and neither of our families is nearby, and it was in the 70s ( 20s if you're using centigrade) which is unheard of in Boston. So I lay in the backyard reading all afternoon, we grilled a bunch of food, and binge watched Jessica Jones and Dr. Who. It was awesome.
It dropped below freezing and snowed since then, of course.