Between you, me and whoever is reading over your shoulder, Christmas didn’t really bite this year, at all.
Later than normal putting the decks up, got them down on time, just didn’t seem to have any time.
Ideas for pressies were like peeling some month old chewing gum off the back of a bus seat, using a bitten fingernail, of course getting the final wage of the year at the end of November didn’t help.
I tried the usual Christmas tunes while the decs went up, but the sparkle just wasn’t there.
As it got nearer the holiday, things to do piled up.
The Christmas dinner bottle did well this year (for those that don’t know, the Christmas dinner bottle has a pound put in it every week, the idea being that the £52 collected will pay for Christmas dinner.) This year it climbed up to £130, so that paid for the fruit and veg and the beers and spirits.
The meat was paid for by the end of November at the butchers, £80 this year, we like to have it all in and be able to stuff our fizogs all Christmas week, think it came to £60 odd, so we let them keep the rest for their Christmas tip.
Poor households have to try and get everything paid in advance of the final wage (November) so we don’t have to pull out £200 notes when it’s present buying time.
Sprog2 put down some Ug boots, at over £200 not a chance.
Their second attempt was much easier to pallet and gave me some options so that was a bonus.
As for opening pressies, still not much scope.
We had illness the last week before we broke up, Sprog2 was ill all week, everything they had been rehearsing for went to waste as they couldn’t attend and I fell down with it for three out of the five days also.
Couldn’t get to see family this time, as the £60+ cost of a trip was out of our price range, what ever happened to social mobility?
Did get a cracking Christmas cake from the sis though, this time via the post, despite the strike delivered it in record time (less than 24 hours).
The holiday went well though, great food, plenty of top quality meals from the better-half and lots of sleeping in and plodding around, doing virtually nothing. Weather here was awful, once the big freeze vamoosed, the rain thrashed it down, combined with winds.
Think we only had one day where the sun came out, it stayed dry but very cold.
As I sit here, the front room now has the bare look, all the decs down and boxed up ready to go back up into the attic for another year, no flashing lights or sparkly globe. God only knows how I’m going to get through all the chocolates, dates, crisps and remaining beer and beverages that are left. Probably be late February before they finally go.
There’s something good about a windy, rainy night, when you know you don’t have to get up the next morning.
It’s howling again here, bonus day off today as we had completed some training previously.
Like a dingbat I turned up this morning to find no one there, I wasn’t sure so I went in just in case, but needn’t have bothered. Still it will be good sleeping pattern practise for when I have to go in.
I wonder what the new year will bring?
Untold riches?
Good health?
More time?
More fun?
I have no idea.
A very Happy New Year to you and yours (if anyone reads this trash!) I hope you have a blast (not literally of course or that could cause take an eye out).