Just having a real family Christmas, plenty of food and a little drink. Walk the dog on the beach Christmas morning, visit my loved ones in the graveyard and then relax. Merry Christmas everybody and here's to a happy and healthy New Year and a few points for the R;s over the Christmas/New Year period.
If you fancy spicing up the old sprouts to give them a fantastic boost, cook them in cider and serve with bacon lardons and hazelnuts. Works a treat with the Xmas roast!!
Family round for Xmas day with dinner and all the trimmings, lots of alcohol and games.....the usual. Merry Christmas to all hoops here and everywhere, may you and yours be safe and happy
Hopefully having a blissful and relatively quiet one staying at home this year. Stroll down to the beach in the morning for annual drinks and exchange of gifts with friends (tradition). Then off to the local for a couple with Mrs Seagullhoop, the 2 Small Seagulls and local school friends (another tradition). Meander home for a duck roast with the in-laws (who are staying elsewhere - big plus) followed by a play with the Small Seagulls new toys (chosen by me), a short kip to recharge the batteries followed by a late supper which *will* include a baked cheese with thyme with some lovely bread to dip into it. If I survive that I'll do a gentle run on Boxing Day morning. Wishing you all a peaceful holiday..
Hmmm, is something strange happening, or is it me? Trying to get ahead of the game, I did the supermarket shop for feast requirements, leaving picking up the half cow from the butchers for tomorrow. Now usually in the few days before Christmas this supermarket is hellish. Queue to get into the car park, queue to park, jostle round a rammed shop and queue with at least 20 people ahead of you to pay. The staff normally hand out Quality Street to keep queuers calm. My daughter loves it as it has become a family tradition (well between me and her) that at some stage I will be forced to deliver a withering remark and stare with mad eyes at some witless oaf blocking an aisle gazing into the middle distance waiting for his wife, who does all the decision making, including where to stand. Not today, no queues anywhere, easy. The staff are bewildered at the lack of customers. It's the same in town, people around but no sense of crush or long check out waits. Have we finally grown out of this decades long consumerist binge? Everything's on sale already so we can't be waiting for the sales. I suppose lots may have been done online, but I'm choosing to interpret it as a slow awakening from this compulsive shopping disorder that has gripped us. Of course if I'm right the economy is ****ed as it's based on continual meaningless consumer activity. Who cares?
All my kids will be home for Christmas, even my daughter attending university in Paris, who surprised us with her visit (banging on our patio door in the dark last Thurs night) I miss a few of the traditions of my past English Christmases as a young lad, for example Christmas morning breakfast that consisted of homemade pork pie, potted meat, side of ham, crusty bread and everyone drank beer - was the tradition (Lincolnshire - Stamford I believe). We will be having a traditional turkey dinner here, complete with Brussels sprouts (that most people here do not like!). I miss my Mum's chocolate log cake (I always tried to secure the end pieces), dark fruit cake with marzipan & icing and the same Christmas figures on top brought out year after year. I also liked Mum's Christmas pudding with silver three-penny bits inserted, flamed with brandy and served with Bird's custard and whipped cream. After dinner we drank Port from a decanter, that always had to be passed to the left. Our Christmas tree was always a live one in a pot that was then planted in the garden afterwards, so you could look back at past Christmases through the trees - I recall the 1950 edition, the year my brother in Australia was born. Another tradition, a very good one considering all the food consumed, was for the whole family to go for a long walk in the countryside on Boxing Day. Merry Christmas to each and everyone here and hope the R's get a few wins under their belts (that are hopefully not too full after all the Christmas fare).
Shall be hitting the slopes of Val Thorens for a days skiing. Then back for an already cooked Christmas dinner with new friends in the chalet. No shopping. No preparation. No travelling to deliver presents. No cooking. No washing up. Sounds ideal. Have a great Christmas fellow QPR not606'ers.
What a great post, Kilburn. Enough to put anyone on the Christmas spirit Merry Christmas to all, and here's hoping Santa may bring us one or two gifts in the January transfer window, so we come out in better shape than we went in
I was up later than anticipated last night. That was due to playing Santa but my daughters wouldn't go to sleep. I think they're old enough to not bother with the charade next year. Mrs Nines and I are now preparing all the food for dinner which we'll have at two thirty. I'll drive over to Fulham and pick my mum up who will have dinner with us. Then it's present opening time, a few games, a few drinks and a lazy old evening before the in-laws descend on us on Boxing day. Merry Christmas one and all.
Give it a couple of years Nines, my 15 year old is still asleep while we have the added tension of guessing whether my son will turn up for the noon deadline and what condition he'll be in. Sitting in splendid isolation and quiet having walked the dog as the rest of the family slowly emerge. Smoked salmon blinis and prosecco about 12.30 present opening after that (my daughter now emails us a list with the online links to various articles of clothing), feast about 3 ( just about to start preparations, added bonus of beef is it doesn't take all day to cook) reckon I'll be on the port and quite frankly sensational cheese selection by about 6. Man I love grown up Christmas. Time to let the Brunello start breathing. Merry Christmas all!
My main job (breakfast) is now cooked, eaten and cleared up, so time to leave the kitchen to Mrs S, open the Prosecco and wrap some presents (something I am ridiculously bad at). I would take the dog for a walk, but he is just too lazy. Dinner at 3 and my eldest and her other half will arrive with my grandson at around 5. Music, games and lots of wine this evening (my stocking present to the Mrs is a bottle of Barolo). Merry Christmas!
My son the Christmas ****wit has begged for a deadline extension until 1.00, which means he's only just got up and is hungover. I am preparing to have huge fun at his expense. Christmas just gets better and better.
Went to the pub with all three of my boys and my eldest's gorgeous other half last night which has really set Christmas up nicely. Today serious amount of relaxing, meat is in the oven, presents opened and as always I received more than I deserve. A few beers later on I expect and slump in front of some film or other, not going outside as it's peeing down. Hope you all are enjoying your day
I'm too many beers in and every ****er is late when there's a turkey in there waiting to be destroyed. Might just get rat-arsed.
Merry Xmas one and all. Recovering from the hateful evil that is a hoverboard, top tip - avoid these abominations and stick to beer and tv.
Picked son up from station last night at 2330 - home from uni in London (a whole 30 miles away!) - the first time his Mum had seen him since the beginning of September. I get to see him every home game so less of a novelty for me! Got up promptly and went for a good ride on my mountain bike before the rain arrived, but took almost as long to clean it afterwards Watched Hoodwinked (it is Christmas....) on DVD before son made it up and downstairs for 1230 Opened our presents (got to be the first time for years I've not bought the other half any undies lol), and am now watching Hawaii 5-0 (the real 60s series obviously) while lunch cooks A massive food blow out on the way!! And, obviously, a trip over to Ipswich tomorrow.....
