Nightmare During And After Christmas!

[Xeronema]

What a nightmare, from start to finish. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Well, not everything, obviously. Either way, I think I've spent the last 3 days away from AB with my head about to go KABLAMO. Did anyone miss me?

So how was Christmas for everyone else (and the people that didn't celebrate it)?

I'll drop by the relevant threads to send my best wishes. Also, has Minty been online at all? I've only just got back, so haven't checked anywhere yet.

[calmck]

Minty has been back

[Xeronema]

Ah nice, thank you calmck :)
I'm slowly catching up.

[Karmlady]

Sounds like it's been stressful Xero

[Tilly2]

Did you forget to defrost the turkey?

[Xeronema]

Funny you should say that Tilly, because I did forget to defrost it - which was a good thing because we had Christmas dinner on Boxing Day when it was set for Christmas Day.

The carers screwed us over bad, so much so it caused my partner to be non-communicative and ripped away my motivation and mood. Then I get into a full-blown battle with my family, get called ungrateful and then get ripped into by my future in laws too. Yesterday was a disaster too, which is why I kept away from AB for 3 days. I tell ya, I came so close to getting completely soused - which would have no doubt put me right back in the hospital.

I've been battling with my health for some time now and I know a lot of it is down to my own doing but just recently things have been happening to both of us. I'll just be glad when it's over with. I've got something wrong going on with my kidneys now as well (protein in my urine apparently).

So yeah, a bit of a rough one.

[Buenchico]

>>> Did anyone miss me?

Yes, it's been lovely and peaceful without you, Xeronema ;-)

[Only joking!]

>>> So how was Christmas . . .

Quiet but pleasant for me. I drove to Clacton in the morning to watch loads of wallies running into the sea, as usual. I then had a simple, but tasty, lunch of beef bourguignon with sprouts (served in a giant Yorkshire pudding), followed by Christmas pud with oodles of brandy cream. In the afternoon, I exchanged Christmas greetings with radio amateurs in Lithuania, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Spain, Kosovo and the USA before having a couple of hours kip. I spent the evening browsing online and enjoying a few beers. (The cats, of course, got loads of treats throughout the day).

- and I've still got my Christmas presents to open!
(I always leave them until towards the end of the Christmas period, so that I've still got something nice to do when everything seems to be going a bit flat after the festive period).

[Karmlady]

Well we put far too much pressure on ourselves at Xmas. Don't be too hard on yourself Xero.

If its any consolation I'm having Xmas Dinner next weekend cus had flu over Xmas.

[Xeronema]

That sounds like a lovely day, Chris.

I have a photograph of the food I managed to cook, eventually. Here - https://www.i.lowrex.com/i/BQW4G.jpg

[Cloverjo]

Nice Christmas Day with husband, dad, son and grandson, but my Daughter in law was a massive pain in the ***.
Christmas is over for me. I took down the cards and tree as soon as they left. I don’t want to be reminded of her and this horrible Christmas.

Sorry, just needed to get that off my chest, as they say

[Buenchico]

>>> Then I get into a full-blown battle with my family, get called ungrateful and then get ripped into by my future in laws too.

Now that's what I call a proper family Christmas ;-)

Happy New Year, anyway!

[Xeronema]

Sorry to hear that, Karmlady, being ill that is. We usually go to my OH's dad's house at Christmas. When I first met my partner, we'd go over on Boxing Day. Then after a couple of years it got moved to the day after Boxing Day. Then last year it was moved to the day after the day after Boxing Day. Last year was awful, she was in so much pain and her dad had absolutely no sympathy. He even got offended after I'd given her morphine and diazepam (I had to do this because she had to climb the stairs and back down when needing the toilet - she has progressive widespread pain syndrome (fibromyalgia) and was in a lot of pain). She was non-communicative and had earphones in. She's autistic, he knows that, yet he still got offended by the fact that she couldn't talk to him or her step-mother.

She signs when she can't use text to speech software, when she can't communicate vocally.

[Tilly2]

I wasn't on AB much to miss anyone, Diz. We had guests from Thursday to Tuesday (today) and it seems a bit rude to be sitting at the laptop, typing away when there are visitors sitting in the same room.

[Xeronema]

Clovejo, that's fine, this is the thread to do it - get anything you want off your chest :)

I don't blame you, I didn't even bother with the tree or anything this year. I bought 2 cards this year and one of them was for the next door neighbour - I borrowed a tin of beans last week and he put a card with the tin. I felt it only right to get him a card also. Oh, and his wife passed away recently so I wanted to show him that we care about him (as well as offering to go to the shop whenever he needs anything). Our other next door neighbour died last month too. There is only us and the guy next door left, everyone else has died.

[Xeronema]

Chris, usually I'd roll with a Christmas like that, however I care far too much for my OH and how it upsets her. I'm being a little selfish too - if she gets upset, it usually means walking around of even more eggshells than usual.

Tilly, yeah, that can sometimes upset folk :p

[Xeronema]

Let me know what you think of our Christmas spread/meal this year. Hopefully I've linked you to the right picture!

[Buenchico]

It all looks very nice, Xeromena, but I've got two questions for you . . .

1. Where are the parsnips ? ;

2. Did you have to stand on a chair to take that picture (or are you just incredibly tall)?

[jno]

somebody may have got a drone for Christmas, buenchico

[Peter Pedant]

I cannot complain.
not much happening on AB - a bit like a Jane Austen novel and more happening in the wide world

[lady-janine]

sorry to hear you Christmas was not really very pleasant and a great success. Youngest stayed away as she had been with some people who had either colds or dreaded lergy and didn't want to pass anything on to me as she knows it could be rather bad.

Mine was very quiet. Your meal looked splendid and you did better than me I think.

[Canary42]

That food looks delicious Xeronema. And what a good idea to start a thread for people to let off steam about any shortcomings in their Christmas day.

I had a quiet Christmas on my own (I can no longer drive to relatives in London & Bristol, none within walking distance) which suited me as I spent the day in bed with a heavy cold (much better now except for lingering cough).

Lunch was chicken fillet with jacket spud and sprouts.

I did have a lovely Zoom meeting with my niece and her family in Bristol yesterday, she rigged it up on her large-screen TV and they (her, husband, and 4-y-o son) sat on the sofa opposite so I could see them all throughout the zoom session.

My tree remained in the garden (undecorated) where I planted it out last year.

All the best, and Happy New Year to you and all other Abers who've popped in.

Tweet tweet for now, Canary.