~Off Topic Thread~

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I thought I would drop in to tell those of you pining for white Christmases that it is OVERATED. It is currently -15F with the wind chill and it took 2 hours to do a drive that normally takes 40 minutes. Oh yeah, and my life flashed before my eyes as I spun out on some black ice. Fortunately, my winter driving skills are still sharp! We are looking forward to going to England, where it will be warmer.

[Laura+Tom 2]

I thought I would drop in to tell those of you pining for white Christmases that it is OVERATED. It is currently -15F with the wind chill and it took 2 hours to do a drive that normally takes 40 minutes. Oh yeah, and my life flashed before my eyes as I spun out on some black ice. Fortunately, my winter driving skills are still sharp! We are looking forward to going to England, where it will be warmer.

Oh dear. It's been mild here, about 11c some days.

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

I thought I would drop in to tell those of you pining for white Christmases that it is OVERATED. It is currently -15F with the wind chill and it took 2 hours to do a drive that normally takes 40 minutes. Oh yeah, and my life flashed before my eyes as I spun out on some black ice. Fortunately, my winter driving skills are still sharp! We are looking forward to going to England, where it will be warmer.

oh lord! glad to hear the old skills kicked in!

And Happy Christmas everyone! I'm celebrating a little earlier than usual because I'm coordinating a gift opening session with my family in Ireland, hopfully over a webcam.

Now I'm going to brave the grocery store, just one more time

[Jeraly 4]

Haha - I am glad it's not just me who has groceries and things to get!!!

Here I am all cleaned and things - the house is sparkly and nice and I just have to get baking but taking a break for a bit first!!!

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Now it's warmed up - but it's raining turning all the snow to slush. of course it will freeze tonight and turn to sheets of ice.

Merry Christmas everyone! I'll probably not be around for the next 10 days or so - I hope everyone has a great one.

[*Snowdrop* 603]

Merry Christmas x

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

wow, these had me giggling so much, C wanted to know what was so funny. And I'm happy to say that he even got the Dis-ney one. (though at the beginning of the joke i had to say 'imagine i'm talking in a scottish accent')

i'll add in my cracker jokes once I open them tomorrow

[Jeraly 4]

Ours were lame... I think they are in a box with all the wrapping paper now!

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

ok, they turned out to be the crappest ever! they were just mini ones from world market, but all of the prizes were single orange plastic disc, like tiddlywinks. Oh well, at least the eggnog had plenty of rum in it...

[StillThePrettiest 3]

an orange plastic disc is truly the crappest cracker present EVER

we had such a funny experience with the crackers... I was all prepared for them to be hard to find, so when we saw some in Target we quickly snapped them up... of course, we were unprepared to then find better, cheaper ones at Pier 1 Imports, but quickly decided we could return the Target ones, so bought them as well

well, we were then in Randall's looking for something totally unrelated and found proper UK-imported ones, also better, also cheaper (they had a sale on)

so we got those and had TWO lots to return

great pressies though... puzzles and tricks and a compact mirror and a pack of little silver pencils and things like that

and they looked SO nice on my Christmas table

[Jeraly 4]

We did the same thing but didn't buy the extras - we thought they would a) be hard to find and B) disappear really fast. Turns out we found them in Walmart, our local grocery store and World Market reduced theirs just before Christmas as well so we could have got them cheaper!!

We bought the mini ones as well - just as backups and potential Christmas tree decs - nice to know how lame they are! We had the cream and gold big ones from World Market Our prizes were a silver bookmark/clip thing, a padlock and keys and a set of mini screwdrivers (that always seem to come in so useful - does anyone else find that??)

[Laura+Tom 2]

I got a tape measure in mine, would have be useful if it was the length of a regular one.

[*julez* 124]

In the frenzy of cooking and entertaining, I completely forgot to put out the Christmas crackers. Since the next gathering we'll have a lot of company for is my birthday (in one week), would it be OK to use them then?

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

i forgot them till christmas day, even though we had our dinner christmas eve night. I'm very glad now that I didn't think of them, and didn't have any great expectations for them.

I think it would be perfectly fine, and fun to have them at your birthday!

[StillThePrettiest 3]

yes, for sure; use them on your birthday

one of the boxes we bought even said that on the back - that it's a UK tradition to have them at all manner of celebrations, including birthdays... though I have to say I think that was more marketing BS than truth

but why not, if you want to?! go for it