On your marks, get set, go...it's the countdown to Christmas 2020. Thread 1!

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

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Afternoon.

Here we go again! It feels slightly bonkers setting off again before today is over, but it's tradition, so who am I to argue?!

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Morning!

Back to work. Booooo!

I still ache, particularly my wrists. Could be a fun day.

What were you bickering with DH about, Crazy? Your weekend sounds good other than that!

Adorable cats, Wreck and Firefly. I'm more of a dog person, but they are lovely-looking cats!

Well done with both your shopping AND your resistance, 70!

I've been doing sleep-allotment planning overnight. Most amusing when I wake with ideas!

Hope work goes quickly for you today fluffy.

Last night was eventful in our house. I had ordered a personalised cake decoration for DS' birthday and placed it on top of the highest cupboards in the kitchen to keep it hidden. It only went and fell down the back. Thankfully there was a small ledge halfway down the back so with the help of a pair of tongs and sitting on top of the fridge freezer I was able to get it. Scraped my arm in the process but it was worth it. DH was not amused at having to unplug the fridge freezer, move it out a bit and then hoist me on top

Bloody hell, Em. That sounds like something which would happen in our house. Well done on your ingenuity though.

Thanks fluffy. He had better well like the decoration now though!

Nothing is ever simple, is it Em

What were your sleep-plans, Fluffy?

I did a short piece on the local BBC radio station (chatting about what's in the papers, promo for work) at 8am, and it's only 2 doors down from work, so I was an hour and a half early this morning. I'll be out on a conference all day tomorrow, so it gives me a chance to get ahead a bit. I overslept though, literally got up, got dressed, brushed my teeth and shot out of the door. I need to go sort my hair before anyone else comes into the office...

I've arrived to work to get a message that one of my team is out sick - we have a busy day and week ahead, eek. Yesterday was sooooo calm, and bright and brisk, that it's hard to believe it will be so stormy later - but it is already windier than yesterday and mizzly rain falling . Ned to make a few phonecalls and get stuck in now that we are a "man down".

Morning everyone.

Gorgeous cats

Nearly time for work so I'll be back later.

Ooh, you're a celebrity, Firefly!!

My sleep plans were about where to spread manure and where to leave clear for the parsnip seeds. Rock and bloody roll, eh?!

Biddy, always a curve ball in there somewhere! It was really windy here on Sat, it dropped again yesterday but has picked up again today. It's meant to be 40 mph+ later too.

What's the decoration, Em?

Fluffy it began as us being annoyed with the other for silly reasons (he wanted me to get up and start the day early, I was annoyed because he woke me, this then became me being in 'control' of our weekend and spiralled from there).
I am very hormonal so I may have been sharper than usual and he's exhausted so he was more sensitive that normal so it was a bit crap.

We had a few hours apart then said sorry to each other and it's all ok now 😊

Emrys 😂 The decoration wasn't damaged was it?

Radio Firefly? Sounds exciting!

Biddy are you in the storm yellow weather warning area? We are and it's bloody freezing outside.

I'm counting down the minutes until I can leave the office. SW weigh in today (dreading) but looking forward to the class - I've made some nice friends there.
After that I'm not sure what I'm up to, more decluttering I guess.

It's a bit blowy out there! Work was ok today not too bad at all.

Dinner is butter paneer curry. Yum. I expect I'm the only one who will like it but I don't really care, they can eat what they like when they do the shopping/cooking. Going to do some roasted cauliflower with it too.

We were in an orange warning areas Crazy, but I've seen a lot worse with no warnings issued. Much better now, but there were big gusts earlier and it looks like it was pretty windy at the airports etc, with big waves on the Irish Sea (looking at Met Eireann reports for airports, and Dublin Bay Buoy's twitter feed for sea conditions). It's eased off a lot already, and it was wet but grand at lunchtime (right in the peak here).

Off home soon, I can't read much more legal gibberish....(I know, it makes sense to the lawyers and its important - but I am not a legal person....)

I'd be pissed off if I was woken up too, Crazy, especially if we had no concrete plans which required us to be up. I'm definitely on Team Crazy!

The weather is shocking here.

I'm currently standing on a packed, hot, train. It's not good!

Your curry sounds lovely, Wreck.

Ooh I love a paneer curry wreck :)

The decoration is a power ranger one with his name on and thankfully was unharmed :)

Hi Fluffy, PJ and all you other lovely folk (I am Fluffy's sister) and thought I would join in with you all.

Ooh. It's like a family gathering (without the copious booze at such events)! That can probably be fixed, however!

Good news that no decorations were harmed during the fall, Em!

Ta da! Was pretty good even if I do say so myself

I think there are far worse things at one of our family gatherings than alcohol Fluffy. (Has been a while since I had anything alcoholic to drink).

That looks good Wreck.

Wreck I've never tasted roasted cauliflower but I'm intrigued.... Your tea looks lovely.

Biddy I was taken aback by just how windy it was when I went on my lunchtime walk, and how icy cold it was. I hope everyone is ok through the storm, bbc news showed a lot of fallen trees etc.

Glad to have you on my team Fluffy!

Welcome why 👋

Weather is also atrocious here. Ddog2 is looking like he wants to go out but when DH tried to take him he moaned and didn't go bounding off like he usually does 🙄

Good news - Christmas weight gain is gone so I can lose weight that counts again now 👍🏻
Bad news - DH has gone out for a curry for tea and I'm so tempted to get him to bring some home. I won't but 😡 that I can't just eat what I want

Right now, sweet FA. Spent all my, part time, December pay on Christmas- food, presents, travel etc. Yesterday I mentioned to DH I’ll use the joint acc for groceries this week and went on rant about savings etc. So, I will save money for next Christmas and if he doesn’t change his tune I will spend £0 when the festive season arrives.

Adora! So nice to see you! Sorry things aren't great with dh.

Crazy roasted cauliflower is the best. I mixed it with some curry paste and then just chucked it in the oven for twenty minutes. DH could bring you back a chicken tikka (just the marinated chicken not in sauce)? Well done on losing the Christmas weight

Hey Adora.

Welcome why

Well done on your loss, Crazy. Getting back on it after Christmas/holiday weight gain is the hardest part.

I didn't think Indian food was too bad on SW. As Wreck says, the tandoori/tikka chicken is usually free or minimal syns, the tomato based curries used to be about 6-8 syns (and I'd often only eat half anyway), boiled rice was free, and poppadoms were about 1 syn each.

It was absolutely chucking it down about 6 tonight, but seems to have eased off a bit now. Still quite windy, though. I've got a conference in Leicester tomorrow, so I hope it settles a bit before then. Don't fancy a 2 hour drive in gale force winds!

Firefly where I am the wind has now died down and is set to return tomorrow late afternoon. I heard something flying about outside, possibly the top of our outside light

Hi Adora. Sorry your DH is being difficult maybe there's something in the air
Is he likely to realise he's being an arse and apologise?

Wreck & Firefly thank you! I could have had something from the indian but I want to be very strict over the next few weeks to get myself back into the swing of it so I had some food at home. It was hunger talking - once I started cooking I was looking forward to my tea and not thinking about curry!

Wreck I'm going to try roasted cauli this week. I need either a new veg or one I like but done differently because eating the same thing all the time gets boring quickly.

The rain did ease off but it's back again now. I quite like listening to it from inside my house.
I've had a chilled evening watching Louis Theroux and mooching about the house. Going to bed now for an early night 😴

Evening everyone
Welcome Why & Adora
Biddy that is not good , you will really be up against it now m'dear l am sure you will do it though, you are so efficient and focused Hope your workmate is ok and soon in work and back to normal
Crazy well done on the Christmas weight loss m'dear
Weather here is terrible wind and rain lashing down is it bad with you as well?
Have been so busy today l haven't even been to the shops or even thought about them. Been looking for houses for DD2, am exhausted , l have been like a blinking PA to her today ringing the Estate agents, l must have rung about 12 of them , filling in forms , visiting houses
Em thank goodness the power rangers thingy was intact well done for climbing the fridge freezer mountain
Fanny hope the power stays on now m'dear it's horrible being without.
Firefly , l can't be the only person here who wants to listen to your radio performance well done m'dear . l would have been cachu- ing myself Cachu Welsh for shit pronounced cack , Crazy & Fanny will vouch for me
PJ hope work went ok m'dear
Wreck delicious food. roasted cauli is one of my favourites.
Hope everybody has a good nights sleep