Countdown to Christmas 2021 (thread 7): The One with The Twitch!

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

Here we go! From deepest, darkest, somewhere bloody dark! Apparently near Manchester. Maybe!

Nine days! I really need to wrap things although my daughter is probably moving house next week (thanks to an incompetent solicitor/conveyancer) so could be interesting fitting everything in.

The conveyancer had been ridiculously incompetent, Christmas! After the move is out of the way, I'll draft a cracking complaint letter for her, to stick a rocket up the firm.

Ours did Christmas jumper day last Friday and there was Christmas dinner. They don't eat roast dinner (they used to...it's a joy. Not) so DH made them a Christmassy packed lunch! They're having a party on Monday with American food for school dinner (I let them have one school dinner a week) which DS is looking forward to so much!

I'm with you on the darkness, Wreck. It's depressing.

I don't like leaving and returning home in the dark but I do enjoy seeing people's outdoor Christmas lights on the way to the station in the morning. It literally brightens my morning!

Yes I love seeing the lights! Lots of people haven't turned them on when I'm on my way to the gym but on the way home there's a few more.

Woolly France are banning all British tourists from Saturday, can they get a refund now?

I don't know Wreck. I'm assuming that they will say that by cancelling before the announcement then they aren't eligible for a refund. Perhaps I need one of Fluffy's strongly worded letters to put the fear of God into them 😂

To be honest I'm just ground down by it today. They've worked so hard throughout this shit show and every little bit of optimism is being snatched away at the last minute.

I know there are people who have sacrificed more and been even further forward on the front line but I'm not their mum.

Sorry to hark back to yesterday, but did Matalan cancel your order, Crazy? They cancelled mine which had my mum's Christmas present 🙄 Not impressed.

Have had to order from Dorothy Perkins, but they have a 7-10 day delivery estimate! Cutting it close!

After yesterday's exciting numbers, we've decided to pull DS out of school and cancel the indoor activities we'd planned. I didn't tell him about them for this reason, but it still sucks

Sorry to hear about your DDs' trip Woolly. By not calling it, BJ is doing to the public what he did to the hospitality industry last year!

Do you mind naming the company Woolly?
I thought a lot of the travel industry were being flexible because of Covid!
Definitely do some fighting for them if you can.

Firefly Matalan haven't done anything at all No email from them to update me, no response to the fb message or chaser email, no refund and no delivery. I'm annoyed but I went in to town today and the shop had most of what I ordered (with a bonus that the pj's I'd ordered for my mum were £4 cheaper in store) so I bought them and now I'm just about to call them to cancel my order and tell them to refund me.

I hope your delivery comes in time!

I spent 2 hours in town and twitched a lot - most were small extra bits so it wasn't too bad but it does mean I have more wrapping to do so I'm doing it now while watching a CCF - Single All The Way on Netflix.

Also, slight awkwardness here - the lovely neighbours have started sending us cards but I can't send ours yet because I can't remember some of their names

I don't know the name of the company but I will find out Crazy.

You can always do that classic Christmas card cop out and write "To all at number 12 from Crazy and Mr Crazy (number 6)" (numbers are random 😂)

I've taken out my frustration on the contents of my veg box. Everything has been chopped and I've now got a big pot of pasta sauce simmering, a pot of carrot and swede ready to be turned into Carrot Crush (channelling my Denise Royle there) and some cabbage ready to be cooked after lunch. There is hopefully enough room in the freezers for everything.

Carrot crush is called Potch here Woolly

I may have to do the cop out thing with one or two neighbours. It's so awkward - I know the name of one half of most of the couples, and my NDN has signed his card from just him but I know he has a partner who is lovely to talk to (but I can't for the life of me remember her name)!

I've done my wrapping, watched my CCF and am now preparing myself for a very cold walk with the dog 🥶

I've got a little AIBU for you all.

It's 'AIBU to feel a bit put out by this?' My step mum was telling me today that she still likes to do stockings for my younger half siblings. They're 21 and 25. The youngest doesn't live at home anymore. I haven't had a stocking since I left home at 20 (back story; always lived with my dad and then step mum moved in when I was five so she has been in my life for most of it!). Humph.

Oh that's a bit crap Wreck. Stockings are the best bits when you're past the Barbie/bikes/games console stage although finding a bottle bag under the tree is pretty good too

Actually I think I stopped getting a stocking once my eldest sister left home. Can't really remember. I do remember my stocking was often in a Tesco carrier bag though I'd love a stocking now!

DD is making a stocking for me this year. I haven't had one since DM died (and even then I had bought most of the things for it because she couldn't get to shops easily for a few years). I may get tearful on Christmas morning.

I've never had a stocking

Xhristmas Eh ? Christmas

*I've never had a stocking

8!!

I've remembered as well that we used to have to write a list for our stockings too once we new 'the truth'. £25 limit. Dh always says I was so lucky growing up because we went on lots of nice holidays (true) but emotionally we didn't get much.

Right onto happier things. Ds has christingle today and dd own clothes day. Ds finishes school at 2pm (why do they do this?!) so I'm going to try and get him a hair cut then I'm off work until Christmas Eve woo hoo!

Fluffy-I started to feel shivery and ached after around 24 hours, but that only lasted for around 12 hours.

I'm OK at the moment. I did wake up a bit warm at 4am, but that seems to have passed. I do have a headache, but that could be last night's wine! I'll take some painkillers and see what's what!

We grew up in a bit of an emotional void too, Wreck!

I had a bit of a headache the morning after mine too but wasn't sure of it was the vax or something else as I often wake with a headache.

My arm is quite sore, now I've thought about it a bit!

We're having our hair cut tonight, then we're going for Pizza Express for lunch and on to the 🎅🏻🚂 afterwards!

Morning. I lost a chunk of last night to a migraine which I slept off but the early night meant I woke up at 4:30am 🥱

Wreck I think I'd be put out about the lack of stocking in your shoes.

70 I never had a stocking either (not even one of the stocking shaped selection boxes) so I've asked DH to do me one this year. God knows what will end up in it though.

I'm getting a bit put out by the way my family are so half-arsed about Christmas now. It was always a big thing and (hoping I don't sound grabby) presents were always a way to show you care but my sister just randomly stopped buying for everyone a few years ago (without warning) and my parents have started wanting to give money because they can't be bothered. No one has done cards so far this year either.
I wouldn't mind but I started doing a hamper for my dad a few years ago and he's said it's something he looks forward to every year and it wouldn't feel right to give my dad that and not get something decent for my mum so I put a fair bit of effort in for them.

Fluffy I hope you swerve the side effects. If I remember correctly, mine started the day after my jab (around 12 hours later) and lasted just under 2 days. I had headache, temp and general tiredness.

Anyway, work in 10 then awaiting whatever announcement is meant to be coming today about restrictions etc as I'm meant to be going out for a meal with 2 friends tonight.

Another one in the no stockings as a child club. Possibly why I'm still doing them for my 20+ year old DDs

Do I twitch? Tempted by some CK boxers for DS. He isn't brand conscious at all but I think they'll be appreciated. I still have funds in my Christmas pot and I can do C&C from Next.

Crazy joining you on the migraine bench last night...DH enjoyed Die Hard alone as I passed out upstairs and didn't stir until 5. Just in time for some TMS.
No stocking here either. One main gift and 2 or 3 smaller others (Bunty Annual, school shoes 🤔, bored game bored because as an only child no one would play it with me etc)
Woolly does he need pants? I really hated getting clothes for Christmas unless I needed them. Probably due to the velour dressing gown when I was about 13...it was the sort of thing your granny would wear complete with embroidered yoke, ruching and a frilly high-necked collar and cuffs. 🤦‍♀️ I was so ungrateful my mum started wearing it 😂