Crepeys do Christmas...

[oldqueenie]

Will this fit the bill. Dull but seasonal?

[Grincherella]

What I want for Christmas is now a new suitcase, seeing as mine was nicked yesterday en route from London to Dorset. Southwest Trains had "works on the line", so had laid on a coach service from Southampton Airport to Poole. The driver absolutely insisted that we all put our large items of luggage in the compartment under the coach. And then apparently had no system for matching passengers with their luggage at each stop. Coach stopped at Bournemouth and two other stations. I then get out at Poole and find the luggage compartment is completely empty. So it's not that someone took mine instead of theirs, they clearly just helped themselves to something they fancied. I am glad that I did not manage to do more Christmas shopping than I did, but immensely fucked off all the same as I have lost some irreplaceable bits of mine of "sentimental value" and some medical stuff that will cost a large amount to replace. Have now got to waste vast amounts of time with the resultant admin and putting in claim to SW Trains. Useless fucking bastards.

I shouted very loudly and nastily when I got home as I then had to spend 2 hours cleaning out a fish tank that nobody had bothered to deal with even though 3 fish had died. Bed at 2 am. Not happy.

Other than that, the w/e was very nice.

[wilbur]

Oh stropps, so sorry about your stolen bag, how frustrating. Not surprised you had a rant later - entirely justified even without the bonus dead fish outrage.

Dh and I are buying each other an iPod dock/digital radio for the bedroom for Xmas so that's all sorted, phew. We're also hoping to get the dcs a joint present of a go kart, so maybe that will reduce shopping time too. Need to find a cart that's big enough for ds1 - must start looking. Have got fruit soaking in booze for both Xmas pudding and cake today - not quite full stir up Sunday but it's a start.

[bigTillyMint]

Oh no Strops that's terrible. I hope you put in a big claim.

wilbur, fruit soaking in booze sounds good.

DH has said he'd like an iPad for Christmas, but doesn't know which one and is not bothering to check them out ATM

[FuckingWonderwoman]

Bastards. But it may still turn up, Strops. I put dirty knickers on top of my case when I pack, which I always think might be a good deterrent, with crusty gusset facing upwards.

[bigTillyMint]

ROFL at crusty gussets

[CointreauVersial]

Oh Strops, what a pain in the proverbial. You probably didn't think to have it all labelled up, seeing as you were expecting to get a train. It might turn up....we helped ourselves to someone else's case once at the airport baggage carousel, and only noticed when we were half way to the exit and it dawned on me that the bag I was wheeling looked a damned sight more decrepit than it did when I checked it in.

We also lost a case coming back from our honeymoon; DH left it sitting by the bus-stop outside Gatwick. We were quite surprised to find it still sitting there when we returned a couple of hours later, especially as this was only a few months after 9/11.

Can't help on the Marrakesh question, except that DH went on business last year and found it quite a culture shock (he hasn't travelled much, poor thing). He was a bit put out to see people crapping in the street, and he didn't enjoy the fact that every salesman was apparently on a mission to rip him off. It wasn't what he expected. But don't let that put you off, no, really, don't (he really is a bit sheltered). I'd go like a shot (but I travelled in my youth, darling ).

[CointreauVersial]

DH is out tonight, so I'm fending for myself for dinner.

I got as far as putting some soup in the microwave, then thought, sod it, and shoved it back in the fridge.

I'm having cheese and red wine for dinner.

Well, it's low-carb(ish).

[Blackduck]

Stropps for you. What a 'mare!
Ruby - 9 or so at night high teens during the day - a darn sight warm than here we really can't afford long haul in terms of time/stress/visas but are in need of some downtime and some sun. (Although I am not sure having ds with us counts as down time...)
Marrakech is on sleazy jet route (so cheap) and only 4 hours. So we are thinking cheap flight, nice hotel and a bit of sun for five days and then return to the full on festivities.
CV - do recall the haggling etc. will let dp deal as I get at all that alternatively if shopping use the govt dept craft stores - all priced up no haggling!

[bigTillyMint]

Oh MI what a shame. But at least you have spurred your current job on. I bet it will all work out in the end (easy to say when you have a permanent job that you love, I know!)

DD has had a melt-down over her art-textiles homework which is using a sewing machine on a ridiculously complicated picture.....

[motherinferior]

I want fire and enthusiasm about work back in my life. Not necessarily for every bit of work that I do, but a general vigour about it....

[FuckingWonderwoman]

I would like that too, MI. I deleted 700 emails today, on the grounds that if they were important, someone can resend them. And if I read them all, I won't have time to do any work.

[herbaceous]

Strops, that does NOT ROCK. What a pain in the parts. And MI - BTM is right, it will all work out in the end, but all the wondering and worrying is very wearing.

Here we still are in North Norfolk, escaping the builders. The cottage is miniscule, with tiny furniture, but is spotlessly clean, and has a functioning kitchen, complete with washer/dryer in which we have cleaned all our clothes for the return. DS is in a proper bed for the first time, and is celebrating by coming into our bed most nights, and wriggling so much one of us has to give up and to into his bed.

S&B-wise it's all classy Barbours and Dubarry boots round here, with expensive-looking jumpers and an air of insouciance, as they mount their dirty 4x4s. Feel a right pleb. But it's spurred me on to buy a pair of proper, waterproof, grippy Merrell boots from Secret Sales for future bracing walks, or even just negotiating icy London pavements. They're my birthday present to myself.

Talking of which, we spent today trying to entertain DS in the Hunstanton sea life sanctuary. Hunstanton has to be the bleakest place on the planet, with acres of windswept concrete, closed-down amusement arcades, and desolate caravan parks. Just deathly. And DS utterly uninterested in marine life, preferring to sing his repertoire of 45 songs on a loop. That's £33 well spent, then. But we did swing by the utterly absurd Burnham Market on the way home for a cake.

[CointreauVersial]

Nice to hear from you, Herbs - I bet you are the only holidaymakers in town at the moment.

[FuckingWonderwoman]

I quite liked Hunstanton. We had a fab holiday there a few years ago, when we rented a house right on the front between Sunny Hunny and Heacham. It was like having our own private beach. It's probably only closed because it's winter.

[bigTillyMint]

700 emails!

Herbs, glad you are having a lovely British Winter Holiday
I have a pair of Merrell boots - must dig them out as apparently it's going to be getting freezing this week!

[Blackduck]

MI sorry to hear job situation is a bit pants at the moment. I do commiserate with the feeling old, I catch myself and think 'how the hell did I get here?' Hardly the stella career and life I envisaged....
MrsS - wow, tad more emails than I get - is it awayday this week? Are you waiting with baited breath? (what the hell does that actually mean?)

On hol front I am a bit concerned that colleague who did Marrakech very recently got bad tummy bug - I can cope with self, it is small child that concerns me. She also thinks Egypt might be a better bet - couple of days in Luxor/Cairo perhaps (although the Gaza peninsula doesn't actually strike me as a good place to be at the moment).

On Christmas present news have bought another for dp (well, it actually goes with the first one...), but still done bugger all for anyone else. Am in Kent at weekend so may go to the hell that is Blue Water and try to blitz it there.....

[bigTillyMint]

BD, we have been to Egypt twice recently - Sharm in the summer and Cairo/Luxor/Aswan 18months ago. All fine. Plus no sickness at all for any of us either time.
Our friends are going to Luxor over Christmas. Go for it!

And get to Bluewater very early if you go on Saturday

[CointreauVersial]

Now Egypt I do love - we went twice to Luxor back in the early 90s I think (although the massacre at Queen Hatshepsut's Temple the following year put us off going back). You do get the same North African hassle, but generally I found the locals very warm and welcoming.

I did get ill in Egypt, but it was tonsillitis. And while I was holed up in bed with a temperature of 103 degrees a procession of hotel staff came in to check on me - the towel boy from the pool brought me lemon tea, and the hotel recetionist tried to give me some "vitamin tablets" (which I politely declined). My brother was "adopted" by a local caleche driver, who invited us all to lunch. They were all rather lovely.

[Blackduck]

BTM Bluewater is nearest hellhole shopping centre to inlaws so more than aware of its charms.... Needs most and all that. Dinner at la gavrouche to compensate...

[CointreauVersial]

Oh, I heart Bluewater, BD. I can get there in 40 minutes with the wind behind me so perfect for a big shop-fest. I like the fact that it's triangular, so as long as you keep walking you'll eventually find the shop you are after!

The DCs used to love the creche there, but they're too big now, more's the pity.

[Grincherella]

MI, sorry to hear you are feeling glum about work. I hope something upliftingly interesting comes along soon.

It looks like the course I went on at the w/e is likely to bring in some interesting but quite challenging work. The guy that ran the course contacted me today with a job inquiry. It means working a w/e next month and a certain amount of worry about whether I can cut the mustard, but hey, at least I should earn enough money to replace the contents of my suitcase. Am still at having the damn thing stolen, but have thrown enough punches at circuits to feel better. Will be lucky to see any compensation out of SW trains, but have filed all the correct bits of info in the correct places so far.
Dh is going for a check-up tomorrow. But he is carefully ignoring this fact and concentrating on his deadline...