Crepeyistmas Time, Camel Toe and Whine...

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Pandering to the uncouth...

I am in a West Sussex tea room. This is a good thing. Unwinding. More later...

I bet all the other threads on MN are full of smuggos who are putting the final touch to their practice centrepiece or suchlike.

Sympathies to NU, MI, Stropps's DD, QQ and others who are ill, hope everyone recovers enough to enjoy the holiday.

I finished a huge report at 15:30 & now consider myself to be on holiday. DD and I have opened the Twiglets to mark the occasion. We're going to eat out tonight, partly to celebrate my recent (or at least still not forgotten, by me anyway) professional success.

Admit I've given up on cards. Have spent the money on a food bank donation instead. Will try to make contact with people by e-mail & phone to make up for it. DH, naturally, never considered doing anything about it.

Saw both parts of Henry IV last week, highly recommended though I'd forgotten how sombre it all is. Think I'm ready for some mindless crap on TV. Talking of which, we sat next to Juliet Stevenson & I was embarrassed to realise that the only thing I've seen her in recently is Atlantis. DD likes me to watch it with her (though she hates all the teasing about the mangling of Greek myth).

Auriga - we watch Atlantis too - tis the Saturday night family viewing that replaced Merlin and although I moan about the mangling of myths Jason is a cutie.

MI - - is this the can't get it together at Christmas thread?

In my case it's definitely more can't be arsed...

Atlantis watchers here too. I grumble about the myths. DP is particularly addicted though he does point out that, as with Merlin, it would be a good idea just to shoot all Mysterious Attractive Strangers Who Ride Into Town.

Can't madly be arsed here either, if I'm truly honest.

And my hair is a mess.

Stropps, how is DD?

MI I am happy to help you source your ingredients in ED tomorrow if you like? Just let me know what time! We even have a Lidl within a hop and a skip and plenty of exotic fruit/veg too!

I am feeling fairly relaxed, but will no doubt be panicking about something before long

I'm still at work and will be here tomorrow too... I'm off to play in Oxford Street in a minute and see the tree in Trafalgar Square (proper out of towner ). Meanwhile dh is at home trying to make red cabbage to freeze for his family coming next week. He's phoning every 5 mins to complain my recipe 'isn't clear'....

I'm very meh about Christmas this year as I seem to have been shopping for ever and everyone's presents look very ordinary. We missed the card sending as well this year. I might just write them now and save them for next year, just put them away under the stairs to mature a little and pop them in the post in 11 months time.

Weekend at outlaws nearly over. No fruit or veg for 2 days, unless you count the tinned fruit in the trifle!

Well, I was grumpy to end all grumpy after a disastrous day of losing and breaking things. Until I read about MrsS experimental potato website. Oh joy.

I think I have sent out recipe links to those who wanted them but if not, do PM me. And yes please addle and NU and anyone else, do PM me with more recipes - the more the better I reckon. I can produce version 2 in the new year assuming I stop breaking and losing things.

Am feeling extremely unfestive after what feels like weeks of being surrounded by the sick and wounded. All heart, me.

Stropps, fingers crossed. What a horrible thing to happen.

I made the storecupboard cake yesterday and it was great and genuinely easy so thanks to all who recommended it.

Ds and I braved Tesco this afternoon and spent an unholy amount of cash on a ridiculous amount of food. I'd never delegate Christmas food shopping to dh, as we would most likely end up having to subsist on Value pies and Quality Street (bleargh). He does not understand how to shop for nice food - or indeed anything I would consider edible. Even if I send him with a detailed list, he will still fail to get the important things and return having stocked up on loathsome BOGOFs that no one will eat except him.
Thanks for asking after dd, MI. She only got up about 3pm and is muttering about sore eyes and a bit of a headache, but as this time yesterday she was lying face-down on the sofa howling with the pain, I reckon she's getting better. I was sufficiently worried last night to keep going in to check on her. It was one of those situations where you really wonder if maybe you should go and add to the queue in A&E or not. If she's still got pain tomorrow morning, I think I will take her to the doc so he can check her eyes. He says she can try another AB for her skin, but not for about a week.
I don't try very hard about Christmas. As long as I've got some things that I know the dcs will appreciate and someone gives me some marrons glaces (soz about lack of accents, am on phone), I am happy. My db and his family are descending on Christmas Eve to eat dodgy Tesco canapés and make a racket. I will make the most of the opportunity to get quietly pissed, once I have served up an assortment of (poss somewhat rubbery) vegetarian snacks. And then I will be on best trad "no presents before lunchtime and only church music" behaviour for dm's on the 25th.
I'm currently feeling mellow knocking back the sherry and listening to some 1950s Xmas choons.

oops x-posts, lalsy.
Gawd, I can tell I'm getting old - I seem to actually like listening to Bing Crosby.

BTM that is v kind; I think I will start with local Lidl and Aldi, because they are vv close, and work outwards from there so may text you.

Have finished second feature rewrite. Also discovered the reason one interviewee went AWOL was she dropped her phone down the loo with all contact details on it. We've all done it....

Old friend is bringing newish boyf round tonight. He chucked her before, and I am Most Suspicious.

DP is hoovering. This is a Good Thing as long as he doesn't make it into a badge of martyrdom.

And that is why I have a waterproof phone. Well and because one got drowned when I was trying to mend the guttering in a rainstorm (don't ask).
QQ, if I have not said so before. many congrats to your ds.
And I hope all the returned students have now sorted their laundry and finished lecturing their parents.

I like Bing, Frank and Perry

We still haven't set off....

MI, Lidl cherry jam is not bad - I used it to make a Nigella cake not so long ago. It's a shame that you don't live locally, though, as I bought a jar of posh cherries in alcohol from Lidl about a month ago and it's sitting in the cupboard. It's always possible that there is an odd jar around somewhere in Lidl.

Stropps, I hope DD continues to improve.

The scan and dentist visit went well and I now have my front two teeth. I do, however, feel lousy and am sat in my chair drinking lemsip and hugging a wheat cushion because I can't get warm. DH is heating up a veggie bolognais as I write.

One of the joys of living in a very small town is that DH ordered the turkey from the butcher weeks ago and today I went into the greengrocers and left an order for fruit and veg to be picked up at 8ish on Wednesday morning. Although DSoniL is cooking Christmas lunch everyone is coming to my house on Boxing Day afternoon.

Christmas prep chez herbs is not entirely complete, but mainly because we're going to be in other people's houses, with them cooking. DP is in the throes of making two orange and almond cakes to take with us, as offerings, and tomorrow I shall be doing Nigella's ham in coke, and some meringues. Ditto. Then some wrapping.

Had a trawl around Sainsbury's earlier today, which wasn't nearly as hideous as I was expecting, and was greatly amused when Walking In The Air came on the tannoy. Suddenly the air was filled with the caterwauling of east Londoners singing along.

Bit of a result on the clothing front, also. For many years I've been hankering after a yellow fisherman's raincoat, type thing, but couldn't justify it. Nearly bought one for £100 in Carhartt. What should I find but that very thing in Sainos, £30, striped lining, toggles, everything. I had to sneak it upstairs past DP, as I don't think he'd approve of me adding even more to my vast coat collection.

NU, I did the same for my turkey and could have done the same for veg in our little "London village"

On our way home but DD not happy that I player hasn't downloaded her stuff onto the ipad...

Dp is on food shopping duty. I don't care if we end up with cheese on toast - we have wine.....

I had the lovely La Gavroche meal on Saturday and dp gots his Christmas meal on Sunday so I really don't give two hoots.

Dp is on food shopping duty. I don't care if we end up with cheese on toast - we have wine.....

I had the lovely La Gavroche meal on Saturday and dp gots his Christmas meal on Sunday so I really don't give two hoots.

Dp is on food shopping duty. I don't care if we end up with cheese on toast - we have wine.....

I had the lovely La Gavroche meal on Saturday and dp gots his Christmas meal on Sunday so I really don't give two hoots.

Dp is on food shopping duty. I don't care if we end up with cheese on toast - we have wine.....

I had the lovely La Gavroche meal on Saturday and dp gots his Christmas meal on Sunday so I really don't give two hoots.

Sorry!! Post wasn't that exciting that you needed FOUR times

What's that you say BD - didn't quite catch it....