Foo - So, How Was Your Christmas?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFvQlEvRexc&feature=youtu.be

Here's a bit of ours.....

Well, I certainly didn't get as many presents.

1 dead, 3 wounded. 2 not accounted for.

Not too bad. Thanks for asking.

Is that you doing the picking and singing? Very nice, except for schmutzing up the dogs with hats and such. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Had a very nice Christmas at home with my wife and sons and then a repeat performance with our extended family at my brother's house.

Wife and I do not exchange gifts and we really scaled back on the boys this wear. They got three gifts each, (we used a gold, frankincense and myrrh theme) from us. Our oldest son told us that his favorite gift was his new Bible that we had embossed with his name in silver. That made me a very happy father that he can discern what is truly of value at the age of 10.

Honestly? Pretty crappy. I've never been so glad to be back in Bellingham.

My daughter came up from Florida, so I got to spend the last week with my almost-10 yr old grandson and my 2 1/2 yr old granddaughter. Best Christmas EVAR! :)

Very nice, the wife and I went around and visited friends on Christmas Eve day, then a great dinner in Little Italy, followed by a trip to Hampden to see the Miracle on 34th Street. Christmas day was just the two of us, and was very nice and calm :)

I spent the 24th, 25th and 26th at a cabin 50 miles into the bush in central B.C. No phone,internet,cable or power. It was wonderful. Christmas Eve we were treated to a concert by a pack of wolves. Christmas dinner was a turkey that was cooked over a campfire. The only artifical noise was the sound of the generator which was powering the rotiserie that the turkey was on. As soon as the bird was done my 12 yearold niece ran to turn it off, she said the noise was ruining the experience. Numerous games of cards and Scabble were played along with more than a few mugs of hot apple cider glog.

Our winter solstice dinner was lovely. We purchased a gift of exercise for the family at our local pool/gym. They have a waterpark that the kiddos love and UA and I are going to start training for a Tri.

Is that you doing the picking and singing? Very nice, except for schmutzing up the dogs with hats and such. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Had a very nice Christmas at home with my wife and sons and then a repeat performance with our extended family at my brother's house.

Wife and I do not exchange gifts and we really scaled back on the boys this wear. They got three gifts each, (we used a gold, frankincense and myrrh theme) from us. Our oldest son told us that his favorite gift was his new Bible that we had embossed with his name in silver. That made me a very happy father that he can discern what is truly of value at the age of 10.

That was my Nieces doing the antler hats on the dogs. They actually seem to enjoy it all, though. As to the music, yep, that's me!

I gave out hand made clocks, which went over really well, since family pics were the clock faces.

Friday - rode my bike
Saturday - rode my bike
Sunday (Christmas) went up to the mountains and hiked in snow and then had dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant!
Monday - rode my bike
Tuesday - rode my bike
Wednesday - rode my bike

* * *

It was a perfect Christmas!!!!

....really scaled back on the boys this wear. They got three gifts each, (we used a gold, frankincense and myrrh theme) from us. Our oldest son told us that his favorite gift was his new Bible that we had embossed with his name in silver. That made me a very happy father that he can discern what is truly of value at the age of 10.

Wow talk about the greatest present ever! So sweet to hear a little one understands what Christmas is really about!!!!

the bad: no tree, no lights, no guests; our place is a barren anti-holiday hole.

the good: we went out to a couple of parties with friends and family, ate good food had a few drinks and a lot of laughs.

The ugly: my waistline after copious amounts of doughnuts, cookies, tiramisu and cake.

Christmas was decent. Gave good gifts, including a grain mill to my brother which will pay off in homebrew coming my way on the flipside. Made 30 lbs of fudge, which is my giveaway treat for co-workers, friends, ex's, anyone who surprises me with a gift. Usual late morning brunch with my family, visits from their friends, and dinner -- roast tenderloin of beef trimmed up by vegetarian me, mom's cheesy/garlicky party potatoes, fantastic bottle of red wine from Tuscany, other yumminess. Including mom's christmas cookies, which she encouraged us to take with on the way home.

I'm pretty bah-humbug when it comes to "the season," and working retail, I was sick of holiday music by the weekend after Thanksgiving. But it's a great excuse to party with family and get stuff.

It was our year to visit my inlaws in Los Angeles. Works out fairly well as a lot of my extended family live out there as well so I got to see some Aunts and Uncles I hadn't seen in a while. Christmas day was low key to start, but ended with a gathering of my wife's family at one of her Aunt & Uncles houses, 3 of Margaret's cousins, her sister, mom & dad, two aunts and an uncle all in all. Lots of Korean being spoken that I couldn't make out, but picked up the gist of it for the most party. Dinner was an amazing assortment of Korean food and american traditional holiday fare.

Now that both my parents are gone and both the parent in laws are gone, I really had no traditional Christmas to go to.
We have no kids, so much for that.
I was hoping that one of my siblings would invite us over, but that didn't happen.
My wife and I went to her sisters, and it was like spending the afternoon with a couple stupid 6 year olds.
My sister in law has had some brain tumors and strokes over the years, so shes not too smart, but just as greedy and manipulative as ever.
My brother in law who cannot keep a job, and lives in section 8 housing has decided that the Bible somehow has declared him as the family patriarch and alpha male.
My wife was trying her best, but with her butt-wipe brother and ****** bag sister trying to command her into bending to their will, she was upset beyond hope.
Me, I just sat there and read Mark Twain's "Life on the Mississippi" on my Android Phone, wishing I'd have stopped and bought a couple 40 ouncers of High Life.
Gift-wise, while I gave quite a few gifts, I got but a bag of pistachios and a wall calendar. I left them both at my sister in laws.
I really don't care about the gifts. etc. But I did miss seeing my folks and siblings. I wished I was dead many times that day. Worst Christmas ever.

Update: 2 dead, 2 wounded, 2 in lock-up waiting bail.

Good Times...

Honestly? Pretty crappy. I've never been so glad to be back in Bellingham.



I wished I was dead many times that day. Worst Christmas ever.

:(


I had a nice Christmas. I host the Christmas Eve festivities and my mom hosts Christmas Day. Pretty much everyone in the family likes to cook so there is an abundance of wonderful food.

I got a pasta drying rack as a gift, so my daughter and I will have homemade whole wheat fettuccine with a lovely marinara sauce for New Year's Eve. :)

Now that both my parents are gone and both the parent in laws are gone, I really had no traditional Christmas to go to.
We have no kids, so much for that.
I was hoping that one of my siblings would invite us over, but that didn't happen.
My wife and I went to her sisters, and it was like spending the afternoon with a couple stupid 6 year olds.
My sister in law has had some brain tumors and strokes over the years, so shes not too smart, but just as greedy and manipulative as ever.
My brother in law who cannot keep a job, and lives in section 8 housing has decided that the Bible somehow has declared him as the family patriarch and alpha male.
My wife was trying her best, but with her butt-wipe brother and ****** bag sister trying to command her into bending to their will, she was upset beyond hope.
Me, I just sat there and read Mark Twain's "Life on the Mississippi" on my Android Phone, wishing I'd have stopped and bought a couple 40 ouncers of High Life.
Gift-wise, while I gave quite a few gifts, I got but a bag of pistachios and a wall calendar. I left them both at my sister in laws.
I really don't care about the gifts. etc. But I did miss seeing my folks and siblings. I wished I was dead many times that day. Worst Christmas ever.

Skip the family and do your own thing next year, sorry this year was such a drag.

Skip the family and do your own thing next year, sorry this year was such a drag.

Planning on that!

gitarzan, consider volunteering at a community dinner or other such event after having a quiet Christmas morn with your beautiful bride of course.

Sunday (Christmas) went up to the mountains and hiked in snow and then had dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant!


Fa ra ra ra ra! ra ra, ra ra!

I spent xmas in Aspen, CO.

This is not usually within my budget, but it was not my idea. It was pretty nice though.

My SOs sister tried to get a flight into anywhere in western Colorado to see us for xmas. Aspen was the only place. Then her flight home was out of Grand Junction, where I live.

She is a travel agent so she gets deals. She got rooms at a decent motel in Aspen. We drove up to Aspen on the 24th and picked her up at the airport. Stayed over for xmas day. Walked all over town. Found a place to eat that was reasonably priced ($8-10 for a burger). If I saw any rich and famous people I didn't recognize them. On the morning of the 26th we rode the gondola up the mountain to the lodge to look around and watch the skiers. It was nice. Then we drove to Glenwood Springs and had lunch (elk burger!), then drove to GJ so she could catch her flight home. I didn't get a whole lot of gifts, mostly small stuff and snacks, $100 REI gift card. Had a very nice xmas!

Good.
Stayed home this year, so it was just me, Mrs. A, the toddler, and the sister-in-law from NJ. A few neighbors stopped by with their kids, we ended up with a couple of impromptu playdates and a LONG Skype call to the other inlaws back east. Meh, I spent most of that time doing toddler management. Finally got out for a walk in the mid-afternoon. Ate the traditional lamb for dinner.

What I got: Not so important, but I did get The Flying Scotsman and Breaking Away on DVD. :)

As to the music, yep, that's me!

You have a truly nice voice Tom.

No patented Wordbiker sarcasm at all.



Although it was a gift to myself...I'm enjoying the 2X27" quite immensely. :D

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l156/Wordbiker/IMAG0150.jpg