Random burblings since 1999
No this isn’t going to be about resolutions.
No it’s not going to be long.
All it is, is this:
To everyone, have a wonderful 2003. I’m not sure what mine will hold, but I do know I will make the most of what I have. I will try and learn from the past and better the future.
OK, is it time to start drinking yet?
Have a wonderful hogamanay! See you next year!
Start drinking at 3:30pm + Finish drinking at 11:30pm = Sore head this morning.
More drinks at 5:30pm, dinner at 9pm, guess what I’ll have tomorrow…
In saying that yesterday was excellent. It was the (soon to be ‘traditional’) meeting of friends at Stu and Alan’s flat. Pressies were exchanged, drinks and food consumed, and the time flew by far too quickly. When people start falling asleep you know it’s been a good afternoon!
And so, onto tonight. More friends, more booze, more food. A sedate, civilized dinner with acquaintances or sitting getting pissed in the pub? Well kinda both I guess.
Well, better get back downstairs, Louise is in ‘spring clean’ mode and has dismantled half the kitchen cupboards to make sure there is no ‘old dirt’ left over from 2002 when we enter 2003*. Luckily I don’t hold with such superstitions.
Ohh and we will be greeting the New Year on Loch Lomond watching the fireworks and floating the night away. Reminds me, must go and buy a couple of lifejackets!
* On re-reading this I would like to point out that we do not live in a hovel. Our house is clean and germ free at all times, well the times that count anyway…
(The following are not in any specific order, too much alcohol still in my system to be able to follow anything resembling order….)
Stuart has gone all Scandinavian on us (check those dates).
Vaughan posted on Christmas Day and is looking for human contact, or maybe he’s happy talking to his plants.
Mike’s Christmas card was funny, look at the joy on those faces!
Meg sums things up briefly, unlike my rambling monologue below.Pinky needs cheering up methinks (just don’t say Ho ho ho…)
Anna sets a record for the longest she’s ever NOT blogged (other than when she didn’t blog at all)
Caroline enjoyed the peace and quiet at Christmas, must try that some year.
Sarah wasn’t well at Christmas… awwww…
Nick is pondering purchasing a 17″ TFT screen , go on, someone buy him a late Xmas pressie!
Richard is still at his parents (I presume)
Lynn’s site is all festive.
Peter has announced the Top 10 Greatest Gay Britons (I know who I want to win!) and is looking for people to ‘promote’ their choice.
Jeremy is spending Christmas in the Loire Valley (v.nice!)
Jenny didn’t get to watch White Christmas (I hope she managed it later though), I blubbed my way through It’s a Wonderful Life as usual!!
Gert is partying hard and is “Almost as wild as Lorraine Kelly”…
Jennie got a keyboard too! (Yamaha like mine!)
J-mo got a new camera to take pictures of all the stuff she got that she doesn’t know where to put.. hmm that sounds familiar!
Michele followed the commandments of Homer (and Homer really does know best, and yes I am referring to the fat, bald yellow Mr Simpson not that Greek bloke)
Shelagh passed a milestone – Happy Birthday!
Julie had a wonderful Christmas Day which I’m glad after her recent troubles.
Owen keeps it simple but heartfelt I’m sure.
Jon survived the ‘not-so-frozen’ North and had a good time by all accounts.
Stacy says it with a rebus…
And Lyle discovers Russian Vodka Shot chocolates.
PHEW…
(Hmm who did I miss?)
Just spent a shitload of money on Christmas? Then why not venture out for a ‘bargain’ in the Sales! (Note they are no longer the ‘New Year Sales’ when did that change?)
We ventured out into the Sales. To Braehead (shopping centre outside Glasgow). If I say it was fucking mobbed will you catch my drift? And why do I bother? I hate shopping when it’s busy at the best of times and nothing I bought was particularly good value, in fact the most expensive item wasn’t even in a sale! (Box set of ’24’ on DVD).
Anyway…
Christmas Day recap
Xmas brought, a new PC (a few weeks prior to the event), a shiny optical mouse, extended/enhanced DVD of Lord of the Rings (4 disc set), some nice aftershave called Aravige or somewhat, a Yamaha keyboard (cos I used to play the piano and think it’s about time I learnt to play again) although that was a complete surprise as I thought my PC was my present (the joys of have a sneaky wife). Books (American History and vouchers for Waterstones), CDs (David Gray’s new album and Queens of the Stone Age), emmm a jumper, a remote controlled tank (not full size OR armed unfortunately), a meat cleaver and paring knife (from a Sabatier set that is very expensive so we are only getting bits at a time), and the usual silly toys, wine etc etc.
Ate too much on Xmas day and we all ended up in front of the telly watching Only Fools and Horses. This was rather a disappointment (the act of watching TV not the programme, although it wasn’t great either) as it was atypical of my in-laws household and left the evening kinda flat. Then again I did manage to drink my way through several beers, glasses of wine and half a bottle of Southern Comfort so I don’t imagine my conversation would’ve been up to much!
Planning ahead
Tomorrow we head to Stuarts to meet up with friends and exchange more pressies and drink more alcohol. Sunday we meet up with more friends for a meal and a night out. Monday we recover. Hogamanay on Tuesday, for which, as usual, we have no idea what we will be doing but it will involve a lot of alcohol, singing of songs, and no chance of bed until at least 5 a.m. Wednesday the in-laws come over for dinner and more drinks. Thursday, Friday nothing planned (yet) and Saturday my brother-in-law, his girlfriend and my sister-in-law may come over for dinner and drinks.
This is a holiday right? 😉
Right now I’m off to catch up on whatever I’ve missed ‘online’ from the past week or so. I’ll cover all that later…
Top Xmas celebrations. Too much food, too much drink and I’ve still got tonight, Saturday/night and Sunday night to survive!
Full pressie run down soon in all it’s honest glory.
How was yours?
Well, I survived the office party on Friday night. Excellent food courtesy of the new SAS Radisson in Glasgow (better picture – BIG), and a top night all in, although I must apologies to our new Sales Director as the 16 people who ended up back at his room did make quite a mess, although I wasn’t the last to leave there were a few people left when I decided to call it a ‘night’ at 4 a.m.
There are many little jokes and stories which, to be honest, you won’t find funny. You definitely had to be there/have worked for the company for a couple of years (or more).
Had our nephew over last night and trounced him several times on the PlayStation (which I was very suprised at having not touched it for months) and finally got around to seeing the Two Towers. Most impressed! Battle scenes were excellent and Gollum was brilliantly portrayed. I should point that I haven’t read the books. I’ve had them for ages but can never get myself in the right mood for them. It does mean that I am really enjoying the movies though as it is all ‘new’ and I have no preconceptions about how things should be portrayed. The only minor quibble is that the CG effects (whilst stunning) are occasionally not ‘quite right’. It’s enough to catch your eye, but doesn’t hinder your viewing of the film.
So tomorrow I make a final short trip to the shops to pick up those little bits and bobs we kept putting off, and then it will be Christmas-eve-eve and the excitement will be building.
I have absolutely no idea when or what I will be posting here over the next two weeks. I have a couple of definite tasks in mind (look out anyone who qualifies for Scottish Blogs) but other than that have very few plans for my holiday. If I don’t make it back before then, have a very Merry Christmas!!
