So... How was your Christmas?

[Jason]

Title's pretty self-explanatory. It's the season of goodwill and love to all mankind, so in a typically human paradox, we spend it arguing with our families. :D

So how was yours? Get anything good? Give anything good? Or just fancy ranting about how you physically cannot stand any more games of Charades?


Mine was... exhausting. It's the first Christmas me and Cy have spent in the new house together, and we're about 20 miles from both our families, which is close enough to have to visit both sets without needing to stay overnight, but just far enough to be really inconvenient and surprisingly tiring when you have to drive it eight times in two days.
Couple that with the fact that we spent most of yesterday worrying that the pain in Cy's lower right hand side might be appendicitis, and it's been kind of a long two days. :p

Still, nice to see the family and all that - plus I've eaten more in the past 48 hours than any human being really should. I may not eat again until March.

[Kozahk]

Remarkably smoothly actually. No fights broke out, everyone managed to get everywhere on time, nothing caught fire, spent most of it swimming; until the shark alarm went off. Lots of rather decent food, lots of alcohol; though no one made a complete ass of themselves. Some humble gifts were exchanged and we managed to clean/dismantle everything in the space of an hour. My best gift was probably my Uni results, which I ended up seeing on Christmas Eve.

[Betty]

I got a panini griddle.
That was pretty much the one highlight of my day.
Bring on the 'MAKE ME A SANDWICH' remarks...because I gladly will.

[happysister]

my folks and i went to go see the new Mission Impossible movie. i kinda wanted to see Tin Tin instead, but they didn't have any non-3D showings. Mission Impossible wasn't too bad.

[Konrad]

My Christmas was... one of the best ones I can remember. Don't tell my parents though, because it's also the first one I ever spent without them.

I took the train to my significant other K's hometown, where I spent three days of yummy, huge-family wholesome-then-get-blasted celebration fun. It was a huge shock for me, considering the last ~7 Christmas eves I spent with only my parents either at home, or in some Florida resort by the pool. Even before that, before we moved way the fuck away from our family, the holidays were a "sit down, eat, open presents, go home" type of deal.

For these people it's the whole fucking shebang, and it was a completely new experience for me.

It was also really significant because of the gift I got from my missus. She got me the R.A.T. 7 computer mouse, which was something I've been babbling about for months, but never actually considered spending that much cash on one. It's a really special gift, partly because I was totally not expecting anything of the sort - but mostly because she's pretty much a non-gamer. The present was a sort of peace offering, it says "I approve of your hobby. And if it makes you happy - I will support it."

It may not seem like much, but opening it was some powerful, moving stuff. For now, I rest easy. :]


I on the other hand got her a silver bracelet with charms marking important stages of our little adventure together thus far. I was really nervous that she wouldn't like it, but I think it turned out to be a pretty spot-on piece of jewelry with a creamy topping of sentimental.


All in all, a big success. Would come again. Five stars.

[Jason]

Huh. Mine's taken a turn for the slightly unexpected.

Turns out that maybe Cy did have appendicitis after all. She went out with her family today whilst I spent the day with my daughter - there was no drama behind it, it just worked out easier for us to do it that way. Anyway, as of about four hours ago, I got a text telling me that the pain in her side was still there and that they were just going to run her into the hospital on the way home just to get it checked out (we'd called a health service helpline (NHS Direct) who had assured us it was nothing serious) and be sure.
As of now, it turns out they do think it's appendicitis, she's been given morphine and being kept overnight, and they're planning on operating in the morning. And there's nothing I can do, because visiting hours are over until tomorrow morning, so even if I do go there, I won't be allowed to see her.

So here I am, sitting here and waiting for a text at 1.30am waiting to hear what the hell's happening.
Man, eff Christmas.

[socko25]

My Christmas was pretty uneventful. Just opened presents (got clothes and money which I used to buy Skyrim & two 2800 MSP cards to feed my Rock Band DLC addiction) & ate turkey. My family doesn't really do a whole lot during the holidays.

[Archangel]

Hm. That sounds all kinds of delightful, Jason. Tell her that creepy people on the internet are rootin' for her.
Also, I keep forgetting you have a daughter. Just seems... unnatural. :P

Well, my Christmas pretty much went according to the schedule it always does. Get up far too early in the morning, wait for the immediate family to wake up because it always takes them about an hour longer than the pre-arranged time, conduct initial present-giving, nom, get in car, drive 150km (screw your 20 miles, Jase), conduct present-giving with mother's side of the family, nom epic lunch (which this year got to include vast quantities of beer; hoorah for finally being over 18), hang around for a little while, drive 150km back home.

Except that of course that second batch of driving was through one of the worst storms we've had here in a while. Golf-ball sized hail, thunder bolts and lightning, very, very frightning, so on. And the meter deep pools of water we had to plough through in some streets when we hit the city again.

Still. There's now a copy of Diablo III with my name on it out there, so can't complain.

Have yet to go and see the father's side of the family, mind. That's probably going to be where all the torture is at.

[MyNameDidntFit]

Anyway, my Christmas wasn't very Christmassy. Basically just drank for about 36 hours straight starting from Christmas Eve morning... most Christmassy thing about it I think was that I had a white shirt and red tie (and black suit and leather gloves, but in a surprising move my mates refused to shave my head).

spent most of it swimming; until the shark alarm went off. Lots of rather decent food, lots of alcohol
God bless Australia.

Huh. Mine's taken a turn for the slightly unexpected.
Mate, don't worry. I had my appendix out about sixish months ago (I can't even remember) and it's the easiest thing. There will barely even be a scar :)

[Gixugif]

Mine wasn't that interesting. Family went up to my grandmother's to spend the day with her. It was nice, but nothing worth speaking too much about. My family is pretty boring, to be honest.

[Misfit]

My Christmas was alright... kinda boring but it was nice to spend time with my family. It was also one of the few X-mas' where I didn't get ANY video games.

I got a "Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit" t-shirt. Best gift out of them all.

[happysister]

I got a "Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit" t-shirt. Best gift out of them all.

i would kill for one of those.

[CemeteryGates]

Hehe, got married on December 18th, then went away on our honeymoon to Miami and came back on the 24th, the day of the actual celebration/dinner for us in Mexico. :)
First Christmas I ever spend without my family. Was with my wife's instead, and I had a blast. We had a great dinner, played games, exchanged joke-ish presents and had a really great time. I was exhausted from the airplane, though, and my wife skipped a good part of it taking a nap.
Still, had a great time. :D

And on the 25th we went to my sister's place and had some of my family's dinner from last night (the famous "recalentado" [re-heating] :p ) and ate like a viking once more. Another great day, that. :)