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We’ve had a lovely Christmas day with family, with lovely Florida weather as well (sunny 75°F/24°C). Joyous Christmas to you all.

Great tree, Stoatie. Do you have a color pic?

M E R R Y _ C H R I S T M A S ! ! !

We spent a few days on my sister-in-law’s ‘farm’ in Bulacan, north of Manila. 85 degrees and sunny, so not your typical Christmas, but my joints enjoy it immensely.

We butchered a turkey. And a duck. And a smallish pig. So much blood spillage that you would think it was a pagan holiday. But the food was great and fresh. Only disappointment was the turkey – local breed, not much breast meat, a thick layer of fat under the skin, like a duck. We tried oven roasting it, which was okay, but the fat didn’t render like it should have and the skin wasn’t crispy. I think we will try grilling the turkey next time.

I didn’t receive anything – I’m the ‘rich’ relative (comparatively), so no one buys me shite – _I’m_ the one who is expected to give gifts. But I have my wife, my daughter, and my anti-karaoke bunker and my new office on the 4th floor, so I’m not complaining about the lack of Christmas tat.

Next big holiday is New Year’s Eve / Day, which turns the entirety of the country into a veritable war zone. EVERYONE is setting off fireworks. And shooting their guns (if they have them) into the air. The fireworks are not all small sprinklers and firecrackers, either – some of the stuff set off by amateurs would make pros look up in awe. And then the Karaoke echos, from multiple sources in the neighborhood. Eventually I just hunker down in the bunker and try to enjoy a movie.

BTW: my bunker has concrete walls, floor and ceiling and only one (interior) door. We normally use it for the master bedroom, with aircon. Everyone thought I was crazy when I told them how I wanted it built, but I have been extremely happy with it from the day it was finished. Since karaoke / construction / whatever other loud noises can start as early as 5 or 6am, the bunker has given me countless mornings of uninterrupted sleep.

Yeah, I’m kinda a grumpy expat. Bah Humbug.

We had a white Christmas here, as promised, although it’s dark now. I got tickets to see my new grand baby in the spring, and a t-shirt that says “thyroid cancer is an asshole.” Plus other smaller, equally welcome things.

I hope everyone’s was even better!

Merry Christmas.

Happy Boxing Day!*

* That day after Christmas where millions ask “what does /that/ mean?”, and thousands respond with half a dozen conflicting Wikipedia and British newspaper explanations.

An excellent Christmas with the family! I got a cast iron skillet, an instant-pot, and time with loved ones that did not require someone to die to have it. Of the three, the last was what I really wanted most…

I thought you had cats. There is NO WAY that can possibly be your Christmas tree.

Timothy’s comment makes me a little jealous – I’ve passed through Manila a couple of times, and I can only imagine what News Years with fireworks and guns must be like there. Wow. I’m also a little jealous of a good cast iron skillet though….nice. And congratulations on your T-shirt Nina! Wear it in good health!

As for “Boxing Day”, I thought that the U.K. quit celebrating that after The Boxer Rebellion Of 1899 -shows what I know.

Why, yes, we did have Mimosas for breakfast again today! How did you guess? The reason for continuing our feasting is (partly) to celebrate our wise decision not to visit my sister in our home town for Christmas this year…..

They got 34 inches of snow on Christmas, and a total of 53 inches in two days :-0 ….

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2017/12/26/Christmas-brings-Northeast-blizzard/stories/201712260041

Anyhow, thank you all for being my imaginary internet friends, and thanks to the Badger-Weasels (Weasel-Badgers?) for inviting us in (again) and sharing their lovely Christmas tree before Mad Jack got to it 😉

Happy Holidays to all, whereever ye may be!

It’s all very strange, Anon. Neither Charlotte nor Jack seems the slightest bit fazed by the tree, nor even interested in it.

We deliberately went for a Norway spruce hoping for ‘that smell’. It doesn’t and we don’t why. Perhaps it’s a fake?

Had a fine ol’ Christmas and I hope everyone else did too. The turkey called Bill was a success, the best we’ve had for years. We’ve even been moderately good with the booze this Christmas. Still, there’s always NYE.,)

Mebbe next time y’all should decorate it with catnip to get the appropriate festivities?

}:-]

And if Sweas gets y’all a defective tree again next year, just order up a bunch of these:

https://tinyurl.com/ya3repox

and spritz away!