Be Excellent To Each Other

Nah, I wasn't passive aggressive enough to attract his attention.

...

That should do it.

Where's my "Wimp, and proud of it!" T-shirt?

I can (just about) get my way around a Linux console, but I do like just being able to log on to a nice GUI and doing everything I need to do from in there.

Just had a hilarious cold call from a guy speaking in broken English that their IT support company was concerned that there were over 20,000 viruses on the internet causing 'hard drives' to 'crash down' and 'break' and could I please switch on mine right away so he could talk me through checking it.

I asked if this was an issue for computer that doesn't run on Windows.

"Ah.. right." he said, before hanging up.

"You're doing it wrong, kid."

http://megomuseum.com/catalog/1975/pota001.shtml

Just spotted on ebay.

What's wrong with that? Is it upside down?

It's Christmas in Sweden today (i know... strange) so we are going to eat lots of food. I've made some stuffing. I got a pg tips monkey. Woo

Merry Swedish Christmas, Nick!

I think lots of European countries make a bigger deal out of Christmas eve than Christmas day - Germany definitely do.

Picked up the goose. The price had gone up, which I'm not particularly pleased about but needs must. Now to find a tin big enough to put it in.

Merry Swedish Christmas Nick!

Tescos have these giant throw away roasting tins. They were half price at 75p when I was last in, I've used them before and they evenly distribute the heat and get the job done.

Awesome, thanks

Merry Christmas, Swedish Nick.

WAIT! Nick is in Sweden!? When did this happen?!

Merry Nickmas, Sweden!

Christmas Eve, and fourteen of the clock.

I am sitting here trying to hold off starvation with Polish sausage, Pringles and a cheese and pickle sandwich, as we wait for Mrs Meaty's parents to come for their visit at noon.

Fucking oven is too fucking small. Fuck fuck fuck. I fucking hate christmas.

A young MaliA (middle) doing what Jacks do.

Pro-tip, avoid Sandbox, play the missions. For once in a sim-game, the missions are more fun. Sandbox is just too easy and doesn't have the entertaining surprises.

My only quibble with Tropico is that it doesn't reward being evil enough, the game sort of persuades you invariably to try to play nice. Other than that, it's the best builder game since Sim City 4.

Price had gone up as we had a bigger goose than I thought. 5.3kg

The hot, bright sun has caused all the huge icicles that I coudn't reach on the front of the house to melt! Yay!

Sod it, I'll leave the caterers to sort this out tomorrow.

The Boy just decided that he wants lego from santa this year. Which is lucky....

Bedridden with flu yesterday, today, and inevitably tomorrow. Haven't eaten since Wednesday. Nothing stays down. Temperature oscillations making me very cranky.

Zomg Xmas dalek gaem!





Also burning pudding

Just opened my argos delivery packs to wrap them, they have sent me some totally random shit in with my order, big expensive moon sand, two extra toys and oddly some hope helper things to help old ladies get off the toilet. Packing slip and address are mine though and everything I ordered is correct. Came on pc to double check, - back to wrapping.

Early Learning Centre actually managed to send me someone else's order a few weeks ago. I'd ordered a little ride on motorbike for my daughter and when the package arrived, what I actually got was a buggy, high-chair and rocker for baby dolls. Evidently someone had put the wrong address label on the package, as the receipt inside the package was for all this stuff and had someone else's name and address on it.

I called up their Customer Services, who asked if I wouldn't mind taking it to a local branch to save buggering about with couriers (which I didn't really - didn't want to risk not getting things sorted in time what with the weather and all that). They told me the St. Albans branch had the motorbike I wanted in stock, so I went there to trade what I'd received for it. However, when I arrived, the only motorbike they had was their display model, which obviously I didn't want. So they ordered me another one to be delivered and let me keep this other guy's order too for the inconvenience. I was pretty chuffed - Zioette loves playing with baby dolls so will love the buggy and all that, plus she still got her motorbike (which arrived about 2 days later)!

They also assured me that the other guy will still get his proper order too (I didn't want some other little girl going without her Christmas pressie). For all I know, it's him that got the original bike.

All done wrapping, going to the 'rents at 9:30am and the children will be unwrapping presents there, my mother (quite correctly) accused me of doing this so she would be stiffed with all the boxes. They are getting:

The girl. Barbie DVD/2 dolls from the DVD/make up head thing/dress set for the dolls/annual, fur real kitty lulu, hana montana stage set, baby Annabelle brother and some filler bits like science putty.

The boy. Buzz lightyear digital camera, fur real Squawkers McCaw, lego, giant plasticine play set, free moon sand/buzz lightyear alien/fireman sam, SpongeBob Squarepants annual, a make your own volcano kit and a illusions science kit.

Mum earrings from black Friday, Dad yes minister/prime minister boxed set and the two ronnies christmas specials, Grandparents get the best of 50 years of coronation street DVD set.

Predictions:

Having spent hours thoughtfully choosing presents and sitting at home with the heating off and several jumpers on to save enough pennies to make the perfect christmas. I will get, a big box of quality street from grandparents and a vile jumper from marks and spencers from my parents. I'll not take bets on this as it's what I've had from them for the past 5 or more years.

Should really go to bed but I'm not sleepy.

Also I will confess that I wrapped most of the children's presents into bundles with the fuck it if they stack they are getting wrapped together mentality .

Can't sleep; slept most of the day due to heavy flu, only really got up when my excellent GP did a on-call visit. I still feel as bad as humanly possible, let alone due to the stress of a time of year that I heavily dislike.

Presents bought for others are a PlayStation Move set-up
for my sister, and some Ann Summers gear for my g.f. Ominously my g.f. Hasn't accepted or opened the still-wrapped present, worrying as the 24th is German Christmas. At least I have the receipt. Maybe it's just the yearly I-Hate-Anglophone-Christmas feeling again, but heavier and more miserable...

Merry Christmas, you bunch of people I hardly know yet somehow seem to know reasonably well.

Er, that's a bit extreme, isn't it?

Aaaaaaaaand we have a festive powercut. Sigh

Excellent. Not.

Reminds me of the Christmas morning my mother woke me up to tell me her oven wasn't working. With 16 people for dinner. Fortunately it was a bloody fuse and not the element that had gone.

Oooh, nice.

800 houses in our area are without power. Possible eta for leccy is 9.30, but we shall see.

Waiting for 'rents, showing the girl Santa websites, switched to BBC news and she went "That must be Mrs Clause" "No sweetie, that's the queen"

Still no ppwer, and no idea when it'll be on. No christmas dinner for us, possibly. May have to decamp to the inlaws with all the food.

Fucks sake.

Would anyone like a cat for Christmas? Hang around outside my window in the next few minutes then, as there's a fairly good chance my gf's cat will be getting thrown through it.

Note: window may not be opened first.

Really sorry to hear that Mr Chris. Triumph over adversity and light the BBQ.

I'm chilling with a coffee waiting to get my Skype on with the in laws. They gave us a DVD of the 4 year old niece on a green screens sleigh meeting Santa...

Y'all take care now, I'm going to try and get my church on.

Christmas in Sweden is just like England. Lots of booze and good food. Yay.
Merry normal Christmas everyone!

This morning I was woken up by an occasional beep from downstairs. I couldn't work out what it was but it sounded like it was coming from the landline phone. I gave up worrying about it so fired up the computer. Slap bang in the middle of installing something, I realised what the beep was.. it was the phone coming back on after a power cut, because that's what's just happened. That's at least three this morning. Could be a fun day.

Argh. Heating out too? Hope you get something sorted out mate.

I hope ot gets sorted soon Chris, not a fun way to start the day.


Brilliant

I hope all you beexers with kids have a great morning opening presents, I can't wait to go and see my nephew and spoil him today. The rest of you...you wouldn't understand

Merry Christmas everyone. I got a Kindle!

Yep, heating out too - we're all huddled round the fire in the living room. Hey ho.

Still, playmobil!

Bloody hell, man. Good luck for getting it back on in time for food!

God I want a coffee. This must be what the apocolypse is like.

Balance a saucepan of water on the fire!

We've just had a Facetime call with Mrs Meaty's younger sister, direct from Thailand. It's the middle of the night and they're in a British-style pub (that looks just like a Wetherspoons) sitting around in shorts and t-shirts in the sweltering heat!

Happy Dr Who day!

Still no power! In laws brought camp stove, so coffee has occurred. Christmas lunch was a repast of cold meats, cheese, crackers, bread and suchlike. Very nice - will have cooked dinner if power back on before 7.

Already getting dark, so we've had to break out the candles, which is fun with two kids - much guarding of the flames.

Best. Christmas. Ever.