The usual: watch the Xmas movies we own in our Amazon account (Scrooge with Alistair Sim, Its a Wonderful Life in b&w, Charlie Brown Xmas, Grinch that Stole Xmas (original version)), decorated tree, tour lights Xmas eve in the car with the holiday playlist playing, sipping hot chocolate laced with something like rum, eggs benedict for Xmas breakfast, parade watching.

Also admire our Xmas tree. And the Chanukah candles.

Love this time of year.

Flying to sunny California for xmas with the in-laws. Always a little weird to celebrate the holidays with palm trees around but I'm not complaining.

Healing. Making dinner tonight I grabbed the wrong pan handle just out of the oven. That's gonna leave a mark(s). Damn hell ass.

mmm-hmmm.

Flying to la Xmas eve to see x nye, them on to Japan the 8th to see the bowie exhibit in Tokyo. My Japanese is nonexistent.

I'm going to the Royal Albert Hall tomorrow to see one of their Christmas concerts, something I do every year. But I've been laid low with a bug for the last ten days, which is still on my chest. My tastesbuds are shot, so I've had no appetite for any nice Christmas food. I've not even wanted to drink any coffee, which anyone who knows me will tell you is very unusual.

I'm visiting friends tomorrow morning, and on Thursday I'm going to spend some time up in town running errands. I'm on a mission to find some chinotto to have with my Christmas lunch. I think I've found a restaurant that sells it, so I'm going to ask if they'll sell me a couple of bottles to take out. I also want to get some Baci. A film is also planned, Paterson with Adam Driver. It would also be nice if I fancied something to eat. Losing appetite and weight before Christmas is no bad thing, but it's gone far enough, stop already. Let me enjoy the Christmas food.

I'm going 3 hours south but it will still be cold, though hopefully not as miserably icy as it is here. However, I'm spending Christmas with a person who constantly complains about how much he hates Christmas, and there may be a second person who is even worse, plus I have to call my brother who is the worst of all when it comes to Doom and Gloom and Bitching, so there's not a lot there to look forward to, I'm suddenly realizing. I really miss Christmas from when I was a kid/young adult, and the way I used to feel about it. Don't suppose that'll ever come back, but it sure doesn't help to have to deal with negativity all around me. Perhaps I should rethink these plans . . . .

(Hey Senyar-- not to be a mother hen, but maybe consider a visit to the doctor to check out your lungs, if you haven't gone as yet. I've had secondary pneumonia infections after colds three times in the last couple years that needed antibiotics, once even three weeks after my initial illness, temperature gone and all-- I didn't even realize I had pneumonia, until they took the chest x-ray. Cleared up with antibiotics. Never hurts to make sure it's not pneumonia, or bronchitis. In any case, I hope you feel better. : )

(JanetLand-- I believe that's why Santa brings boozes, lots and lots of boozes. ; )

Senyar and arse_hat, please go to the doc!! Worried.

Janetland, I find ignoring the attitude and just doing the fun Xmas thing is a good solution. Leave them behind if need be. Also I agree your cheeriness will improve with judicious amounts of spiked eggnog, spiked hot chocolate, spiked hot cider . . .

The holidays are just Jon and I again this year, but that works for me-- less stress. We'd likely drive up to Maine to visit Jon's family, if he didn't have to work. Such is the life of retail. I do have a yummy Christmas/Hanukah dinner planned, with steak and restuffed potatoes and shrimp cocktail, so we shan't suffer. New Year's we tend to stay in too, with lots of apps and maybe a movie or two. (We'll see if either of us makes it to midnight to watch the ball drop this year. I did last year, but not Jon.). And after Friday, I have 10 days off, so... Huzzah!

And a Hale and Hearty Holiday everyone! : )

Same old. Drive to Indy for xmas eve at my cousin's.
Xmas day will be just the wife and me, though. Our kids and their SOs can't get up here until Monday for our family xmas. So, sleep in on xmas day! Yay!

We've downsized xmas for the two of us, so it's just little stocking stuffers. We might get something for the two of us later, but we're good at letting plans slide.

bearwife. Saw the doc today. 2nd degree burns but all should be fine.

So not looking forward to the trip tomorrow. Leave the house at 7AM EDT for an 8:50 flight to SFO via Denver and get to San Francisco at 1:15 PST, wait for my sister-in-law to get in from DC and we all drive a rental car the 2-1/2 hours north to Lake County, CA. If we're lucky, we'll get there around 5 PST which makes 13 hours door-to-door.

Glad you saw the doc, arse_hat. Proving yet again how much you differ from your handle.

Senyar??? Yes, this is internet nagging.

Actually didn't get in until 7:30 last night. Stoopid California traffic. Also rented a Prius and I had no idea how half of the controls worked.

On the other hand, Father-in-law had a huge pot of seafood stew waiting for us.

Looking at a map Lake County seems beautiful octothorpe.
Enjoy!

I have something to celebrate as well. My 87 yr old father has been passing out because of heart fibrillations ever more increasingly. First my parents had to refrain from going to 5 hr Wagner operas in the Concergebouw in Amsterdam. Because my father would pass out and vomit uncontrollably and have to be taken away by ambulance.
But then it would happen at times that were not strenious at all by comparison.

I witnessed it myself one time when we were out for dinner.
Seeing my mother caringly hold my fathers head while his eyes were rolled away made quite an impression. Such an image of love: taking care of your partner of 50+ yrs in such an undignified moment.
I never realised this for the diminishing tone she sometimes uses. A tone that used to make me bristle as a teenager.

Yesterday he passed out while being quietly at home. I heard that he'd been taken to the hospital by ambulance.
I was very worried by this new uptick. By this new stage of the ever increasing heart problems. Apprehensive of what they portend.

So, to come to the celebratory part, they gave hime a pacemaker. Apparently that's a 1 hour operation under local anaesthesia nowadays.
My old mother and I we're glad to be having Christmas with my father. And hopefully he won't be unwell so easily.

Happy holidays metachat! I hope you have something to be grateful for with your loved ones as well.

Lake County is quite beautiful (when it's not on fire). Here's shot from my inlaw's back deck.

≡ Click to see image ≡

Hugs to jouke.

Hugs and whuffles to all those in need. Octo, that view is amazing!

Today we drive four hours to my sister in law's house to spend the next five days. Today, tomorrow and Sunday will be filled with food, sports and gifts. I have been sick, so I have not baked as many cookies this week as I would have liked, but that can't be helped at this stage. I like to contribute to my family's general gluttony this time of year, and showing up with only four dozen cookies instead of eight feels like a failure on my part.

On Monday, we will drive to visit the new Revolutionary War museum in Yorktown, Virginia. Our entire family is or has been obsessed with Hamilton for the past year, and going to this museum will be a treat. My nephew and mother-in-law are unaware, but they are getting Hamilton tickets as their Christmas present. They are going to flip their shit.

Tuesday we have tickets to see Rogue One.

And there will be so much football.

Love to all of you and your loved ones. Whatever it is you will be doing over the next week, whether you are celebrating this holiday or that one, I hope you all survive the end of 2016 with me, so some day we can look back and reflect on what an absolutely shit year this has been.