Tag Archives: Christmas

2011 Then

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*ping*

As if by magic, the new year appears! I had a great Christmas and New Years Eve it’s got to be said, not the same as years gone by, but still really good.

Christmas Day was awesome as usual, a morning spent at home with the other half, opening our presents which for me included dinosaur origami and home-made dinosaur shortbread! My dinosaur obsession makes me sound like a seven-year-old boy I know, but that’s because secretly I still am. We spent the afternoon and evening at my parents’ house with my brother and his other half and enjoyed a day of over-eating, drinking all manner of beers, liqueurs and spirits, and playing board games. Murph had some Christmas presents of his own which he was over the moon with, and has promptly chewed-up all over the living room rug :) .

That missing week, the one in between Christmas and New Year, the one that just hangs somewhere in the ether, that was spent firmly planted on the sofa. I put in a serious number of hours playing games, reading, watching TV and films and eating yet more food. That’s not to say I didn’t get out of the house at all, because I did. Murph went for a few jaunts down at the beach to make the most of being home during daylight hours, and he loves the beach. There’s so much stuff to smell and more importantly, to pee on. The surfers must’ve been loving this Christmas, the surf was clean, offshore and about 5′ all week!

The end of a set at Portreath, Boxing Day

I’ve never been a massive fan of New Years Eve, it’s always seemed like a massive, overly-expensive, hype-fest which dies a death after midnight (yeah I know, this from me, the man who loves Christmas), so I wasn’t really too bothered by what I’d be doing to see in 2011. Some friends of ours in the awesomely named village of Frogpool hosted a party for our group of friends and it turned out to be just about the best NYE ever. We ate, drank, played a well-organised quiz of the year and then headed to the local pub to count down the end of the year. When I say local, I mean local. The fact that the village doesn’t even have a shop means that the entire place congregates in the pub, and despite the fact that everyone looked at us when we went in (they were in the middle of their raffle and 10 of us walked in, suited, booted and dressed to the nines) they were really friendly. It was surprisingly understocked for a pub, so out attempts to get a few shots were hampered by the fact that they had no tequila. Or sambuca. So it was that we ended the year smoking cigars and drinking drambuie in the middle of nowhere.

I’ve got high hopes for 2011, but I really don’t know what they are at the moment. It’s got to be better than the latter half of 2010, that’s a given, but with the first of my close friends about to have a baby, my class re-opening (and hopefully growing) and potentially my senior first dan grading coming up, it’s going to be a good one.

Ho Ho Ho

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Yup, it’s that time of year again. I seem to be digging the decorations out quicker and quicker each year, it doesn’t seem like five minutes ago I was hanging things on the tree and cursing at broken lights. Although saying that it feels like a lifetime ago that we were trying to cook for and feed twelve people!

I love this time of year though, despite all the hassle and hurry that seems to go along with buying presents and the multitude of social events, it always feels really relaxing and nice. I use the time off as a massive wind-down, which usually coincides with a massive let-out of my belt ;) . I’ve got a couple of weeks left at work now, and I’m desperately writing procedures to cope with the new computer system that’s been brought in in the hope of my phone staying silent for the entire time.

Every year up until now I’ve always gone for a real tree, and it’s become a bit of a tradition, going to choose one, figuring out how the hell it’ll go in the car, then battling with sap and needles as it goes up. This year however I’ve taken advantage of the double-up promotion for the Tesco clubcard vouchers and bought a really nice fake one. I’ll miss the smell of a real tree for sure, but now that it’s up and lit I keep forgetting it’s artificial, even to the extent that I’m trying to avoid brushing against the branches so the needles don’t get knocked off. I seem to be getting more refined (shhh!) in my old age though, I only have two sets of lights up in the whole house. Anyone who’s seen my house on past Christmases will know that although I don’t do anything outside really, the inside is lit up like a nightclub.

During my festive sabbatical I’ll also be devoting a lot of time to sitting on the sofa and playing games (or jumping up and down in front of the sofa, thanks Kinect), so I’m on the lookout for bargains to keep me entertained. I bought Battlefield Bad Company 2 last week after months of indecision – and finding it for 20 quid – what a game! I’m still mostly playing through the single player campaign (which in my opinion easily rivals the COD games), but I’ve dipped my toes in the multiplayer as well which works really well. I always loved the Battlefield games on the PC (well, Vietnam and 2, I never really got on with 1942) and this really seems to have kept the same spirit alive. Other than that though, my games shelves are looking sparse.

That’s actually a massive lie, I have tons of games, but I haven’t got anything I want to play or haven’t finished. I’m hoping for some last-minute bargains if I’ve got any money left over after the Christmas shopping’s all done :) .

I’ve already had the first socials of the season, including the club’s annual awards night, which was a rousing success and loads of fun, and also the Strauss night I’ve mentioned before on here, but I’ve still got my work’s do, my other half’s work’s do, a night out with my friends, a Christmas meal for my parents’ business and other stuff to go to too. That’s a lot of turkey, a lot of alcohol, and a lot of Calories to come :S. Well, they say it’s the season to be jolly, right? And fat people are meant to be Jolly. I must be ecstatic! :D

Twenty Ten Then

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Happy New Year everyone. If you’re finding it hard getting back into the swing of things with getting up early for work, you have my sympathies, I’m not managing very well either.

The Christmas break was very welcome, although I’m feeling the effects of it now. I shudder to think how much I ate and drank over the ten days off, but as if by some miraculous coincidence most of my clothes seem to have shrunk over the last month. I’m beginning to suspect alien involvement! Christmas Day was the first time I’ve ever cooked the main meal, and with twelve to cook for I was apprehensive to say the least. Usually Christmas morning for me is spent with a glass of orange juice while we open our presents, so it was a bit strange to find myself in the kitchen at 7:30 brushing molten butter onto three turkey crowns. It was worth it though, even just for the delicious smell permeating the house through the day. I think the meal went well, the turkey was well cooked (probably a tiny bit overdone if I’m being critical), and noone could complain of not having enough to eat. The plates were piled high with meat and veg, and with the addition of a small table we comfortably sat all twelve which was really nice. It felt good once it was all done and out of the way and I could properly relax, and as always happens when I get the festive period off, my sleeping pattern slipped drastically. Going to bed between 1am and 3am is strange to me now, but I enjoyed not even waking up before 9, and then having a good lie-in.

Like the rest of the western world I’m starting the new year with a bit more of a healthy eating kick, mostly to lose the holiday weight, but also because I found myself really missing it. I remember craving fruit and veg, and I feel a lot better for having got back on the wagon so far. I already know I can do it, I proved it to myself last year, so I don’t feel any pressure. Murphy is next in line for getting back in shape after a couple of weeks of no agility, eating a huge amount of turkey and gammon, and joining me in my sleep patterns. He loves being lazy, it’s a nightmare getting him up in the morning to go next door and stay in with their dog while we’re at work.

I’m currently loving Valkyria Chronicles on the PS3, it’s a great mix of old-school tactics games and a regluar 1st/3rd person shooter. Adding the third dimension to a turn based strategy game has added a huge amount to it, and the characters and presentation are real top-drawer stuff. I’ve got Metal Gear Solid 4 too (bought during the same cheap game mission), but I’m struggling with finding the patience for ‘stealth’. Modern Warfare 2 is still getting a large amount of my free time too, but the BBC Iplayer channel is such an unexpected bonus, I love it.

Some pretty big non-Christmas, non-game based news coming soon.

Seasonal Shenanigans

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My cold has decided to compound itself by developing into a sinus infection now, which is really nice.  That combined with my incessant coughing and sneezing means that I haven’t trained since Sunday now, and even that was a light session. It’s starting to get me down when I think about it too much, my fitness is going to be absolutely shocking by the time I get back to BJJ and TSD properly. Still, I know I’ll get back there, it’ll just take more hard work again.

This weekend it’s the annual CAMRA Falmouth Beer Festival, so with a bit of luck, a group of us are going to head down and sample some ales and ciders again. I’ve not been to one for ages now, and I’m really looking forward to it. The atmosphere is hard to top, it’s full of local people sharing a beer, chatting and laughing. Considering the amount of alcohol consumed over the two days it’s amazing that there’s never any trouble or aggression, but I suppose that’s due more to the people attending (i.e. not chavvy alcopop drinking idiots) than anything else.

Christmas is drawing ever-closer now and so far it’s pretty much passed me by. Usually I’m overly excited as soon as I start to see mince pies and that sort of thing on the shelves in shops, but I’ve been so busy with one thing or another I’ve not really taken it in. I’m glad I think, it’ll be great when December hits and my trip to Cologne, I’m positive I’ll be my usual festive self by then. I loves me some Christmas after all! I probably ought t start thinking about what I’m going to get for people. I like to try to be good at presents, there’s nothing as nice as a gift from someone that shows they really gave it some thought.

I’m really, really looking forward to next week now, although it’s going to be knackering. I’m off to Plymouth with the TSD guys for the Halloween rock night on Friday, and it’s always a good night there. I don’t have to drive this time which is particularly nice, I can’t remember the last time I had a drink there. I never really drink at a rock night because I spend so much time throwing myself about on the dancefloor, and any time I have gotten merry I just end up sweating it all out (attractive!). When I get back in the small hours of Saturday morning I’ll grab a few hours sleep before dog agility and hopefully some gentle BJJ (making positions, no rolling), then we’re off to the Halloween party in the evening. I’ve been commissioned (well, asked nicely) to do a pumpkin carving for the night, and I’ve not even thought about it yet, let alone bought one to carve. I really enjoyed doing the Lost Boys and Frankenstein’s monster ones last year, I think it might have to be movie themed again this year. Costume crafting this evening, fun times :) .

Happy Christmas Everyone!

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Quite what I’m doing sat here on the evening before Christmas Eve, writing this rather than resting down in front of the fire is a bit beyond me, but it’s given my other half a chance to do some present wrapping so I’m using that as an excuse. The big day, which seems to arrive faster with every year older I get, is looming large now, and I’m looking forward to it. The presents are all bought and nearly all wrapped, the final foray into Tesco for food and drink is done, and I’m looking forward to chilling out with family and friends over the next couple of weeks.

There’s nothing really new to report on the training front, since the grading I’ve mostly been injuring myself with annoying little things, the latest of which is a duff knee thanks to a wayward ‘sweep’ (I use the term very loosely, sweeps are not normally swung in with the attacker facing the other direction and kicking the leg you have in the air – I’m not bitter though!). The annual beach training and dip in the Atlantic is scheduled for the 27th, and I know I’ll enjoy the rejuvenating swim. Speaking of the beach, it’s been really nice recently to be able to get the dog back down there. The majority of the beaches in Cornwall ban dogs from Easter to the end of October, which sucks but is understandable. Now Murphy’s back down there chasing dogs, going for a splash and find rocks to strategically poop on. Ahh bless!

So all that remains for now is to wish you all a very happy Christmas, and to hope you all manage to have a good time. That goes for friends near and far, those current and those no longer around for one reason or another. It’s clichéd but this time of year has me thinking about everyone, so take it easy all of you and have a great time. I’ll see you in 2009.

Ah, There You Are

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It probably hasn’t gone unnoticed that I’ve been a bit slack on the posting front for the last couple of weeks. In all honesty, most of the posts would read “Stayed up late, watched rubbish, ate and drank too much”, but I figured I could do with a rest mentally as well as physically. There have been some things of note happening, so here’s a quick run-down.

Christmas itself was good. We did the obligatory Christmas social events (meals with parents, seeing friends) which were great as always, and on the big day it was nice and relaxed. I had a lot of nice presents including some games I’d been after, music, films and books. And naturally socks and smellies :) . We took the pup out for a run in the woods in the afternoon and came across loads of people with the same idea, it was so quiet and peaceful, the total opposite of how Christmas is for many I think.

Since then I’ve not been up to much at all really, except yesterday which saw our Tang Soo Do club meet up with the local Tae Kwon Do clubs for the annual “Blow out the cobwebs” event on one of the beaches at Newquay. Last year was my first time, and I was really looking forward to going down again for a spot of training and a dip in the sea. It didn’t disappoint. We started off with a warm-up run around part of the headland, which meant running through the sea, which in itself was a good indicator of the tempeartures we could expect at the end of the hour. Then it was on to the usuals; basics in lines, self-defence, one-step sparring and lots of forms (patterns for TKD guys). It felt good to give Pyung Ahn Sa Dan an airing, I think it’s finally starting to get there, there’s a long way to go yet though. At the end of the lesson we’re asked to remove our belts and approach the edge of the water, then we perform basics whilst marching forwards into the Atlantic. There were a few bemused looking surfers, wrapped from head to foot in neoprene, watching as we kept going further in, until we were given the signal to go for it. Like some kind of giant, hairy, dobok-clad salmon in I went, and it was just the most refreshing thing you can imagine. After weeks of drinking, eating rubbish and messing my body clock about no end, it’s exactly the wake-up I needed.

Now all that remains really is New Years Eve, which by the sounds of it I’m going to be spending in the company of my old friends, which suits me perfectly. I hope you all had fantastic Christmasses, and here’s looking forward to the multitude of good intentions and broken resolutions for 2008 ;) .

Festive Friday?

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This year I’ve told myself that I’m not going to get excessively festive until really close to Christmas, but I’m finding it difficult. The adverts have started on TV, the staff in Tesco were setting up trees in the store yesterday, and, well, I just like it ok!

In truth I can’t wait now, with the newly decorated living room, new furniture and a highly excitable pup who is going to freak with so much stuff around to chew, it should be great fun. My illuminations also need a boost this year. I don’t go in for the whole “make the outside of your house as garish as possible” thing, but I do like a lot of lights inside. I like the room to glow without having the main lights on, and a nice big tree. I’ve managed to find some photos on my drive here, so why not have a couple up!?

Christmas Tree

Fireplace

House you can see from space – here I come!

Is It Can Be Christmas Time Now?

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Well, not yet maybe, but there’s a good sign that it’s on the way….

Satsumas!

Satsuma!

Satsumas are just about THE most Christmassy thing you can possibly get, along with a Christmas tree maybe. The smell is awesome and they are very morish, I can happily eat a bag of an evening :S

So I now have a rapidly depleting bag of them on my desk – good times abound!

Hibernation – Can I Be An Honourary Bear?

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My lethargy is still with me, but I’m not going down without a fight! For this past few weeks I’ve felt really drained and tired, and at first I thought it was just down to a cold I caught, but I’m more and more convinced now that it’s just the changing seasons and waking up in the dark again. There seems to be about 3 weeks a year where the light is at the perfect level in the mornings, normally it’s either so bright at about 6am that I wake up, or conversely as it is now, where I wake up in the dark and almost refuse to stay awake.

Last night was my first session in nearly a whole week, and I was feeling really sluggish going into it. We started with a lot of kickshield work, hitting them over and over with full power using a variety of different techniques. I’m not sure if it was just the amount of energy I was expending, or the tail-end of being ill and lethargic, but by the end of it I could barely lift my legs – and we still had half a lesson to go! The rest went well though, and I was pleased to get through the whole session and not sit out (which at one point was all I wanted to do). AND my Dwi Chagi (back kick) came out the best I’ve managed just about ever I think, it felt a ton better than usual.

I’m quite gutted to have missed the UK TSD championships this past weekend in Essex, but it couldn’t be helped. One thing’s for sure, I’m not missing the Europeans! Especially if there’s a long weekend of boozing competition abroad on the cards.

I’m starting to feel the festive season already, it’s encroaching on my consciousness with gay abandon and I think is going to grip me tight this year. That whole sentence reads back as being very ‘love in a Turkish prison’, perhaps I should quit trying to write more flowery on a Monday morning. Back on track though, and I’m really looking forward to Christmas already. Having the newly decorated and furnished living room is going to make such a difference, and we’re looking at the possibility of trying to get to the Christmas markets on the continent again – maybe we’ll even get there this time ;) . It’s also going to be Murf’s first Christmas, and he’s going to be one spoiled puppy! I’m also all for having matching tasteless Christmas jumpers with him :D I guess I should really start trying to save some money….