How Many Days Till Christmas?

[Slartibartfast]

Right you lot! In a massive effort to get out of doing the Science stocktake, I want to know what Labbies across Australia have planned for Christmas! What have you bought (if anything - like me!), what are you hopeing to get off Santa, who are you spending Christmas day with and where are you off to in the holidays? Anything to do with Christmas and not here!!!! So come on!!! 22 days to go!

[Labbie]

We are having christmas lunch on 24th, and presents the lot, due to the fact my husband and his crew are on day shift on the 25th. I shall be having a coffee on 25th at 84 station, along with others partners and children. If the chaps get called out, we just lock up and go home.

That life married to a firey.

Not going away, I shall be dog & cat sitting for our boys, as they are going away.

[Sassi]

I am going home to Sweden to see my family and my friends for 4 whole weeks In Sweden we celebrate x-mas on the 24th, all throughout Sweden x-mas will start at exactly 3pm, with donald ducks christmas on TV, this is a tradition we have been doing for about 50yrs in Sweden, every year its exactly the same, except for one little film clip, which is usually from one of the disney movies that has come out that year, so I guess maybe this year it might be from Ratatouille.

After Donald its time to eat christmas dinner, we have a big smorgasbord with lots of different pickled herrings, salmon, meatballs and of course christmas ham! We eat til we are so ful we can hardly move and then we go light a fire and wait for santa to come. In Sweden santa actually comes and gives out pressies to everyone, as long as you have been nice of course. A couple of years ago, Santa was wearing shorts cause it was sooo hot that christmas, that is it was 3degrees. Am really hoping it will be colder this year, cause it was not a pretty sight

Well that is my christmas, I really cant wait!!!

God Jul (merry christmas) to you all

[nickyw]

Staying in Townsville this year for Xmas for the very first time. So I get to have Xmas at my home which hasn't happened in years. I will have my parents up form North West NSW which takes them 2 -3 days to drive up here.

There will be lots of pressies, heaps of swimming in our pool, a huge seafood lunch, a nanna nap in the afternoon, some really cold beveridges in the afternoon, cocktails and fruit & chocolate fondue at a friends place that night.

Then we are all off to Cairns on boxing day to visit the rest of the family and start all over again.

I love this time of year.

[Slartibartfast]

Christmas this year is being held at my brother Tims place in Casula (hottest place in Sydney) giving my parents a welcome break this year. Tim and his missus (Melanie) are having time off from the defence force (both Army) and have invited ALL of our lot from Gosford and Tamworth and HER lot from Cairns, Brisbane and Melbourne for the day!!! It's going to be madness! Early start on the day for opening pressies with heeaaaaps of nephews and nieces taking up every available space then getting stuck into a truly gargantuan seafood lunch. Backyard cricket after everyone has recovered and can stand up again may have to be held at the SCG to fit everyone in! Can't wait. It's a great time of year for families!

I've knitted Brian a cardigan in his favorite colour, hope it fits him as he's a growing boy from eating almost everything. What have you guys bought the Chemtalk mascot? I can keep a secret!

Even being a true blue Aussie, I don't think I could ever get used to Santa wearing shorts Sassi!!!! Sounds like you have great time ahead of you in the Northern Hemisphere winter!!

Our new neighbours from the UK Chris & Eddie have about 3 aircraft loads of friends coming over for the holidays so as they are all new to our unique land, I have the job of showing them around and getting very drunk with them. I can't wait! Does anyone have Les Hiddens - the Bush Tucker mans phone number? Or Ian, you might have to stand in mate!

[Ian]

Arrrggghhh!
I hate to be a "Wet Blanket", but at the moment, Christmas is causing me "Panic Attacks"!
Last day of school for me is December 12th. I am taking my wife and 6 kids to Jervis Bay for a week on 14th, and have promised tham that they can spend the week in their new canoe. Trouple is, the canoe is only half built and only a week and a half to finish it! Somehow, I got the job of buying Christmas presents for my 6 kids and 18 neices and nephews as well as siblings, in-laws, etc. I can't see the Christmas shopping getting started untill we get back from Jervis Bay on 20th.
PANIC, PANIC!

If I make it to Christmas day without a breakdown, we will probably spend the morning and lunch with my Wife's family. Nice and relaxed. Only about 12 people there, plus my 8, makes 20. All the traditional stuff. Fruit, nuts, plumb pudding, Ham, turkey, etc.

The afternoon and evening will probably be at my brothers place with my side of the family. 22 plus my 8 makes 30 there! A bit more "frantic". My brother usually has a BBQ, and lots of Prawns! (yum). Again all the traditional fare! Lots of deserts! For a large family, we all get along exceptionally well, and we are all good talkers, so it will be hard to decide which group of conversations to be part of. Chatting, joking and general socialising will no doubt continue untill way past my kids bed time. We will try and smuggle home a boot full of "left overs" to last through Boxing Day.

We will spend a week at home (finishing the Canoe, I hope) until New Year, then we are off for a week to Port Stephens. We will be staying at Tahlee, near North Arm Cove, but making several ventures out to Jimmie's Beach (with the canoe!!) and Hawks Nest beach (with the Boogie Boards!)

After, that, we return thouroughly exhausted to spend a week or so recovering at home before "back to work" on Jan 18th. It will be good to come back to work for a rest!

Regards
Ian

[cactus155]

Heading over that little piece of water of water from the Apple Isle to the Big Smoke of Melbourne. Leaving at 6.00am on Christmas morning, so that I can arrive and will not have to do much to help in the preperations. Spending it with my brothers who both live over there, usually they come over here. Think Christmas dinner will be at my sister in laws parents place. Last day for the students is the 20th, last day for staff is the 21st lets just say I usually catch public transport to work that day.

[smiley]

School ends for us this Friday and state schools on the 15th - yay! We are pet sitting for a friend, who will then return the favour in January, when we head off to the Tablelands for some camping. I have a "busman's holiday", being a camp leader for upper primary kids in the middle of January. It's big fun, but tiring.

We have a bunch of friends who all gather together at my mates house, because she has the big Queenslander, with the wrap around verandah. Big buffet Christmas dinner, adults veg and kids swim in the pool after lunch. Maybe some torchlight toading in the late evening for the less squeamish, depending on the weather.

We are experiencing electrical storms every night here, with accompanying pounding rain. Are you getting any of that Nickyw?

Have a lovely Christmas you guys. We are back on the 23rd of Jan. What about you Southerners?

Cheers, K

[Labbie]

DET schools finish on Friday 21st Dec. And restart Tuesday 29th Jan. I have enjoyed reading each persons plan's for xmas.

Have a good one every one

[rell]

I finish up on the 21st Dec. So the 3 days before xmas are hectic.
For the first time it will probably only be my husband and i for xmas lunch. One son recently married and is going to be at his inlaws and the other wont be able to come home due to work committments. Im not sure i'll even bother with a xmas tree and maybe we'll go out to lunch.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.
Narelle Divola
Irymple Secondary College

[rae]

Merry Christmas everyone!!

We finish on Friday 8th with a Science/Maths breakfast followed by morning Tea and then a lovely lunch at one of the local golf clubs. Last year it was great.
I have one sister and her family coming from Mackay and staying with me for a week and another sister coming from Port Macquarie for a few days so my house will be full. We will have christmas lunch at my brothers. Usually ham, turkey and salads. We have a family pudding recipe that is a tradition to have with sixpences in it. I inherited the sixpences so I make the pudding.
We usually open pressies after lunch.
We will also be celebrating one sisters 40th b'day just after xmas so have a very busy time.

I wish everyone a safe and peaceful christmas and New year and look forward to chemtalking again with everyone at the end of January.

Lorrae

[nickyw]

Yes kristin we are getting an electrical storm every night for the past week with a lot of rain. Not Brownsville anymore.

I'm hoping we dont get one tonight as I'm off to see Elton at dairy farmers stadium, all open air, I have my poncho but nothing to protect me from the lightning. Luckily up here we mainly have blanket lighting.
By the feeling of the humidity today it will probably pour down. Oh well he had better be good.

Cheers

[rae]

Hi Nickyw,

I hope you have better luck seeing elton than friends of mine.
They saw him in Canberra last Friday night and it poured bucketed torrential rain/storm with no umberellas allowed.

Lorrae

[RobynN]

Saw Elton and the concert was fantastic, not so the thunder and lightning.
Never been so wet in my life!

[dime]

We have to work till the Friday 21st. Then on Sat 22nd me, husband and daughter from Tamworth, drive to Newcastle to fly to Melbourne to have Xmas and New Year with our son and daughter-in-law. Could be tricky taking all the presents on the plane with us. And all the cooking will be left to me more's the pity. But I hope to get to the city sales on Boxing Day, while the boys go to the Cricket. Looking forward to exploring around Cranbourne and further afield, Phillip Island etc, Great Ocean road ? as we will be there for two weeks. Merry Christmas everyone.

[Rita]

I finish on the Friday 21st.
Lunch on Christmas Day with NSW branch of family, my Mum and brother (with his lot). Special guest - youngest brother in from USA.
Telstra will make their money that day with calls to rest of family. My sister and her lot in Qld, husband's Mum and his 6 siblings and their lots in Vic.

I did think, however, Christmas had arrived on Sunday when after having a nap I awoke to find my 17 & 15 year old girls and 14 year old son had put up and trimmed the Christmas tree. They put out all the ornaments, tinsels, flying santas, nativity scenes in the lounge and rumpus rooms, tinselled the staircase, put stars on the kitchen curtains, hung lights on the bedroom windows facing the street. All this was apparently done to loud Christmas songs. Just call me Rita Van Winkle!

[Ian]

I awoke to find my 17 & 15 year old girls and 14 year old son had put up and trimmed the Christmas tree. !

Arn't kids wonderfull Rita! I got home a little late last night as I had to duck into Hurstville to get some things (about an hour in the OPPOSITE direction to home, from School!!) I turned into the drive way to find my 15 year old and 12 year old sons, up a ladder, just finishing the installation of the Christmas lights on the house. All wired up and ready to go! With a little help from their 9 year old sisters, they had the rope lights up the gables, Icicle lights along the guttering, for the width of the house, "Chaser" fairy lights around the front window and coloured fairy lights adorning the row of cyprus trees up the side fence!.

I LOVE those kids!!!!!

And I had been thinking I would not have time to put them up this year!!!

Hey! Today is St Nicholas Day. That marks the official start of Christmas! HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Ian

[RosalieM]

Today is my last day too, although I'll probably get on Chemtalk to see what's going on. I might even have time to read through some of the interesting threads! I'll be heading to Tuncurry the weekend before Christmas for about a week to visit my parents and grandparents. My sister and her husband are going up Rockhampton way to celebrate with his family. Not sure how I'll spend the rest of my holidays other than finishing moving (I started about 4 weeks ago...). I plan to sleep a lot as this term has been insane for me. All my own fault of course! I haven't had a free weekend since about half way through last term. Hopefully it will be warm enough to swim at the beach while I'm there. Tomorrow after our staff breakfast I have a medical to join the local fire brigade so with a bit of luck I will pass that and have some training to do... That might fill in some time as well. I don't know how much of my training from Queensland will be valid here in NSW but hopefully I don't have to start from scratch! Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, enjoy bringing in the new year and RELAX!!
Rosalie

[rp]

Hi everybody
I'm spending xmas lunch with my family at Jupiters Casino on the Gold Coast.
Its $148 a head but oh well I've worked hard all year ,so a little bit of luxury won't go astray.
The rest of the Casino is closed so I cant even recoup my money.
Merry Xmas everybody and thanks for the laughs.
Rhonda

[cactus155]

To all those who are finishing up today or tomorrow. I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. Take care, party hard and stay safe