Post Xmas

Well, I survived it all.
The family Xmas was so much better for not being held On The Day. No kids feeling pulled between separated parents and grandparents. i think that it was made the difference. Everyone relaxed and happy, and everyone actually there for once. The family do is one that is always worse for me in anticipation, the actual occasion usually goes fairly painlessly - usually. There have been exceptions, and thankfully this year was not one.
The first of the orphan's christmases - the big one, On The Day, was among the best ever. Just old friends, good food, great wine (and plenty of it) and conversation on every topic under the sun. One of those days that reminds you why we have friends, and how treasured they become the longer we manage to keep them.
The second orphan's Christmas - well, it was always expected to be a bit trashier than the rest. Spent most of the day with a pregnant Jack Russell asleep on my lap - sweet. Didn't interfere with drinking or conversation or flirting. ( As if !)

So, now the end of the year is near - frighteningly close in fact. haven't started on my end of year retrospective, that's usually a New Years Day thing for me. Want to get tomorrow - last day of work for the year - out of the way before I allow myself to look at what has - and hasn't been, achieved.

On break before when a delivery van drove past

Sweeney Todd - Medical Waste Disposal.

Tickled my fancy that did.

The Big Week

Starts this weekend. Saturday the staff Christmas Party, always a big night, nice to see people you see scurrying around every day frowning and looking stressed relaxing and letting their hair down. Always an interesting evening for a watcher like me, and always a few instances (a few ??) of people relaxing just that little bit too much.
Sunday is the Family Christmas. Yep, a week earlier, but this way we get everyone together at one time. Christmas Day there is too much of kids being torn between which parent to spend the day with – two generations of split families. Messy.
Then two days off. RDO on Tuesday, and managed a day’s leave for Monday. Monday The Princess is coming round with cheap wine for our traditional Xmas trash-ourselves. Tuesday I suspect will be a quiet day recovering.
Work through to and including Christmas Eve – early start, but they usually let us off early.
Christmas Day – so-called “Orphan’s Xmas” at my oldest and dearest friend’s. Half a dozen or so old friends in similar situations to me, or who’s families are interstate or overseas. They have a great cellar and a swimming pool, and enough beds for those of us who won’t want to drive home.
Boxing Day, a delayed Orphan’s Xmas. Started out as a late BBQ on Xmas Day for "orphans" and those who just needed to relax with extended family after the strain of a day with the people we get lumbered with genetically.It's the Day After this year. Floating guest list, never quite sure who’ll turn up.This particular bachelor is looking forward to that – for all the wrong reasons I assure you !
And that, barring any surprises, is how my Xmas is shaping up.

Sunday 11 December – Cronulla Race Riots

There have been times I’ve found it difficult to say I was proud to be an Australian.
But I’ve never felt ashamed of it before.

A part of me wants to point out it was Sydney – SYDNEY NOT MELBOURNE – but it makes no difference. It is Australia, and I feel the legendary Aussie tolerance has proven to be just that, a fragile myth.

Jimmy Stewart
9% Tough, 14% Roguish, 57% Friendly, and 19% Charming!

You are the fun and friendly boy next door, the classic nice guy who still manages to get the girl most of the time. You're every nice girl's dreamboat, open and kind, nutty and charming, even a little mischievous at times, but always a real stand up guy. You're dependable and forthright, and women are drawn to your reliability, even as they're dazzled by your sense of adventure and fun. You try to be tough when you need to be, and will gladly stand up for any damsel in distress, but you'd rather catch a girl with a little bit of flair. Your leading ladies include Jean Arthur and Donna Reed, those sweet girl-next-door types.

Last weekend.

Friend’s birthday dinner. About 20 of us on the dinner cruise on the Yarra.

You want to know something – Don’t bother with it. Do the Dinner Tram instead.

The company was good though, and most of us wound up at the The Market Hotel later in the evening. Now about 20 something years ago the Market Hotel was a hotel, and I used to drink there. Then they pulled it down and turned it into what was for a while the hottest, state-of-the-art nightclub in town. Renamed it Three Faces. Now they call it The Market again. It hasn’t changed. I could have sworn it was the same crowd there as 20 years ago . . . . they just hadn’t aged. Unfortunately I have !
Somewhere around 5.00 am wandered down the road to crash at the birthday boy’s house.
Do you know how hard it is to have to share a bed with someone you fancy like crazy when you’ve just copped the “I only want to be friends” line. Even at 5.00 am and after rather a few too many drinks !