A Traditional Christmas

There we go, its all over for another year, and I have to admit I probably wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't happened. Christmas is what I'm referring to, for those of you still to pissed to actually use your brains...

Christmas Eve, for all my good intentions, I think I wrote about 200 words of utter drivel and then gave up. Chris, Steve and Rosie (nextdoor neighbours) came over for mulled wine and a minced pie, it was nice to see them, we had a brief chat and I did the usual, recounting my last year away from home in 3 sentences (easier than it sounds) and then had a wonderful supper of smoked salmon.

Now I'm a Christian (although I have been accused of otherwise in the past) however I'm not what some would call "practising". I consider myself to be "practising" as I generally have a fair bit to say to God on regular occasions, and I just don't feel the need to go to church to do it. Except of Christmas Eve, its a bit of a tradition now to go to midnight mass down at the local chapel, however this year they didn't have the vicars enough to spare, and we ended up in the main church for the area, The Minster. Now I haven't got a problem with that, only talk about the most dull and lifeless service EVER. And that includes all those Sundays in boarding school, being up and in church for 8am for the 2 and half hour service.
They really beat the life out of it - most disappointing, and unfortunately had set the tone of Christmas for me...not disappointing, but a bit non-descript.

The day itself was lovely as ever, my brother always manages to cook the best roast, and even stretched to preparing me my favourite breakfast, so a thank you to him is in order.
And thank you also goes to everyone who contributed to my presents - at last I can dry and straighten my hair...and Lufbrarians should be warned...I have a new cook book.

Also, another thank you to those of you who sent me lovely Happy Christmas messages on the text, and commiserations to those of you who are also divorcing your families in the New Year...

...needless to say I found the day difficult to say the least, I think partly because I've had my head in the sand so much these last few weeks that I only just started to feel Christmasy on Christmas Eve, and I hadn't really had a chance to get into the swing of things, couple that with how stressed out about work I am at the moment, and it doesn't really make for a happy Ellie. Subsequently, I was told off by Mum for snapping, being rude and generally not being "understanding" to how everyone lives together in the house.

This all culminated with my Mum rather flatly telling me never to come back to live here again, which I don't know whether to take to heart or not.

It does however, leave me in a very awkward position, I now have nowhere to go when I leave uni, and it won't be for the want of trying that I probably won't be able to get straight into a job.

I had planned to come back to my parents if only for a short while, so I could live cheaply and manage to find a good job, now it seems I'll have to start out on my own, and get any old job just so I can afford to live, which I'm worried will turn into a bit of a downward spiral, in that, before I know it I'll be 50 and have worked in a sausage factory for the last 28 years.

Ok I must stop being so over dramatic, and get back to the plot of the post...Stu. don't get worried about this post :)

Anyway as with tradition in the Hyde family, games were the order of the day in the evening, and for a change my brother and I got pretty completely whitewashed at most of the games, still it keeps the old 'uns happy!

Now its just left to work today, visit various members of the extended family over the next few days, and then head back up to uni...the latter of which I'm not looking forward to :(

3 Beautiful Things

1. Vintage 1995 Brut Lauren-Perrier Champagne at lunch

2. The look on Mum's face when she realises we've got her the digital radio she wanted

3. Managing to stay away from the internet for one day and not having withdrawal symptoms