Apart from the TV ads, a sure sign that Xmas is just around the corner here is that the Police are out in force randomly stopping motorists to see if there is something they can fine them for!
Always happens around this time of year, and I and many others are convinced the on the spot fines are used to top up the Police Xmas and New Year Party Fund. :D
I tend not to use the car as much at this time of year if I can avoid it, what signs are there where you live that indicates Xmas is just around the corner?
Will have to search the train/store room for our Xmas Decs which we always put up on the 1st of December, and at the same time many of the residents on our complex decorate their balconies with fairy lights and other Xmas items.
The Xmas and New Year celebrations tend to go on for ever here, as the Canarians main celebration day is Jan 6th (3 Kings Day), and on the evening of Jan 5th the 3 Kings on camels parade through the streets followed by floats and fireworks.
It is also my birthday on December 11th, so I tend to start celebrating early, and it is a long time from then to January 6th, but this year we are off on a Cruise on December 30th, so will miss the local celebrations for the New Year and the 3 Kings.
Quote from: Tdm on November 24, 2014, 06:17:43 PM
what signs are there where you live that indicates Xmas is just around the corner?
Usually Easter eggs and Valentine cards in the shops..... ;D
All the humbugs have disappeared from the shops. Bah - Humbug ::)
Quote from: Tdm on November 24, 2014, 06:17:43 PMI tend not to use the car as much at this time of year if I can avoid it, what signs are there where you live that indicates Xmas is just around the corner?
Hallowe'en being over is usually a good sign, in this neck of the woods.
Non-stop Christmas muzak from the start of November.
And it's not like Christmas is even a holiday here either.
Quote from: Agrippa on November 24, 2014, 06:26:26 PM
Quote from: Tdm on November 24, 2014, 06:17:43 PM
what signs are there where you live that indicates Xmas is just around the corner?
Usually Easter eggs and Valentine cards in the shops..... ;D
:laughabovepost: :laughabovepost: :laughabovepost: :laughabovepost:
Over here, it's like, Christmas decorations appearing in shops in August. I even know of one local bowling club that never takes 'em down! :worried:
The bloke 2 doors down from me always had his Christmas stocking up on the fireplace for the last 8 years (he always left his curtains open 24/7 so I wasn't being nosy, honest). It has disappeared in the last couple of weeks along with most of the other things in there. He also seems to have disappeared so he may no longer be with us.
Geez.... I hope there's no bad smells, or anything.... anybody checked up on him? :uneasy:
I'll never forgive him for stealing a case of wine from me. Ok he didn't steal it 'from' me but it got delivered there and he said he hadn't seen it. About 3 months later he said he found it in his shed.
I forgot to mention that someone, maybe his daughter, has been round there a bit lately so I'm guessing/hoping she knows where he is. A load of stuff appeared in the front garden a while ago with a sign saying you could take whatever you wanted. No N gauge there though. I wouldn't mind looking in the loft and garage though, he was a bit of a hoarder it seems.
You might find a couple of more cases of your wine! :D
I don't think there are any more missing. We actually had it replaced before he owned up so we ended up with an extra case free of charge. Just don't tell Laithwaites 8)
Anyway, it won't be Christmas in the TF household until 10 days before the 25th at the earliest.
Thought I should post back on topic or someone will tell us off :'(
I've just told meself off as I'm the one who took us off it! :-[
George :thumbsup:
Come to think of it, my wife decorated the evergreen same-general-shape-as-an-xmas-tree tree thingies outside our house last week, or maybe the week before. And we're not the first ones in the street either. Though we haven't put flashy lights (or any lights) in them at all, unlike some of the neighbours, one of whom leave theirs in all year round.
With those kinds of exceptions, come December 25th all this stuff vanishes literally overnight and everything goes into New Year celebration mode, which is the actual end-of-year holiday here.
Christmas started on our street at 0000 01/11/2014 (as soon as Halloween was over). We don't put decorations up until after 6th December but there are already two Christmas trees up on this street. One of them has been up for a couple of weeks.
I work on the principle of the decorations go up around the 18th and come down by 6th. Get the mess cleared away sooner and as I have only just repainted the living room then Sellotape is banned....
In our household its packing and getting ready to fly south to get away from it all! :P
Christmas tree will come out off the loft the week before and be back up there by new year.
Nobby, can still get humbugs round here :claphappy:
Personally more interested in making sure we have rock salt and the snow shovel is ready for the bad winter we will probably get.
To me, puttin' Christmas decorations up is like mowing lawns. Totally pointless exercise, grass grows again, decorations have to be taken down. Plus last year, here in the Aussie summer, I got stung to all :censored: and back putting lights over the bushes out the front.
Bah humbug. ;) ;)
Just want to see my Grand son's face on Christmas morning, nothing else matters.
Actually Xmas and New Year is a special (albeit expensive) time for our family as we have lot's of family birthdays to celebrate in December, and my son was born on Xmas day, and on January 5th it is our Wedding Anniversary (41 years this next time).
Must have been something in the air around April time a number of years back, as that is when many of our family were conceived, or was it something they put in the water those days?. :)
Yeah, it is major family thing, and I guess we shouldn't forget that. But if yer family hate one another, you have to prop the smiles up with matchsticks :D
Geez, that is bah humbug and lets get back on topic..., your earliest signs of Christmas? :thumbsup: :beers:
Quote from: Geoff on November 25, 2014, 10:19:08 AM
Just want to see my Grand son's face on Christmas morning, nothing else matters.
Can't you just use a torch ? :P
Quote from: Oldman on November 25, 2014, 10:13:46 AM
Personally more interested in making sure we have rock salt and the snow shovel is ready for the bad winter we will probably get.
Mmmmm, must check the box at the end of the road ... 2 years back, some sods in a Land Rover Discovery drove up & up-ended it into the back, & drove off !!! Stuff the people it's meant for :veryangry: :veryangry: :veryangry:
Come on you folk... you're keepin' somebody up in Australia....
Get back on topic.... earliest signs of Christmas? :thumbsup:
Quote from: steve836 on November 25, 2014, 08:28:24 AM
In our household its packing and getting ready to fly south to get away from it all! :P
So you're spending Christmas in Essex.....
Quote from: Bealman on November 25, 2014, 11:42:07 AM
Get back on topic.... earliest signs of Christmas? :thumbsup:
Moanin' old gits on this thread......
:sleep: nite nite ;D :thumbsup:
Quote from: Agrippa on November 25, 2014, 11:46:57 AM
Quote from: steve836 on November 25, 2014, 08:28:24 AM
In our household its packing and getting ready to fly south to get away from it all! :P
So you're spending Christmas in Essex.....
Don,t need to fly for that! 3 years ago we moved from one side of the village to the other. We used to live in Essex now we are in Suffolk.
Quote from: Tdm on November 25, 2014, 10:49:43 AM
Actually Xmas and New Year is a special (albeit expensive) time for our family as we have lot's of family birthdays to celebrate in December, and my son was born on Xmas day, and on January 5th it is our Wedding Anniversary (41 years this next time).
Must have been something in the air around April time a number of years back, as that is when many of our family were conceived, or was it something they put in the water those days?. :)
Strange! Most of our family Birthdays are in Nov. and Dec. Perhaps its the spring which gets us fellas all "romantic"
Quote from: steve836 on November 25, 2014, 12:00:59 PM
Quote from: Agrippa on November 25, 2014, 11:46:57 AM
Quote from: steve836 on November 25, 2014, 08:28:24 AM
In our household its packing and getting ready to fly south to get away from it all! :P
So you're spending Christmas in Essex.....
Don,t need to fly for that! 3 years ago we moved from one side of the village to the other. We used to live in Essex now we are in Suffolk.
:laughabovepost: :laughabovepost:
Come on you guys... I'm supposed to be going to bed here! I keep reading these posts which are cracking me up!
If you go to bed now, George, Your offspring will be borne at the wrong time of year! :D
Quote from: MikeDunn on November 25, 2014, 11:37:24 AM
Quote from: Geoff on November 25, 2014, 10:19:08 AM
Just want to see my Grand son's face on Christmas morning, nothing else matters.
Can't you just use a torch ? :P
:laughabovepost: RAFLMAO
And another sign it's almost Xmas - the misses has told me we need to go to Iceland (called Overseas here) this afternoon to get 100 mince pies and sausage roles etc., for the Xmas eve Party we hold in our Reception area.
Other owners on site volunteer to make the Sangria we give out as well on Xmas Eve, but before all attendees get their mince pies and sausage rolls and drinks - they have to join in the Carol singing first, then afterwards it's dancing music and games.
One of the favourite Xmas Eve games on site is placing a bottle of Spirits in the middle of the dance floor, and the person who can roll a rubber egg closest to it wins the booze. Those rubber eggs have a mind of their own and it is far more difficult than you might think, especilaly if you've had a few Sangrias beforehand.
One of the advantages of liviing in a community complex is that for once at Xmas
everybody seems to forget their grievances and join in the Xmas spirit, and our Xmas Eve party is open to holidaymakers staying here as well, and we get lots of regular repeat visitors at this time of year.
Quote from: steve836 on November 25, 2014, 02:14:40 PM
Quote from: Agrippa on November 25, 2014, 12:58:34 PM
Quote from: MikeDunn on November 25, 2014, 11:37:24 AM
Quote from: Geoff on November 25, 2014, 10:19:08 AM
Just want to see my Grand son's face on Christmas morning, nothing else matters.
Can't you just use a torch ? :P
:laughabovepost: RAFLMAO
What?
Perhaps it means
Royal
Air
Force
Lost
Mid
Atlantic
Ocean
Whatever happened to the English Language.
If someone speaks to you or sends a message in normal English these days you know they are a foreigner who have learn't the language.
Personally don't like "text shortcut speak" - it is destroying our language.
Unfortunately nothing to do with the RAF, it's " Rollling about floor laughing my **** off".
Quote from: Tdm on November 25, 2014, 05:04:27 PM
Whatever happened to the English Language.
If someone speaks to you or sends a message in normal English these days you know they are a foreigner who have learn't the language.
Personally don't like "text shortcut speak" - it is destroying our language.
I don't agree. Do you not remember back in the 60's acronyms such as SWALK ,NORWICH etc. Each generation has something similar, its just that texting on a mobile is so laborious that acronyms are becoming more widespread an tending to move into other formats. I find that typing is slow( I still am dependent on the hunt and peck method) so use them too it's just that I am not up to speed on them.
I sure as heck did not say that ??? ??? ???
Sorry mike-left too many quotes in. Have rectified.
Cheers
Thread going awry time to close ?
Nah... IMHO :D
Have I missed Christmas then?
Quote from: Trainfish on November 25, 2014, 11:00:53 PM
Have I missed Christmas then?
Yes but we'll have another one next month just for you! :D
I can't wait. I really can't :uneasy:
Did you write a letter to Santa yet?
I'm not bothering this year. The last one must have got lost in the post and the Royal Mail wouldn't even offer any compensation as I never had a proof of posting receipt. You can't get those from pillar boxes as far as I know.
Lump of coal for you then, though maybe if you were really good this year a satsuma and a wooden toy. :P
I started my Xmas Hol's Two and a half weeks ago when I came off my Bike at Lubenham and broke my Tibia and Fibula bones and got given a cast and basically been getting in everyone's way since.
I cant walk the dogs, go in the loft to help with our lads Model Railway and I struggle down the stairs into the cellar to the fish and Reptiles, Life has been boring.
The Wife found Mince Pie Flavour Cookies in Poundland and they are great B.T.W
I'm having a late nighter watching HELL on Film 4 cause it is !
Mark
It must be nearly Xmas because.......
With all these daft replies, me reckons most of us have already started on the Christmas booze :beers: :beers: :beers: :beers: :beers: :beers: :beers:
Quote from: trainsdownunder on November 27, 2014, 09:23:53 PM
It must be nearly Xmas because.......
With all these daft replies, me reckons most of us have already started on the Christmas booze :beers: :beers: :beers: :beers: :beers: :beers: :beers:
No - the real Xmas booze comes later - mince pies in brandy sauce,
sherry trifle, home made sangria, rum truffles, liqueur flavoured chocolates, brandy snaps, plus lots more "flavoured" goodies and of course good beer, and the misses has a liking for caramel flavoured vodka.
... and anyone who consumes that lot in one day
will be saying "daft" things, but doubt whether they will be fit enough to make a post on the Forum.
It may only be Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania today, but it sure feels like christmas :cold:
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/36/thumb_19028.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=19028)
Yeah it's in the papers here this morning (sandwiched between the pages devoted to the tragic loss of cricketer Phil Hughes) - lots of flights cancelled because of the weather.
Thankully we drove up on Wednesday evening and missed having to drive though the snowstorm, we ended up with well over a foot... The local ski areas are opening early this year!
Shocked by the Phil Hughes news btw. It even made the news here (first time I have ever seen anything cricket related on American TV!)
It's a shame that's what it takes :(
Thought it was time I wished you all a Merry Xmas as the wife has been posting cards to family and we have started receiving them in Tenerife. I designed my own electronic card a couple of years ago featuring previous and current homes.
(http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo231/Tdmak/Sundry%20and%20Miscellaneous/Xmascard2009.jpg) (http://s379.photobucket.com/user/Tdmak/media/Sundry%20and%20Miscellaneous/Xmascard2009.jpg.html)