December 13, 2013

Wet cocktails

Last week our theme was fire, and this week it’s water. Next week’s theme will not be Christmas. This afternoon you will find the bar open down by the pool; please keep your clothes on, it’s nippy out there and we don’t want anyone to catch a chill. Also, decency.

As many of the punters have pointed out today, there’s already a lot of water in them there cocktails, particularly the ones featuring ice. I’m taking a leap of faith by letting Lyle have a cocktail that might make him punch someone in the mouth; usually he just offends people. We’re going to need someone sensible like Graybo to keep an eye on him.

For those who like to get drunk without the inconvenience of actual drinking, and who are unconvinced by virtual cocktails, I have discovered a water-based chemical alternative. Guinea pigs will be needed, so I propose that Clair and Lisa put their brandies aside and give it a go. Graybo can stand by with towels just in case this is a particularly wettening experience. Who says men can’t multitask?

It has been noted that Team Uborka includes a number of non-believing doomed-to-hell heathen types (including myself); we also have a goodly number of curmudgeons on board, including Mr Gammidgy, grouse extraordinaire. I’ll just take this moment to remind him he *promised* a #yulevent post, so that’s something to do during his weekendly abandonment. Or head over to Casa Uborka and share your children with us, we don’t mind. Here’s your purple rain.

Our little Doctor Pocky-Woo, meanwhile, has educated us all on the vodkasome nature of love, which is always helpful, and disappeared up the river.

Asta has invented her own cocktail and is actually going to make it! We would like photos of it after the party, please.

Today we have a few orders for the absent: Lyle requests a large G&T for Pix, though actually I have found something even more appropriate; and I’m having an akvavit, and will be pleased to share it with Pete.

And now, cold showers for everyone, and have a happy weekend!

Karen
  • Comments: 3
  • Rudolf's Red Nose. Just before the guests arrived I decided the cherry was making it ta... - asta
  • Oh yeah - and the reference to people being guinea-pigs made me think of this - a guinea-p... - Lyle
  • You're safe, Aquardiente's never had that effect on me at all. It's usually Gin that does ... - Lyle

Without their trousers on

There’s a squirrel on the top of my tree. No angels, no stars, no cribs, none of that business. There are some sheep, but they’re not ones watched over by shepherds until glory shone around and some bloke was like “Fear not!” for mighty dread had seized their troubled minds. They’re just sheep. There’s also some pigs and some dinosaurs and some robots. A buttons.

It is not, I’m basically saying, a religious tree. I don’t have anything against religious trees, of course – all trees are entitled to their opinion, but ours is not of their number. It is a tree that pretty comprehensively avoids religion, apart from the unavoidable fact of being, of course, a Christmas tree. Nothing I can do about that. In my childhood, all trees were religious. And that, my friends, is the point of this post.

Continue reading

Anna
  • Comments: 5
  • My children always have new pyjamas on Christmas Eve :) - Lisa
  • Oh and as far as ridiculous traditions are concerned I have my eye on Christmas pjs for al... - Abby
  • Funny enough I was going to write my post on making new traditions. We're definitely still... - Abby
  • From reading all these yulevent posts, what I'm getting is that lots of us are feeling aro... - Karen
  • It doesn't have to make sense - particularly to anyone outside your direct family - it jus... - Lyle

Bar’s Open

Last week we had FIRE. So this week, obviously, we’ll have water. Eau minerale all round, or would you like something more creative?

Karen
  • Comments: 9
  • From the sound of it, Pix could do with something large and gin-based (so long as she's no... - Lyle
  • According to this site "Water makes up 60 percent of most every spirit, 100 percent of eve... - asta
  • Water? Bollocks to that, I'll have a brandy. It's been quite a week. (As an aside, drinke... - Lisa
  • Watery drinks? Purple rain is a cocktail, right? Whatever is in it, that'll do me. My wor... - Another Mike
  • I was going to suggest an "ocean breeze", but I've seen a few different recipes for it and... - Clair
December 12, 2013

In The Geek Midwinter

On Tuesday Pete and I had an excellent night out courtesy of Reading Skeptics In The Pub, at their very first In The Geek Midwinter festive show. After a day of crazy running around, leaving the Small Boy having tea with his Grandad before heading out to perform in his own Christmas Concert, I caught up with Pete on the train into Reading, and we went to Mission Burrito for tasty filling food and an utterly soulless attempt at flirting on the part of the spotty countermonkey who claimed to remember me from the last time I was in there, which was possibly before he left school. Continue reading

Karen
  • Comments: 7
  • I don't think it was many people. The bloke beside me left (it might have been something I... - Karen
  • If it said 9.30 somewhere then that wouldn't help. I had always planned for it to be 10.30... - Ms Gammidgy
  • Ah, that's right, it was Santa Fe. Pity, they did some good stuff. Mission looks good tho... - Lyle
  • It's a couple of doors down. That was Santa Fe, and is now some chain pub or other. ... - Karen
  • Is Mission Burrito in the place that used to do the really good cocktails (and that I thin... - Lyle
December 11, 2013

Swisslet really likes Christmas

I really like Christmas. It’s sentimental, I know, but I just really like it”.
So says Tim Minchin in his lovely song, “White Wine in the Sun”. I entirely agree, and just like him,

I have all of the usual objections

To consumerism, the commercialisation of an ancient religion

To the westernisation of a dead Palestinian

Press-ganged into selling Playstations and beer

But I still really like itContinue reading

Donkey
  • Comments: 8
  • Eels - Everything's Gonna be Cool is one of my favourite Christmas tunes of all time. :) ... - Abby
  • Oh - I've produced a Spotify playlist for this.  Hope this works, but you should be a... - swisslet
  • If I was on spotify at all, I might attempt a playlist..... I'll have a look later to see... - swisslet
  • Fuck yeah Joseph Spence. - Pete
  • This is lovely, I need to clear some space in my head to listen to them all. - Karen
December 10, 2013

A Very Merry and Green Christmas

After 15 months of rampant consumerism that comes with having a baby I am spent. Emotionally, economically and environmentally. This has coincided with Christmas – the time of year we are all encouraged to spend without thinking but this year it is going to be different. Here’s our Christmas preparations with a green hue… Continue reading

minibeastgirl
  • Comments: 4
  • I used to be very creative with wrapping paper. I particularly liked getting different col... - Karen
  • And don't forget potato prints for the brown paper. Cut out one leaf shape, use a red mark... - asta
  • I've done newspapers a few times as well. I like to find an article the person the present... - Abby
  • We always try to go for the brown paper christmas wrapping as well (or old newspapers depe... - Clair
December 9, 2013

Sounds like Christmas

Amy tweeted recently:

and in a wibbly wobbly timey wimey whoosh I was 7 or 8 again, standing in the Town Centre in my home town, playing 3rd Cornet, cringing any time anyone from School walked past. And they did. At least once. Because that’s where everyone did their Christmas shopping, and it’s hard to be inconspicuous when you’re playing Christmas Carols for 4 hours the four Saturdays leading up to Christmas. Continue reading

Pix
  • Comments: 10
  • When I was a child we always listened to the same cassette of Johnny Mathis singing Christ... - Pete
  • I'm just on my way back from my work's outing to Trafalgar Square for our annual attempt t... - Clair
  • I'm keeping my powder dry here .... I'm writing about Xmas music on the 11th. Suffice it ... - swisslet
  • (Cry in a good way.) - Lisa
  • Love Carols from King's and John Rutter (from years of singing in choirs) and secretly Mic... - Lisa
December 8, 2013

Jigsaw puzzle family

Posted by Donkey on behalf of Ms Gammidgy.

Despite being over 30 every Christmas up to this point has been spent at my parent’s house, mostly with just my immediate family in attendance. This Christmas marks a landmark moment for me as I host my first Christmas at home. Having accidentally acquired 3 step children (I hate the step mother/ step child tag but it’ll have to do) it’ll be the first Christmas morning with children. My family are coming along to join us, although not till mid-morning so they won’t be subjected to the early morning madness. My Mum has promised to bring my stocking with her – I think this tradition continues mainly to annoy my Dad. My brother may or may not come depending on whether he can think of a suitable excuse to stay at home. Gammidgy juniors will be off elsewhere in the afternoon. Continue reading

Donkey
  • Comments: 4
  • (or maybe that's just me?) - swisslet
  • Traditions are morphing all around us. I work with a bunch of guys in their early 20s, an... - swisslet
  • It's funny a lot of people's Christmases seem to be in a state of flux. It's funny how we ... - Abby
  • I was reminded yesterday of a tradition that N's brother has started with his small kids: ... - Clair