Christmas Eve

Oh the weather outside is frightful..

Wait. That is not true. I am not in London. I am in sunny Trinidad - well no sun at 8pm but the weather is good. Santa has no damn excuse.

I am actually sitting in bed, waiting for my bread to bake to...hopefully perfection. It is only my second attempt at bread. My first attempt was an easy rolled oat loaf which was probably a 7/10. It was also just for personal consumption. However, Christmas breakfast depends on my efforts tonight so God help me and God help the bread.

Today I did the unthinkable. I went to the mall. On Christmas Eve. I needed to get a few things in the supermarket really - stuff to cook for my lunch party next week. I decided I would go super early, and avoid the parking drama and the rush. So with half hour to spare, I pulled in to an already crowded carpark. Not a good sign. As I turned the corner to hit the store entrance, there it was - the Christmas Eve mob. lol. I mean, I had a good laugh as I looked on at the desperate shoppers, hoping to score a ham and maybe some booze for the long holiday weekend.

Not forgetting the woman in the supermarket yesterday who took full advantage of Hi-Lo's $199 Johnny Walker Black special by filling her trolley with not one, not two, but 15 bottles of the stuff. When she noticed the sign that said "Customers limited to 4 bottles per person", she then "rented" friends and asked random people to pay for the surplus. Who says Christmas shopping is not amusing. Nothing quite like that today, even though there was a small mob around the Riccadonna special.

Having survived that, I then decided to stroll through the mall. I mean, I was already there, so why not? Laughed again as I observed all the last minute husbands and boyfriends outside the jewellery stores, waiting for the doors to fly open and save them from a sour, sexless weekend with the missus. I got my dad a new cell phone, which is funny since the person who needs a new cell phone more than anyone else in the family is me. But tis the season of giving, right?

Laughed some more after seeing the girls in the pharmacy dressed as elves and Mrs Claus...street walker versions if you ask me. Their boss bought all the outfits in NY and made them wear them today. Scary.

My bread just came out the oven and it is a 10/10 from all who have sampled it thus far.Yaaay. I am excited about that.

I am excited to be home with the family this year. I wish you all a very merry Christmas. Do enjoy the weekend!!

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Merry Christmas!!!

My personalised Christmas card this year.
One of them anyway...

Well, it's almost here and thus almost over. I am sitting here wrestling with the decision on whether I should actually get on a bus and try this Christmas shopping thing again after Wednesday's disaster. I am never usually a fan of Christmas Eve shopping - all the people, the crowds. But especially since I live with someone whose idea of Christmas is a pot of pelau - a pot of pelau that is usually not very good I might add - I really am inclined to finish Christmas food shopping at least. Even though we will probably not spend the day at home and thus I will be served a proper Christmas meal, Boxing Day will not see me eating pelau either. It is also a brilliant day today - as brilliant as it can get here. It is not grey, not snowing, I see something that looks vaguely like the sun, so I am going to go out in it, if even for a little while.

I will be going to church tomorrow though. I have not gone to church in years but with the options rather limited here for Christmas enjoyment, I have decided to go worship, listen to carols and hope that God forgives me for being such a brat. It puts a whole new spin on the day though - it means I cannot sleep in late, it means my planned outfit may need a bit of revising, but it means I will be around others and hopefully feel Christmassy. Ha. Long shot.

I am glad though that the snow did not delay my Christmas cards to my parents. My cute and specially selected cards got to the recipients yesterday, so yaaay. Sure they are just cards, but they were sent with lots of love, and I know they will be appreciated and at least they will have me near the top of mind and not forget about me. lol.

I have also been doing my Santa duties with my neighbours out shopping and dropping hot cash in a mall somewhere, while I sit at home - and being the only available resident in my part of the street, all the bigger deliveries are being nicely left with me for them to collect. Oh joy. I have been spying on where they have been shopping - Body Shop, Amazon, nothing totally exciting.

Not sure about the Boxing Day sales here either. I love a sale but being a student does not make sales as sexy as they should be. Additionally, the wonderful tube workers have planned their millionth strike of 2010 for that day so transport will be a nightmare - between the 1million+ women trying to get to Harrod's and Westfield, and the 2million+ men trying to get to the Boxing Day football matches, I am not sure I want to be part of the public transport hamster mash. I will lust from a distance, with the click of my mouse...hopefully.

Sadly I have also finished off the top tray of the chocolate marshmallows. They are just so good I could not resist. I am less inclined to get another carton today but at the rate I am going, I may need it.
Really gonna try and get some work done today but I have failed all week. I am thinking of voicing my concerns about the timing of these exams so this tragedy does not befall next year's cohort. I mean, trying to study over the holidays? Really? It's not easy. I have done zero. It's crunch time now.

In any event, Merry Christmas to the 2.5 readers out there and hope you have a great Christmas Day with your families.

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