Manky Monkey Motors

Well, it's happened. The madness has begun.
I was in a local supermarket this evening & they were playing Christmas carols over the tannoy. Then as I drove home, I passed a house with full Christmas lights up, "Santa please stop here sign" in the garden -the full works.
It's the middle of November for Gawd's sake!!

Guessing you won't be wanting this then.  :)

http://www.xmasclock.com/

Starts earlier every year, given time it'll be Christmas all year round :o

it's been going on around here for the last two or three weeks.
 ::)

I'm not reading this la la la I'm not listening either!

 ;D

I hate the C word.  :-\ Humbug!

when i was a kid, we didnt live near any relatives and were often new in town, moved every couple of years as dad was army.
christmas was at home, just the 5 of us most years. the odd bigger gathering of family
now with kids of my own i find myself feeling what i'll honestly describe as panic over the planning of the day.
who/where for breakfast
where/who for lunch
brother in law is scarpering for asia, reliving himself of the stress, adding it to mine
my olds cant come to town that day, dads having surgery soon and mum wont drive.
"so when are we catching your family (all together)" she asks me

Yeah, it's all become a bit of a nightmare really hasn't it.
If it was just a family get-together -a chance to catch up with close relatives over a nice meal, I'd be fine with it. It's the relentless commercialism of it all, the pressure to spend 3 months wages on presents for people you don't like, who don't want them anyway, the mad race to stock up with enough food & drink to feed half a town, the TV & radio stations playing Christmas songs & showing Christmas films, the shopping centres putting up Christmas decorations before Halloween & the endless demands on you to be jolly & festive when it's usually the last thing you feel like -that's what kills it for me.

My fave day of the year 2nd of jan because its all oner for another year ;D

My favourite day is Boxing Day at Romsey. I have only been going to this meet for about 5 years but I really look forward to it. A great atmosphere, lots of cool vehicles and lots of money raised to fight Prostate Cancer.

Ok, Christmas Day is over and done with (when more things seem to go wrong than right and there seems so much pressure to get it perfect) so that is a bonus. Don't get me wrong, I love the Nativity and carols and all that but like Andy says, that is overwhelmed by the shopping frenzy. Every year I tell myself it is one day, buy accordingly but little extras get added just in case. In case of what I am never quite sure!   :-\

Hasn't Steve usually been in touch by now to put Romsey in the calendar?

I wish he had cos I promised myself last year that I'd get there this time, but forgot all about it and now have the family coming to me for a meal on Boxing Day - never mind, it's only once a year we manage to get EVERYONE together and I love it.

I just ignore all that stuff Manky was on about, and presents are limited to £10 for adults, only close family at that, and I don't send cards any more cos the postage got ridiculous.  I do the main course and the others provide starters and puds and wine.  It's FUN!

Here ya go.

this is helping me get through
http://youtu.be/4nRKb4u__Aw
also
http://youtu.be/tHXwAxx7m0o
and
http://youtu.be/kxl3Jx6Zn9c

My kind of music.   8)

Wow Chewie, why have I never heard of these before. Straight on Amazon but a bit dear at the moment (averaged about £14 over here) but they are now in my wish list.

Cheers JJ  :)
 

You may have heard this story but I hope not. It is a little story to start your Christmas season in the right spirit.

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones and Santa began to feel the Christmas pressure.

Then, Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.  

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were missing.

Then, when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered or broken.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a glass of cider and a shot of rum. In his rattled state, he accidentally dropped the cider jug. It broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor and when he went to get the broom he found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of it.

Just then the doorbell rang and a greatly irritated Santa marched to the door and yanked it open. There stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

(http://i.imgur.com/b9HdzZw.jpg)

Not a lot of people know this.   ;D      

 :D

 ;D

 ;D