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  • I am so glad I gave myself a pep talk and booked a solo restaurant lunch today. Was going to do a solo picnic but that would not have worked. Was so anxious about being the weirdo on their own but no-one cares and I have a lovely little treat. And it's walking distance so no wet roads to deal with.

    Cheers all

  • Finally home! I got to bring home all of the leftover meat so imma have turkey, pork and ham sammiches for like a week. Time to nap forever goodbye.

  • I survived xmas.

    Hooray.

    Jeez there were a few d & m's though.. Things be rough out there for a few of those exteneded family people. relationship stuff.. I hope they work it out. I am not equipped to help with that correctly. I think that showed but thats okay.

    • A congratulatory chillo for you for traversing such complicated landscapes with skill and awareness. 🌶 🥇

  • I'm glad I decided not to stay overnight at my parent's place and can sleep in my own bed tonight. It's a lot of driving for one day, but at least I will get a good night's sleep.

    • I've stayed overnight for two nights because it's a fair drive, but wish I'd only stayed one - I'm pretty desperate to head home because honestly I haven't even been back in Melbourne for a week since being interstate for 13 days. And I am definitely hitting my limit of toddler/child-centred family interactions

  • Well, I got the dog walk in before the rain started but it looks like it will be a long wet drive to Christmas lunch this year.

    I wish everyone in the DT a happy and safe Christmas day.

    Remember drive to the conditions if out on the roads, check your gas BBQ connections for leaks before lighting it, and don't use gas or charcoal BBQs in an enclosed space. Plus remember knives are sharp and to keep your fingers out of the way when chopping vegetables or carving the turkey. (does it show that I work in Emergency Services? 🤣)

    • I got the lawns done (and the neighbours nature strips) trimmed just before it started raining. They are going to come back nice and thick this time for next week.

      • The grass is definitely growing strongly at the moment. The neighbour's gardener (who normally does my nature strip as well) would probably have been coming today if it was not Christmas. Not sure when he will be coming next, but I have been gifted my parent's battery powered mower that they no longer use, so it is still long on Friday I will be able to give it a cut then. Weather and work will stop any chance of doing it sooner.

  • Omg. How fun is an epilator when it's not your own hair?

    • ... Googles "epilator"

      Oh! It's the hair pull-outy thing the girls use. It has a proper name!

      Um, no. Using these is not fun. Causing pain to my wife is like one of my least favourite things on the planet.

  • Looks like the garden got some decent rain overnight for Christmas.

    I did wake up at one point overnight and could hear a strange noise and was worried the rain had done some damage or something, then realised the cat was snore-purring and all was well.

    Mr Woof successfully kept all intruders out of the house overnight. It is possible that Santa made it into the chimney and gifted the possums who live there with some fruit.

  • Merry Christmas DDT Fam! 🧑🏻‍🎄

    Dragged my sorry self out of bed to haul ass. Didn’t want to be on the road when it really comes down with the rest of Melbourne. Definitely made the right choice.

    Gonna do the sad sappy thing, avert ye eyes if it makes you squick.

    Just thinking about what can be the difficult nature of relationships especially between families/relatives and whatnot.

    The weather obviously doesn’t lend itself to the best of spirits, but if what you have is good, maybe savour it that little more today, if it’s average, maybe if you have it in to lean into patience/kindness a little more.

    And for I suppose the rest we all have our own stories/narratives as others do and we can only control (for lack of a better word) our own little spaces. Protect them if need be and be kind to yourself.

    /eof-squick

    Have a great day everyone! Stay dry, safe and full!

  • Cancel the plans for a picnic down by the creek today. But my house plants are having a lovely time out in the backyard getting some gentle rain and soft light. Might even go so far as to repot them tomorrow.

  • I'm back from the pudding lady's house. We brought little dog with us because I wasn't going to leave him at home with that weather. He doesn't travel well that's why I have to wrap him like a burrito to stop him from trying to take over the driving. I am covered in fur.

    Everybody fed him. He does not like the meringue or strawberries from the pav but happy to lick the cream. We are tired now and are snuggling on the couch.

  • Christmas sunrise pretty + a RAINBOW. 🌈 May that be a good omen for everyone's day.

  • Hope you all are having a delightful day! I did a family lunch with the bf's family, probably the first "family" Christmas I've had for near 15 years. It was nice, but I'm happy to be back home, in my Christmas PJs and having a glass of wine.

    You lot are rad, thank you for being such a lovely space.

  • Not only do I have a big old coldsore, I also slipped twice this morning while trimming my beard... I will be in the very very back of the Christmas photos hiding my shame.

  • I swear my dad has significant stock invested in Big Breakfast. Will not stop bugging me to eat something every time I stay over as if I couldn't stand to miss a couple of meals lol We'll be having Christmas lunch in a couple of hours, dad! Just relax!

    • I can confirm that your dad donates regularly to our establishment.

  • Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate, and happy holiday of your choice! I was invited to a friend's family lunch, which was lovely, but between driving through the worst of the weather and only knowing him and his wife (and her only slightly) I am drained.
    Still, everyone was lovely, I got to cuddle their new baby, and between all the food I ate, took home and bought for the solo Christmas that was originally planned I'll only have to buy milk and petrol for a week.

  • sent all them Christmas messages in the morning, and now everyone's awake replying them

  • Partner and I made a pork belly roast, crackling came out great! Devoured before pics could be taken.

    Now we're having gin and tonics with cucumber, very merry christmas!

  • Rejoice, all ye DTers, for in a little less than two hours, you shall be free of Christmas songs for another 11 months.

  • One National Geographic subscription.

    Two books

    One backpack

    One hideous (beautiful) Christmas jumper with bells on so I jingle when I move

    Two new shirts

    One Collingwood 2024 calendar

    I feel I've done well

  • I is going to be so hungover tm for this family luncho but I promised myself I is NOT putting my foot in it. If it's topical.. I'm not interested.

    • You can do this! I believe in your capacity to focus on the food and not any dangerous conversations.

      • Have to admit on this day I genuinely look forward to the washing up part just for the social escape heh.

  • How good are sandwiches made with leftover Christmas lunch meat for supper? I'll answer that. Bloody delightful.

  • Decided to cut up the lamb and cook the portion I cut off.

    So easy in the airfryer and flipped midway.

    Was so delicious!

  • I’m staying at home solo today as well. Going to busy myself with a coffee and a Devon toasted sandwich then later on I’m going to figure out how to cook the lamb I bought and if I should maybe cut it up in half and cook over several days instead.

  • My online friends are busy... sigh. I do have things to entertain myself with if only I had the motivation. Things are feeling a bit stale.

    One thing I don't like about this time of year is the way it's so all or nothing. Dealing with overstimulating crowds or very isolated. Lots of shopping and then everything shut. Lots of spending and then things are tight. Heaps of food and then diets. A frantic rush vs inactivity. I feel like there should be smaller more frequent holidays broken up through the year so everything isn't thrown so out of whack at the end. (I'm not even Christian.) That might force them to be shorter though and make it hard for people to get together.

    Having hot tea with my dressing gown over pjs. Trying to decide if rewatching Buffy will hold my interest.

    • Having grown up overseas I definitely see what you mean about it being all or nothing in places like Australia. I liked how it was where I grew up, none of the public holidays had the same stop-the-country effect so you could easily enjoy them alone or with others.

    • Now that you mention it it’s much the same. It’s either dead quiet or super busy, there’s no happy medium of feels like and probably why I feel overwhelmed when I’m not in the mood to be trapped inside with an entire family who is loud.

    • It's Amends type weather, I say go for Buffy!

  • And now there is blood everywhere from Boyo stabbing himself with his new spoon carving chisels.

    • Dammit, I didn't think to mention chisels in my safety message. Maybe next time I should be more generic about sharp objects....

      I presume your lack of freaking out that it is not a serious injury and all is well?

      • Messy but not serious. Got to use the rainbow gaff tape as we seem to only have miniature bandaids in stock. 😺

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