"..'t - is the season to be jo-lly, fa la la la l - ah, la lah lah l - ah" ..... oh sorry, didn't see you there: Merry Christmas!! (why aren't you cowering beneath a pile or presents and gaggle of relatives? Eh??)

Or the other way round if your a mad scientist, I suppose.

I would be doing the same thing but it's all a wee bit sombre this year of course, and due to our laziness and cold calculating nature we have, in total, received from the family & Jason (pretty much a member of Clan 'Hippy anyway), 2 presents between 5 of us: one present for each my Dad and I, nothing for my Mum and Brother and his fiance, nor indeed for Jason.

Seeing as that is, basically, our entire family, then calling it all off was a sensible and frugal choice and at least we got a helluva slap up meal....

"I was meaning to talk to you about that actually, mother... "

- - *with tones of Norman Bates* - -

...no, actually, no homicide, matricide or any other -icide is planned now or at any time, but I am a little mystified as to why there was only ONE 2-kilo dish of sage and onion stuffing (with the giblets, fat bacon, assorted unmentional animal parts etc, thrown in for flavour, mmmmmm...) and only 15 roast potatos between all of us for what is, apparently, a main dinner for 3 people then another Boxing day dinner for 5??!!

Not that I am ungrateful for what we have, far from it of course, but usually we are picking at the full range of leftovers here for at least 3 days, I see to that by making extra stuffing and whole extra trays of roast veg and 'tatties etc etc. You know how it is when `all you need is a mighty feed`

Seems funny especially seeing as it's for a lot fewer people this year but I guess that's as viable a reason to hold back as it is to go all out.

Still, I did get a sweet-*albatross* Poker setup/game/arena/tablecloth thing from me ol' mate Jason; all the while the silly fool not realising he would receive nothing, nothing, NOTHING I TELL YOU, AHAHAHAHA.!! ETC.!!

So we're on for Gambling and Cocktails tomorrow evening and we plan to lose all our money yet drink everyone else under the table, regardless of whoever else we manage to rope in

With a dash of luck this will help us win all our money back of course, and goodness knows we'll need all the help we can get - Jason has never played poker before; ever, and I have, once, and discovered I don't so much have a `tell` or a bad `poker face`, it's rather that I exist in the room at the same time as the other players and can't hide what hand I've got for toffee. Or indeed money, in fact.

I always did think that `money` would be a better term for that analogy, too cynical for some people though, perhaps.

But anyway, such delights and, undoubtedly, losses, await us still this holiday season, all in good fun of course, and all well marinaded in liquor so we have at least acheived our mission there!

The seasonal spirit this year is Kahlua, by the way. Nectar, it is.

White Russians for teh win!! *recipe to follow soon, surely?....*