Life is Healthy

Today is Christmas day. Early start, preparing all the food and veg; which we never managed to eat it all in the end. Roast potatoes went a little off, fortunately I had prepared enough so it wasn't a total loss. Turkey was good and gravy was OK; I had to make it from scratch as Spain doesn't have the luxury of Bisto Gravy, ahhhh Bisto!

No Christmas crackers to pull at lunch time - they dont know what they're missing :(
Luckily this year I had some stuffing, as last year that was nightmare. All in all the food was good, company was good too. Of course I managed to burn myself, which made taking things constantly in and out of the oven a challenge. If that wasn't bad enough the dam electrics started playing up and only allowed me on hob ring and oven in at any one time - with 6 pans of veg and potatoes to cook, this of course was not a good thing.

Yesterday we spent the evening at Sandra's parents; I hadn't eaten much but knew they would cook a lot as the whole family were going there.
Sadly for me most everything they cooked was seafood!! REALLY!?!?
But hey, I did managed to eat a block of cheese and pate all to myself.
I think the thing I miss most is the bullshit conversations and jokes you have at family meals, whether at Sandra's parents or at home, I feel like a stranger looking in - yes, I know it's my fault I should have learnt Spanish, but it is very apparent at meals.

Some of the differences in the UK at Christmas are; Xmas music in shopping centres, selection boxes (boxes of chocolate bars), Christmas crackers, cult movies on TV - Indiana Jones, Superman, James Bond, Star Wars etc, and of course crap TV - Eastenders (someone dying/being killed) & the Queen's Speech - it would be nice if she was in touch with the real world like Princess Diana was.
And of course Christmas isn't Christmas without a Christmas pudding.

Pitu managed to open her own presents this year, which consisted mainly of bi-lingual toys and a couple of DVD's - one Snow White and the seven dwarves.
Interesting fact, or not: this was actually the first film I ever saw at the cinema when I was a child. These were the days when cinema's had only one screen and ushers who served ice cream in the interval and you could sing along to the film, without being told Sssshhhhh or mobiles going off! After Snow White had finished we got to see Star Trek 2: the wrath of Khan (may give you an idea I'm over 28), we were there with our next door neighbours kids, who were older than us, so we got to watch Star Trek 2, too (although we were too young).

Sandra got a lady shave and a Nespresso Coffee maker, which she seemed happy with ;)
I received a new shirt and some Wii tennis raquets - not 10 grand for my new studio :'(
Of course here in Spain we also have the 'Three Kings Day' so pitu will have some more stuff then, mainly clothes - she's growing a lot.
Sandra still has her Secret Santa (invisible friend gift to come too).
China had her laptop of course, but I got no contact from her... ...perhaps she's having such a good time, she forgot.

Monies kind of tight as I haven't been informed about work for next year, so I can't afford to splash out too much and having only done 1 week that doesn't go far; especially at this time of year. So next year should be interesting, lets see what happens.

It's strange all the effort and fuss and its all over so quick - story of my life, lol.