I was all set to write a post about how I’m going to struggle getting into the Christmas spirit this year. Then I had a quick trawl through my archives to see if I’d used the smutty “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” gag before (I have, twice), and realised that every December since I started this blog I’ve written a post about how I’ve been struggling to get into the Christmas spirit. So I suppose there is nothing new there really.
Apart from this year, for the first time since I’ve had children, I’m going to be working on Christmas day. From 1:30pm until 11pm to be precise.
To quote the ever perceptive Tricia Honea who responded to my complaints about the situation on twitter, this “Sucks balls”. In fact I might even go a little further than that. I think you’ll find Tricia that it actually sucks great big hairy monkey balls.
Still, I work in a 7 day a week, 365 day a year service. Somebody’s got to do Christmas day and I’ve been pretty lucky in avoiding the duty up to now. Plus, as Lee pointed out to me on Google Wave (I hope I’m impressing you all with my web 2.0 credentials here) at least I’ll get some karma points for doing it.
Still sucks monkey balls though. Plus due to various family members being away, working, or not doing Christmas this year, Kerry will be on all on her own with the kids after I leave. Even more ball suckage.
So we’re thinking about moving Christmas.
I’m not working Christmas Eve or Boxing Day, so either of those would be good. I mean the kids aren’t going to know. It should be easy enough to fool Amy with a bit of creative advent calendar fiddling, and Evan’ chooses to name his days according to who’ll be looking after him rather than any archaic conventions based on obsolete gods (is it Daddyday today or Nurseryday?).
But still, moving Christmas? Is that acceptable? I mean we move the kids birthdays to convenient weekends, but that’s small fry compared to messing with the big X. Although, thinking about it, there’s no reason we shouldn’t. We’re not in any way religious, and even if we were it’d make no difference as Christ was supposedly born some time in January anyhow. And don’t other nations make more of a big deal about other days in December rather than the 25th? I know Arjan gets his presents from Sinterklass on the 5th of December.
So what do we think then? Move Christmas and then try to pretend the 25th is just a particularly good TV day, or stick to the rules and try and cram as much seasonal cheer into the morning before I have to go sit miserably in my office?
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 1:08 am
Enjoy, whichever day you choose . . .
tysdaddy´s last blog ..Loaded
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:56 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 2:16 am
If it’s not going to throw the kids off too much, you could do a big Christmas Eve dinner and then prezzies in the morning… the kids will be wiped out or engrossed in Wii or something by the time you leave for work.
They probably won’t be too emotionally scarred by that. Then again, you may figure prominently in their memoirs with a big wire hanger on the cover…
PS- I used to have a job where I was on-call and we had to do holiday (and 24 hour) coverage and that sucked many animal appendages. Boy, am I happy I don’t have to do that now, except for some occasional weekend stuff.
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
I;m not sure how exactly we’re going to do it. Need to consult with senior management first. However the whole big dinner on the eve and the presents in the morning is certainly one of the options.
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 2:51 am
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Damn sick people messing up christmas.
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 5:12 am
On a semi related note I too was thinking of writing a Christmas post until I remembered I pretty much write the same thing every year (my favourite Christmas films that aren’t specifically about Christmas, Die Hard etc.)
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:01 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 5:16 am
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:05 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 7:57 am
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Mark´s last blog ..Nablopromo
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 8:14 am
I would do it.
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 8:22 am
Nominate a present that you don’t like on xmas day, curse a while about how you always get rubbish presents, and then storm out of the house in a rage clutching said present and declaring that you are going to find that Santa Claus and sort him out once and for all.
Return at the end of your shift with a theatrical blackened eye and tell your kids to never mess with Santa, that mofo is one bad-ass mofo and he gets his elves to jump you when you complain…
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:07 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 8:25 am
But even worse than that is the fact that I have five holidays left and have booked four of them during the xmas/new year week, I’ll lose one day as we can’t carry them into next year. I’ve now been told that I have to cover two days in the xmas/new year week too, so that three days hols I’ll lose – and I’ve already booked eight days off between now and xmas … yes thats right, don’t ever go a full year without taking any of your holidays from work, its a buggah of a job trying to fit them all into december.
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 9:21 am
Like Rosie says;’I love it when you talk dirty’ sorry, that’s something else. The point I was actually going to make was that my Danish chums, and it seems a lot of Central Europe, make more of a fuss of Christmas Eve, and it is then that they have their traditional dinner. So it could be an education as well as logistical side-shifting genius.
SingleParentDad´s last blog ..Ignoring the injustice
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:08 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 9:46 am
I always think its whatever works for you and your family !
Penny
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:10 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 9:47 am
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:10 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 9:57 am
The OB and I are spending actual christmas with our respective parents, so we’re holding our christmas a few days early….”christmas eve” (20th december) we’re going to mass (well, Robin Ince’s 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People), “christmas day” we’re having a big dinner and present giving, and “boxing day” we plan to do sweet FA, before then going visiting on the 23rd
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:11 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 10:24 am
It does suck big salty monkey balls to have to work on Christmas, but like you said, you are lucky to have avoided in this far. fingers crossed that next year you won’t be working AND you’ll get into the Christmas spirit on time.
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:12 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 10:38 am
This year christmas is going to be easy, Tom will be happy chewing the wrapping paper and we won’t get a worse night’s sleep than we usually do.
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:18 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 10:43 am
This year my sister is working on the day, so the real Christmas will be on boxing day, although we’ll go to the in-laws on Christmas day.
Go for whatever works for you! And damn those advent calendars for giving the game away. My eldest niece is now 8, so think she’ll notice this year, but no harm done.
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:21 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Christmas morning, we woke up to stockings at home, and played with all are gifts from the night before…
I was always a happy kid! :) I got my presents before most of my frineds.. and I was allowed to stay awake.. or at least I believed it was midnight.. was it?!?! I dunno. Best part.. I saw Santa every year!
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:24 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Will the kids not turn on the telly on Christmas day? Queens speech? Top of the pops?
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:25 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 1:46 pm
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:26 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 6:46 pm
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 7:10 pm
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:29 pm
I’ve worked it twice before and was absolutely miserable.
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
It finally occured to me that working on Christmas day was the way to go. (granted, I didn’t have to be at work until 3pm). By the time I left for work, the house was a mess, the kids were knee deep in new toys… no one ever missed me leaving.
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:30 pm
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Are go go hamsters the in thing in your house this xmas or is it HSM all the way? It’s all films featuring zombies here and Lady Diane too of course.
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Evan just wants every single thing he sees on TV adverts, so that’s pretty easy.
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 11:33 pm
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Dan Reply:
December 5th, 2009 at 12:39 am
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on Dec 3rd, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Move it to Christmas Eve an call it a “Continental Christmas”. Sounds chique and does the trick.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas!
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Dan Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:56 pm
If a continental christmas is anything like a continental breakfast I want nothing to do with it. Pastry and chocolate instead of saussages and bacon. Pah!
But you’re right, we should sell it like it’s a cultural learning experience.
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Kath. Reply:
December 4th, 2009 at 12:46 am
And actually, a continental breakfast is more like an espresso and a cigarette. Or was it a vodka?
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on Dec 4th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Anyways..I’ve celebrated it yesterday (3rd of dec) with my colleagues and will even move the 5th of december more extremely with my parents, brother & sister to a whopping 19th of december..how’s that for adapting..that’s almost christmas!!
*hurray..got the 3 hour dvd of Das Boot yesterday.
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Dan Reply:
December 4th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Three christmas celebrations seems a little greedy to me.
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Arjan Reply:
December 4th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
we don’t have presents at christmas but yes…greedy nonetheless:P
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on Dec 4th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Do you know our kids only get their presents from Sinterklaas on the morning of the sixth? Everything is relative. I know parents who do “New Year” at nine pm every year. Even change the clocks to fool the kids.
You the daddy. You can change it.
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Dan Reply:
December 4th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
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on Dec 8th, 2009 at 5:42 am
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Dan Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Hang on… I haven’t just get embroiled in a domestic argument have I?
Dan´s last blog ..Star Wars: A Small Hope
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on Dec 15th, 2009 at 2:37 am
And besides, Dads aren’t needed once the batteries are in the toys (and hey! you’re getting a break from having to do the cooking).
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on Jan 11th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
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