For a change I've actually got the majority of my Christmas shopping already sorted (thank you Amazon). It was even delivered sensibly and for a change HDNL didn't leave it proped up against my front door in full view of the street.

Getting the tree and decorations up today.
I've got most of the presents already, just the wife's present from our son to go.

The other good news...... My orange and cranberry cakes have arrived from Betty's

I bought the traditional double issue of RadioTimes today.

I wish I hadn't bothered, to be frank.

Thanks to the bad scheduling of Christmas this year , we don't even get coverage into the new year. The listings stop on 30 December. Like heck am I buying another issue just to get the NYE/NYD schedules.

Having spent the best part of two hours flicking through to mark up films and festive fun I'd like to watch, I have to say the offerings are pretty thin on the ground. A couple of movies worth catching, one or two "specials", but otherwise dull as dishwater. I rather think I will be sharing quality time with Best Beloved, the cats and my hobbies. If the weather permits I suspect I'll be out with the camera gear.

www.radiotimes.com

Surely buying the paper version for the scheduling is rather redundant these days...

Ah, that abomination of a web site. I left them when they "revamped" it in September and seriously borked key functionality many regular users relied on.

I now use My LocateTV, but even that's a poor substitute for the original RT site.

I get the dead tree version of RT this time of year because I like to see what's coming up over the whole period. I plan ahead and set the various PVRs and whatnot to catch everything for later consumption. By the looks of it, it's not going to be taxing anything much.

I wish we could, that's the trouble with a Finnish GF - it has often been the case when we've been over there we get the tree on Christmas Eve.

I reckon the start of next week will be doable, otherwise we'll be left with a choice of twigs from the shops.

Final present of the GFs turned up today.

Its about the only time I buy one now

Just opened our first presents

Edd got his first present a few weeks ago

I'm quite getting excited about the entire festive thing this year. We've got Yule tomorrow with JJ and KW coming for the weekend, I've planned a big feast and have been getting the house ready for the next couple of weeks, enthusiastically changing and washing sheets, towels etc, making sure the spare room is ready for guests and planning the actual xmas weekend,

Today I'm getting my tat finished and hopefully a large chunk of the xmas shopping which is still outstanding, I have stocking pressies to buy and parcels to fill and get ready for sending, I am really enjoying myself, making sure I have little things for everyone and deciding on a gift for Red, he's difficult to buy for because he never knows what he wants so I have to stock up the things he talks about and choose from those, as well as providing suggestions to the rest of the family.

Anyway, I'm off to town to do my bits of shopping and get ready for my tat, quite nervous about getting it finished because I responded so badly to the pain during the first bit, but I'm just going to have to grit my teeth and get it over with!

Work crimbo party last night.... didn't spend a penny on drinks and it wasn't particularly dry either too much wine, shots (2 rounds of hot as in temp shots and jagerbombs) and pints, got a lift home off someone too so not even a taxi

Aside from feeling groggy from the 3 hours sleep not hungover

And it's snowing

Not when we were instructed to open it before we left for the Fatherland.

Anyway, I'm counting it as a belated St. Nicholas' Day present.

Its safe but needs sound on.
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/11/egreetings/image/01.swf

Speaking of dead birds, a blackbird decided to commit hari kari against my window this morning. Currently residing at the top of a wheelie bin.