Christmas With The Kays

Christmas Eve was spent in the local. On arrival we found our table laid out with presents (from Denis, Mark and Jo) and Panettone. Mmm... Soon enough Mum, Stuart, Beth and George arrived and we settled down for a lovely meal followed by the quiz. Sadly Denis was a little worse for wear by the time the quiz came along and it took so long the others had to leave by the penultimate round. This was no major disaster as we still came... first! I know, it's a bit suspect but that's now 7 consecutive victories (ignoring our day off and the music quizzes). Left the pub like a pack horse, ladened with 12 bottles of wine, and all our gifts.

I was a tad annoyed to hear one of the members of another team (one who rarely makes it to the top three to boot!) came up to Jim and accused us of cheating. If he'd said that to me, I think I would have been very aggrieved but Jim handled it with good festive cheer which I think was the better way!

Christmas morning we headed down to Snodland to pick up my Nan. Sadly she wasn't quite ready by the time we got there so we parked up on Constitution Hill and whilst Jim caught a quick snooze I reminisced about the old video shop where my Mum worked whilst I was young, and the Lodge where my Nan worked and I used to hit up the old ladies for sweets and presents. Finally we picked her up, dropped by Great Aunt Joy's to get more presents and then we were on our way down to Hythe.

When we arrived at Hythe I opened the boot of the car to find we had brought LOTS of things. Presents, food and WINE. Lots, and lots, of wine. We settled down so that Nan, Jim and I could indulge in our delayed Christmas morning tradition of opening presents.

I was much pleased with my haul... the centre piece being a 1000 Marks Reichbank note from 1910 in perfect condition from Mum and Stuart. Also got: Stasi Hell or Workers' Paradise? Socialism in the German Democratic Republic from a Dear Constant Reader, Fragment from Beth, Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall and The Scottish Nation: 1700-2007 from Mum and Stuart, Guinness World Records 2010 from George, Calvin Klein's Crave from Jim (and some more from Mum and Stuart), a nice wine from Great Aunt Joy, Great Railways of the World from Denis and a tenner from my Nan. Most excellent present gathering indeed!

This was followed by an awesomely relaxing day with very little TV, lots of chats (and Nan anecdotes such as the time she used a teddy bear to pick up a dropped knife to avoid bad luck!) and a huge dinner. Beth and George went to their Dads in the evening and we settled in for Doctor Who and other festive TV. All very nice.

Boxing Day was again relaxing and after taking a Nan back home, Jim and I went down the pub for a locals night where leftover food was shared out and much Wii bowling occurred (I got a most excellent score of 198 but didn't make it to the final!!)

Yesterday was the laziest day in history during which I geeked out over railways and Jim played his guitar.

I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas time. I also hope you can forgive me for some of the forthcoming end of the decade nasel gazing that is to come this week. But don't worry there shall be an uplifting post at the end of the week looking to the future!

This blogger works for nothing but the joy of writing but always appreciates things bought from his wishlist