...and Santa will be here. At least I hope he will. Otherwise I have the sum total of ONE present to open this christmas which is by FAR the worst I've managed to date.

It's a sign of getting older I suppose. Less presents every year...

Maybe I've not been good enough.

I've had NOTHING from mum, dad, gramps, sister, nieces; nowt, nothing, nada.

And I know it's not the be all and end all to receive things but a CARD, or a greeting, or a phone call or ANYTHING would be nice!!!

I'm feeling very neglected and forgotten on the wrong side of the world.

So I will take this opportunity to count my blessings and thank you all for your support, your good vibes and interesting conversations.

Much love and best wishes for christmas and to a better year ahead to you all, my friends.

Merry Christmas Pud's Friend. I do hope that tomorrow brings you many pleasant surprises.

Off to bed now or Santa won't arrive....

Merry Christmas!!! It is part of getting older and so many nieces and nephews and grandkids getting expensive but loving a gift and being young. My stocking is hung by the chimney with care, I'm no idiot, Been slipping small things I get into it for me. Think I'll put my wrinkle cream in next. I bought a cool new mouse pad (much needed other is backing disintegrating it's so old) that says Geek Jolly Rodger and has the traditional handicapped stick figure in part of a circle to represent wheelchair. But figure had bandanna, etc. I know what the package is, but no one else does. Getting DVDS from kids but got charged on-line on my credit card. It seems just mean and petty to demand money from them on Christmas Eve. I'm sure to get myself what I need. Christmas gets worse every year. My mom (gone 30 years now) was super at Christmas. Ah, Merry Christmas to you. If I see you, got a big wrapped present for you. LOL

Yeah, Pud I know what you mean. I got a coffee pot. Good thing though, cuz the old one was incontinet. all over the counter, all the time. It was nasty, you know?

Kicker, lol... I got me some wrinkle stuff too....Maybe get a bottle of Jose Quervo to go with it.

Hey Pud~ Christmas just isn't what it used to be. I agree Kick~ Mom's had a way of making Christmas special. I used to say Mom must have stuck her lil pinkie finger in her batches of fudge to make them so yummy. No one to this day can make it quite like Mom.

I think as we get older, we truly DO get the true meaning of Christmas, and it's not by how many electronic gadgets or gifts are under the tree. I sure don't feel like it's the holiday season, but if I look out my window and see the snow, I'm jolted back to the reality of Winter. (except it's raining right now)

Happy Holidays Pud and everyone else.

DM -

You're right. And I kind of think there are things I don't have sure, but a lot I do have that others don't. They guys dh works with have never seen snow.

*We* may not be thrilled to have it for Christmas, but some people might really miss it. I took some video to send so he can share it with them. It's as close as we can get them. Maybe next year, we'll have the house decent and we can invite them up so they can see why we complain about it, lol.

Kicker, lol... I got me some wrinkle stuff too....Maybe get a bottle of Jose Quervo to go with it.[/QUOTE]

Maybe after Jose Quervo,who cares. I like Jack Daniels. Their slogan is "everyday we make it the best we can."

Well, what a day !!! Only the one huge surprise...

my dad phoned me first thing- for the first time in 3 years.

Who told him? C'mon. Own up. Or did a collective vibe of 'That's a bad dad' go across the pond for me?
He did say sorry and all that but I actually cut him short as DH had just come home and we had our own thing to do before he slept again.

So here I sit, officially a SUDOKU addict thanks to my new Nintendi thing and my DH. Brain trainer makes me 53 currently

And to my Utah friend, I just tried to work out the time difference to you and I see it's not even christmas with you yet !! Mine's finished, my family's is just beginning and yours isn't anywhere near starting yet. That Santa guy's got HEAPS of time to go round everyone!!

The world's so BIG isn't it?

and no; I haven't had a drink (yet).

I know exactly how you feel pud. I worked hard to make sure all had gifts that were throughtful, and useful. I shop all year, so I avoid the christmas rush. That means I think of you ALL year, and dont just dash out at christmas time. I got my DH several nice things that he had been wishing for, and the same for DD and DS. neighbors, friends, family and so on.

I knew it was going to be true, but didnt want to believe it. Christmas morning has come and ...I have ONE gift. My DH wrapped the box from the food processor that WE bought with my mothers gift card that she sent to both of us. So, I guess this means he is taking credit for her gift? AND, it means that HE didnt personally go out and buy a thing!

I am feeling quite sad this season. My DD and DS are gone living lives of their own. No grandkids yet, so their lives are filled with friends, and parties, and trying to impress bosses and co workers first. My mom and family are far away. My in laws are not too far, but still not here. The FIL died this year. We no longer live in the state where we worked for decades, so we miss our friends.

I announced to the DH this morn over our eggnog french toast that I am leaving. Not for good mind you, but I need to get out of here! I miss my family, I miss my friends. I am kinda lonely out here in the back woods. If I dont take a mental health break and get outta here, I am gonna either snap and go mental, or go quiet and allow the isolation to take me.

Before you say it, I KNOW i am depressed, but I also know its situational, and can be changed by getting off my dead butt and doing something about it. My Christmas present to me, is a plane ticket back home to visit friends and family that i havent seen in about 5 years. I leave mid january.

its sad when you work really hard, and while you dont do it to get things in return, it hurts none the less when nothing comes back at you.

I think we're cosmic twins Dej.

Let's get it all out...

Our families are bad to us, they are selfish, nobody has thought about US, we have done our best (I sent our gifts in September) and yes, it does stink that no thought was spent on us. It hurts, it weighs heavy and it upsets us.

I feel like going home and shouting at them 'I'm sick and I managed to get my gifts to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' you bunch of fools.

When did I become the black sheep of the family? ? what was I doing at the time? ? was I not paying attention? how did that happen?