Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

Doozergirl

michaels wrote: »

Happy Christmas DG. I am still feeling guilty every day that stuff I said before was part of the reason for you posting less so it is great to hear from you.

Sorry. Perhaps it wasn't fair to leave you feeling guilty. I didn't appreciate that would happen.

We all do the best we can and we enjoy different things. I was upset about being put into a box, on more than one occasion, that has a label of 'people like us' on it. If you're going to judge me, it's actually none of my business, but I would prefer if it wasn't on a stereotype. There are 7 billion people on this planet and there is only one me. The great news is that we all won that lottery, and that is also what joins us.

Merry Christmas.

Doozergirl

SingleSue wrote: »

I've not seen them around either but then I haven't been the most observant just recently.

Feeling more awful today than yesterday, got so much to do today but I fear it is all going to have to go on the back burner. I have to be ok for tomorrow, got to hit the ground running first thing in the morning!

You take on so much. I spent too many years trying to make things perfect and repeatedly made myself ill. There's no use doing the same things and expecting a different result. It may well be that others aren't capable of stepping up to the plate, but it doesn't mean that you are either. It needs to be managed, and spread out - both in time and responsibility.

I've learned to relax now. I haven't wrapped a present yet, I should get onto that now but have put the whole day aside for that today and will pull out my new copy of the Radio Times for TV to keep me company in a bit. Christmas is a season to be enjoyed, not a day to run perfectly to a script that we impose on ourselves.

Don't be hard on yourself and be mindful of every minute. Try to enjoy the 'doing' and not place the emphasis on getting things 'done', if you see what I mean. If stuff doesn't happen, stuff it, just enjoy what you can do. 🙂

Pyxis

silvercar wrote: »

Anyone heard from chewy?

Don't remember a Chewy.

I saw Spirit somewhere, but can't remember where.

Doozergirl wrote: »

Sorry. Perhaps it wasn't fair to leave you feeling guilty. I didn't appreciate that would happen.

We all do the best we can and we enjoy different things. I was upset about being put into a box, on more than one occasion, that has a label of 'people like us' on it. If you're going to judge me, it's actually none of my business, but I would prefer if it wasn't on a stereotype. There are 7 billion people on this planet and there is only one me. The great news is that we all won that lottery, and that is also what joins us.

Merry Christmas.

That's a nice thing to say! :cool:

Group hug everyone!:)





Season of reconciliation! Wheeeee!


.

PasturesNew

SingleSue wrote: »

...was his first choice...

I have zero decision making skills. I'd like to choose one (quickly), then get it offered... job done.

Anything else would send me into a meltdown of indecision .... choice is great, if you want it. Choice sucks for many.

PasturesNew

Things you learn from "your first Christmas". Where "first" means that you have to actually do something, do everything, to make sure you got what was needed, by the deadline.... it's therefore my first.

When you've parents, you don't do it; you do some of it, maybe even "close to all of it" on their behalf.... If you've a partner/family then they'll be putting in their suggestions and wants. But to be the sole driver and the gopher is different - there's nobody giving you any orders, or suggestions.

So, I'd heard all this bleating about starting early.

Utter rubbish.

I've heard about people who leave everything until Xmas Eve.

I'd recommend that.

What I've learnt so far is:

- food, get it all in the last two days; it's all there, in the shops - and you only have to trawl round them all looking... you also get what they've got instead of leaving it as you've more time to look in other shops.

- treats, don't buy any whatsoever until at least the middle of the month. You'll just end up scoffing them. Best left until the last 2-3 days really.

That's it really.

If you start early you spend far too long thinking about it ... and making lists and faffing about. You then have pretty much everything and feel in limbo, and it "all goes flat" as you're ready, but the calendar's not.

It's just a dinner .... and some crisps, nuts, chocs.

Pyxis

PasturesNew wrote: »

Things you learn from "your first Christmas". Where "first" means that you have to actually do something, do everything, to make sure you got what was needed, by the deadline.... it's therefore my first.

When you've parents, you don't do it; you do some of it, maybe even "close to all of it" on their behalf.... If you've a partner/family then they'll be putting in their suggestions and wants. But to be the sole driver and the gopher is different - there's nobody giving you any orders, or suggestions.

So, I'd heard all this bleating about starting early.

Utter rubbish.

I've heard about people who leave everything until Xmas Eve.

I'd recommend that.

What I've learnt so far is:

- food, get it all in the last two days; it's all there, in the shops - and you only have to trawl round them all looking... you also get what they've got instead of leaving it as you've more time to look in other shops.

- treats, don't buy any whatsoever until at least the middle of the month. You'll just end up scoffing them. Best left until the last 2-3 days really.

That's it really.

If you start early you spend far too long thinking about it ... and making lists and faffing about. You then have pretty much everything and feel in limbo, and it "all goes flat" as you're ready, but the calendar's not.

It's just a dinner .... and some crisps, nuts, chocs.

I pretty much did that this morning. Hadn't been feeling well all week, but am better first thing, so I was at the supermarket 10mins before opening and got a car space near the entrance. I just went up and down the aisles getting what I fancied.. Some of it freezable if I decide not to [STRIKE]cook[/STRIKE]heat it all up.

If I feel up to it, I will go to Marks very early tomorrow, to get a ready meal turkey dinner, as I don't feel well enough to properly cook stuff, but if I don't go, I've got individual turkey dinner tartlets to have, plus other stuff, so it would be an interesting first! :rotfl:

Then it's the four Bs! :rotfl:
Plus t'internet! :rotfl:
You're never alone with a forum! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

PasturesNew

Pyxis wrote: »

get a ready meal turkey dinner

To be honest, I think I've tried too hard this year. I think it'll be a useful exercise to prove I can cook one for myself; that I can "bother". Realistically though, the quantities you have to buy/store mean it's just overwhelming.

I think the sweet spot is to have a ready meal as the core ... and select 2-3 extras to cook alongside it, extra.

I'm putting a lot of effort into "cheating" at it.... I had intended to roast spuds from scratch; yesterday I decided to buy frozen ones... but the packet says "30 mins", so I figured if I nuke them first I can cut that down to 10 mins. I was going to make a Yorkshire, the day before, then reheat it on the day - yesterday I decided to just buy a pack of four instead.

I'm doing the turkey breast tomorrow. On the day I'll nuke 1/4 of that, then shove in the mini oven to brown the top.

I've kind of ended up buying fresh veggies AND frozens....

I've got a parsnip; I'll roast that. Nuke, then roast for 20 minutes to brown.

Veggies will be steamed.

Cauli will be nuked, cheese-topped, browned in the mini oven.

On reflection .... I've got far too much and was trying "too hard" just to try to prove "it can be done". Of course it can be done.... there are no awards handed out for doing it though.

Next year I'll investigate ready meals and see how this year's effort/cost stacked up.

But, until you've done it, you can't choose to not do it - I didn't want to take the "cop out" route in year 1.... I'll do that next time.

I'll know by this time next week what's worked out best.

Ready meals don't give you "enough" of "the things you like to see", for me.... so I'd have to get "some extra bits/bobs" to add to one.

PasturesNew

I'm now eating .... Christmas dinner. Not all of it

I just thought I'd trial cooking the frozen spuds, see how they turned out. I managed to reduce the cooking time from 30 minutes down to 20 and am sitting here with a small bowl of roasties in Bisto gravy

Just a taster.

They work fine! Great. No worries with those then.

EDIT: mmm, well tasty. I had 130 grams. That's enough of a portion, alongside the other mountain of food I'll have on the plate in 2 days' time.

michaels

Doozergirl wrote: »

Sorry. Perhaps it wasn't fair to leave you feeling guilty. I didn't appreciate that would happen.

We all do the best we can and we enjoy different things. I was upset about being put into a box, on more than one occasion, that has a label of 'people like us' on it. If you're going to judge me, it's actually none of my business, but I would prefer if it wasn't on a stereotype. There are 7 billion people on this planet and there is only one me. The great news is that we all won that lottery, and that is also what joins us.

Merry Christmas.

What you don't realise was that rather than saying things aimed at you, I was actually just been ignorant/unfeeling in a sort of 'drunken bore with limited social skills at dinner party' sort of manner. I really don't judge other people, just because some things work/don't work for me doesn't mean I think others should have the same values - what a boring world that would be. I hope if you get value out of reading/posting on the NP thread that my boorishness won't stop you doing it in future.

PasturesNew

... and I didn't even notice anything'd happened.

Although, to be fair, I'd have not noticed anything had happened if I'd done/said it ... whatever it was .. and whenever.

Whoosh ... is the sound of everything passing me by.