And how much irn bru gets drunk!

Beery Christmas! *groan*

We bought the tree today Decorations and stockings will go up tomorrow after work.

We too bought the Tree today....But decorations will not come up yet, maybe on wednesday..or so. Still much to do at work so...

I am but a poor student so I also tend to go low-key on the Christmas decorations... that said, every year I try to get an Advent wreath set up in time for the first Advent (fourth Sunday before Christmas, in between the 27th of November and 3rd of December) and every year I run into new and interesting obstacles! This year, I bought a wreath that didn't work out (the ones you get in the UK are generally made for hanging on doors and stuff, so they're just branches twisted together without a base - Advent wreaths have candles on them, meaning that sort of construction isn't sturdy enough), then I finally managed to get green branches to make my own... from my PhD supervisor's hedge as he heard about my difficulties and offered. But then I couldn't find candles - proper Advent wreath candles need to be red and sort of squat, and the only ones satisfying that condition I could find here were scented. I have asthma so that was right out. Thankfully I still had some left over from a few years ago, but next year I'm getting my mum to send me a packet. The trials and tribulations of trying to manage Christmas decorations as a German expat, I tell you...

That said, I'm flying home (i.e., to my parents) on Tuesday and will be able to help put up and decorate the tree there - we do it on the morning of the 24th, don't know why all you strange people do it early

@Olen - it amuses me that I instantly know from your soft drink choice what country you're from! Although after a traumatic encounter in which I was expecting it to be Fanta, I haven't been overly fond of the stuff myself.

ROFL !!! I love Fanta too, lol.

The can is orange! ...partly orange! I claim false advertising!

I've fallen for the same thing with these stupid generic sodas - their label and name will trick if you aren't paying close attention - get home and find yourself drinking a tasteless (and very low carbonated) crappy imitation of Fanta.

We used to have a machine that gave out Fanta in glass bottles (and icy chilled!) - there is nothing that can compete with that flavor, not even the canned Fanta can match it!

This post has been edited by mALX: Dec 17 2011, 05:36 PM

Lol...How can anyone pick up a drink and not read what the label says?... ...

Love Fanta...Always have that when we go fasty foody...Loves me orange does I... ...

Ooh! Now that's something to be jealous of... we have one departmental soda machine but I've never used it after seeing five bottles hanging in a gravity-defying configuration (it's one of those where you select the row and column and the bottle in that position falls... or in our case, doesn't). As it is, I usually end up making myself tea in the kitchen instead.

And now I am craving Fanta and it is all your fault, do you hear?

Phew, sorry Ive been inactive the past... how long is that now?

Anyway, our decorationing is now finished. We have a proper live tree of course!

Ours is genuinely plastic... ...

Well, we're as ready as we'll ever be... ...

Yea that might come as a shock Frankly I've never met anyone who likes it who wasn't brought up on it (or for that matter anyone who was brought up on it who isn't moderatly obsessive about it). As far as I know it's the only soft drink in the world which locally outsells coca cola.

Just try being a scottish ex-pat anywhere. The proper stuff is only availible in the UK (and its rare outside Scotland) and Russia. Nothing else is anything like it - for those who don't know it's bright orange and very fizzy and tastes undescribable - slightly citrus, quite sweet but offset by the quinine bitterness and taste of chemical.

Anyway back to christmas decorations. My mother has a plastic tree and I'll be there for Christmas. She also has an unreasonable number of hanging ceiling decorations - I think I can guess whose job it will be to put them up.

I think it is more than slightly citrus, very flavorful actually. The rest of your description sounded accurate though, especially the high carbonation content (probably what creates the chemical flavor unless you're drinking from cans - that gives it the metallic taste, which is why I prefer the bottled if I can get it). I love it.

On the Xmas decorations, we are supposed to do them today. Our neighbor's have been competing since before Thanksgiving for the most obscene spectacles decorations against each other, we will stay out of that contest and just bask in the glow coming off their properties. I don't have to use indoor lighting at night, just draw back my curtains.

As an accountant I have found myself counting their bulbs (etc.) and multiplying the estimated wattage usage by the Kilowat hours base of our local electric company to guestimate their monthly electric bills. (and you thought accountants were boring !! HA !! )

H.E.R. I am so glad there is at least one of you with me on this!!! The kids will be gone for Christmas so I won't put up a tree at all....I will spend my day with my doggies, watching movies and reading and surfing the web...ah the peace and quiet....

Come on over Haute, we can enjoy the quiet together....lol

Just so you all know I am not a complete "outcast" for Christmas I spend several days before making homemade hard candy and chocolate dipped fruit and pretzels to distribute to the neighbors and friends....That is my JOY for the season, I truly do like do this, as for the rest, well, it's just way too much for me.

I'll be right there with you, Athynae. It's just me and Captain Bobo at home this year. Mr. Grits and offspring are going on our trip without me. I'm still, um, not sitting.

I think this will be my longest alone stretch ever. Even in college I had housemates. I'd rather be going on the trip (DAMMIT!), but I'm kind of looking forward to it.

The more the merrier I say. What's your poison? Tequila? Scotch? or just a couple glasses of perfectly aged wine? Or just a nice tall glass of true southern sweet tea? Just want to be prepared for my company...Is there a movie preference?

Last year was my first Christmas totally alone and although last year was rough for a lot of reasons being alone wasn't one of them. This year will be far different, and I will appreciate the company even if it is "cyber" company, lol.

I am sorry that you can't be with Mr. Grits and the wild...um I mean young ones (mine are referred to affectionately as the wild animals, sorry didn't mean to make any assumptions) But enjoying the peace and quiet is not a bad thing either.

You had me at ‘chocolate dipped pretzels.’


The talk of Irn Bru has this Christmas song in my head.