What did you get for Xmas?

[skirtingtoday]

I got a playstation 3 game Skyrim (Elder Scrolls V) - managed to play it virually all day yesterday (Boxing day) - a huge virtual world to explore which I have only just scraped the surface of. Tremendous game!.. and worth the purchase of the PS3 for that alone (if you don't already have one)

Also a rescue wood for those long summer evenings and weekends playing golf!

[Kirbstone]

Nothing remotely exciting...Just two books. 'A walk around the Lakes' by Hunter Davies. (A visit to Britain's Lake District, illustrated), which I haven't started yet, and a Book of Rachmaninov Predudes, which quasi-musical geeks like me read with their fingers, and I've been right the way through two of them yesterday....My sight reading is a long way short of a 'performance'!.... As a bonus at the end it has the Paginini Variations, and I've had a crack at Nr. 18, which is the most popular one, most frequently played.

Oh yes!....and a (bifurcated) Mens' Pyjamas!

Tom K.

[ChrisM]

A veritable mountain of gifts, but outstanding among them were: A digital facsimile edition of a novel written by my great grandfather in 1897, and of course long out of print, from #2 daughter, a pair of bright purple stilettos (shoes) and a bottle of perfume from #1 daughter, some lovely dress shirts and an orbital sander from my lady wife.

And countless smiles,laughs, and good times.

Chris

[STEVIE]

10 pork pies and a rhubarb tart. Therein hangs a tale. I have requested these items, facetiously, for quite some time now. Son decided to take me quite literally this year. The pies, quite delicious, I cannot bring myself to eat cooked rhubarb even though I love it raw.
He did throw in a very decent bottle of wine and a round of brie which I stlll have to broach. From daughter, a very nice pullover and a Stephen King novel, I am an avid fan of his books. From the wife 2 pairs of trousers, inappropriate, and a red waistcoat, chosen by me.
A rather mixed bag I would say and mostly well received.
A merry Christmas to one and all.
Steve.

[kingfish]

A three crock pot buffet server, a couple of polo shirts, and enough cookies (and other goodies) to put a good 10 pounds back around my waist!

[Departed Member]

So often I see people have got food, consumable & safe, generally. I did get food related subscription to Good Food magazine, though - loved to have the purple stilettos & orbital sander, too.

I got myself a couple of tickets for the Sale Sharks v London Irish game at the Madjeski stadium in Reading.
I'm sure there will be something nice on the sale rails, too.

[STEVIE]

Please enlighten Sale Sharks v London Irish, what game?

[Milfmog]

Stevie,

Google Sale Sharks v London Irish and the first three hits will be the Sale Sharks official website, the London Irish website and then planet rugby discussing change to the starting XV... I reckon that is fairly clear; rugby and not the poncy 13-man-a-side version so liked by the flat cap brigade ( ).

Have fun,


Ian.

[STEVIE]

Ian,
I did the search after the post. Yes, rugby and I am not a great fan of any spectator sports, so non the wiser to any of the finer points or the various participants. From a Scot, I will commit sacrilege, rugby is better to watch than football.
Steve.

[Kirbstone]

Coming from and living on an island where we have to divide our meagre young man-power between three types of football (Rugby Union, Soccer, & Gaelic) I now refer to another national game here, Hurling, which is played on a Gaelic pitch 170 yds long and scoring is done below the bar (goals) and above between the uprights (Points)
The ball is this game is a stitched skin covered 'Sliothar', which I believe is also used by the Scots for Shinty, their version of hurling, the shinty stick being a hockey-like weapon with a triangular business-end cross section, giving two lofted facets with which to strike the ball. Now there's a spectator sport worth watching.

As an aside....My younger brother John played for London Irish Firsts in a previous incarnation.

Tom K.

[Departed Member]

Sorry, just to clarify, the game is on 8th Jan at the Madkesski stadium. Rugby union, yes, not League, which is also quite good but doesn't quite get me going as much, really.
Will be going with the wife, but I have also found that we will be going to the stand where home supporters are more numerous.
Good job it's rugby, not football.

Rugby - a game played by men with funny shaped balls!

[Kirbstone]

Now Purecotton, Lets dispel the wool around this stadium in Reading and clarify:

The place is spellt Madejski. Probably sponsored by the Hotel group, hence the daft name. Fine stadium though. Were I there I'd be rooting for L. Irish, of course!

I had zero talent for Rugby (or any other ball game) and became a Wet Bob. That's the Etonian name for a rower. (The Cricketers are Dry Bobs) I used to keep my private single racing sculling boat for many years at the Reading R.C. boathouse near Caversham Br. in a previous incarnation for me, when I lived in N. Hampshire.

Tom K.

[Departed Member]

Your spelling, of course, is correct, however the idea of the stadium was from a man called Madejski who may have also been a hotel chain entrepeneur, too. I have never been to the stadium, but am really looking forward to it. I, too was not good enough for rugby as that was what the boarders did, & I was not one of those smarmy, bulling, . . . . . . . .etc.

As far as the rowing goes, I was a stroke in a four with (but not at) Winchester. Loved every minute, except when I was fired when I had the cheek to say I was going to concentrate on my upcoming exams (which I didn't do very well at). I now watch the rowers on the Thames sometimes & think " . . . I remember when . . . . "

[phathack]

On Monday Dec 26th one of the online stores where I purchase skirts put a nice looking leather skirt on sale for half price so I ordered it.
It was delivered Today, 5 days from order to delivery. It usually takes them 4 or 5 days just to get a shipment out the door so its usually a two week order process. I am so surprised.

I'm wearing the skirt now and I think its going to be a real keeper.
Consider this an Xmas present to myself.

[crfriend]

What did this contributor "get" for Christmas? Quite in defiance of modern "tradition", I received nothing material save for a darned good meal with enough leftovers for a few days' time. What was vastly more important, and more enjoyable, was the time I got to spend with my dear wife while we both worked as a team making the evening meal. We should do this more often, I suspect.

When it comes to matters material, both of us are more than capable of procuring things we each desire on our own. Sapphire once in a while surprises me with pistachios (a favourite vice) or good beer (another favourite vice), and I make sure I help her out with matters she'd like help with (like doing laundry, shovelling snow, assembling small structures, and keeping the computers running); however, if I covet something I just buy it and she does the same.

It's the time, companionship, and camaraderie that's special -- for those are time-bound (No, I am not being morbid. Really!) and hence vastly more important than material bits.