Tree is done. I'm pretty pleased with the result, although it does give me slight Dalek vibes

✅ pulled an all nighter from 4pm to 7am and actually completed everything in the project with the hours given

✅ packed everything up and returned it all to the office

✅ actually had a good one on one reconciliatory chat with the boss who owned up to being severely burnt out and dropping the ball with staff - seriously planning to accelerate his retirement and handing over of the business

✅ still made it to the Christmas thing and actually enjoyed it - even won $50 - and had many long goodbyes, everything ending on a good note

✅ jammed in some last minute heavy grocery shopping on the way home despite insane traffic, and then dropped the car off elsewhere with 5 min to spare

✅ grabbed some brisling sardines on the way back for a simple repast of rice and fish

✅ almost caught up on messages, finally sinking into the couch; fully awake and engaged for 34 hours and counting...

At long last, it is all done. And I am proud of myself for finally arriving here. I'm so happy that the slate is clean and I made it... Bring on the next chapter in the new year!!!

But for now, an extremely well deserved sleep.

Last two Christmas markets are both in Cologne. Cologne has a bunch of markets and we visited 4 of them. Our last day today was very wet and windy, so in the end it was a bit of a down day because we were a bit melancholy about our holiday finishing and having to head back to reality. It’s been an amazing trip and we’ve had such an incredible time.

Best markets: Würzburg (our first proper Christmas market and it snowed, plus Ravenna Gorge and the medieval-themed market in Munich because it was just so much fun (there was an Irish folk band playing and the vibes were super fun).

Cheers everyone and Merry Christmas 🍺🧑‍🎄🎉🎁🎄🎁🎅🤶 🐖🥔🎀

The man won this at the work party. Missed out on the coffee machine but it's Bailey's so not disappointed.

Trigger warning: self harm (historical)

OH CHRIST JESUS.
I thought I'd mentioned that Zooks caught a rat and then it escaped under the couch when she did the Yowl of Triumph, but that was when some of us were having login problems (including me).
Well I thought it had escaped but either I somehow missed it or it came back and carked it under the other couch - not the one that I sit on but the one I've been using as a laundry folding station. I thought somethng smelt meaty, checked under the couch, and... yep.
I loathe dealing with dead things but I couldn't really call the lawn guy at 10 at night and I didn't want to have it in the house overnight, so I got it outside and in the bin - after having to put it back in the bag after I thought it was gathered up and then realising the bag felt suspiciously light. Uggghhhhh.
Eucalyptus oil is sprinkled on the spot, both loungeroom windows are open and the fan is on, and since I had washing on that couch, it's all in the washing machine - since the lot next door is vacant.
Now I'm having one of the vodka cruisers I luckily bought today and am going to watch something fluffy and consoling.

FUCKOFF FRIDAY: "Boxing Day Sales" are meaningless when they start before Boxing Day. I've seen several big-name stores saying BOXING DAY SALES NOW ON.. it's not Boxing Day. Same thing happened with "Black Friday" sales.

I know it's kind of petty of me to be annoyed by this but if they're going to keep starting their 'X-Day' sales earlier and earlier to try and get a jump on getting customers before their competitors rather than actually competing on price, just scrap the concept entirely or call it a 'season' sale or something.

i don't know how i can fall asleep tonight it's been so long so much happened i'm so so excited to see them again

Call me a Grinch but I hate this time of year.

This Christmas I'll be having pot noodle and a walk, I think.

For anybody having a Christmas party today stay safe and have fun.

Ps. I think you can take pics in portrait now.

Yes you can! This is Christmas day 2015.

Hey. 😊

2:27 Solstice has rounded. 🔥🌞🔥 Bless’d Be, and Party On.

My end of work year tradition is going out for a burger and pint to celebrate the start of holidays. About to try Sonny’s in Carlton, inside the Curtin. Haven’t been here in ages, doesnt feel like it’s changed at all. Not every pub needs a bougie makeover.

A big old lampshade was left at the food cupboard (some people seem to turn everywhere in to a dump site) and I grabbed it. Once I replace the cover with some netting it should be a perfect cabbage-moth free zone to grow some pak choy in.

Haven't been listening to much music lately, but currently drunk and listening to some favs. Feels good 👍

What's going on here? Anyone still alive? Hello.

I just made an emergency run for sprinkles, and the shops are a bit chaotic. Carpark gridlock and people swarming everywhere, I almost ran over an old woman crossing the road. Then I had one of those illuminating moments where I realised the "old woman" was probably around my age 🤣

I did at least secure a packet of sprinkles (the last one on the shelf).

I forgot to put up my advent calendar decorations forgot to play my xmas albums tree still isn't up looks like this is the first year I just don't have it in me

Thought this would have like a little seaweed salty taste, it does not, and at $5.50 a can I feel annoyed.

I think I might make a gingerbread Christmas tree today to take to work on Sunday. I saw one that does every second biscuit as a sugar biscuit not gingerbread, which both looks good and suits people who don't like gingerbread. Last time I made one I used too much icing between the biscuits to join it together and it stuck as a solid gingerbread lump, so I won't be doing that again. I might skip the icing all together, just stack them up and dust with icing sugar.

Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time... for y'all have knocked her up. I have tasted the maggots in the mind of the universe... I was not offended - for I knew I had to rise above it all, or drown in my own shit.

Just standing waiting for my take away sandwich at my local listening to this guy do from what I can gather is some phone interview. He is complaining about the diversity at the ABC and how the weatherman who's in a wheel chair is hard to hear and one of the camp/gay presenters (his words) are hard to watch, he finds it repulsive? What the duck is wrong with people?

Well, I'm done for the working year!🍾🎉 I'm enjoying my gorgeous geisha tea gift with my feet up.

Picked up the giant present. Got what I thought was a giant bag for it and of course it’s too small. Now I have to figure out if I want to wrap it…

Still need to pick up something from the post office.

And people cannot drive. 😑

I have now eaten way too much and now cannot move

Damn you, Alimentari.

The shops in the cbd are pretty empty, everyone is home shopping in thier suburban areas. 👍

Slept and slept well! Feeling like a human being again today. Just under 3 hours to go until the bosses informally tell us we can finish up at lunch time like they do every year before xmas. Wondering if I want to go for a drive to buy some ludicrously loud summer and/or Hawaiian shirts to brighten up my wardrobe for the sunny season and also for the cruise. Not sure if Friday afternoon before Christmas or post-Boxing day week would be more hectic.

The Afternoon of the Solar Year Commenceth.

I don't like the gingerbread recipe I used, the dough was a sticky mess and really hard to work with. I had to roll it between baking paper sheets, scrape away the dough around the cutters, and transfer them to the tray still on the paper. The first lot of biscuits are out of the oven and look good at least.

The second lot of sugar biscuits have the opposite problem - the dough really hardened up after chilling so I'm having to let it warm up so I can roll it.

Edit: the sugar biscuit dough was much nicer to work with. All the biscuits are now cut, just waiting on the baking. There is plenty of dough left of both types, so I'll bake some biscuits on Boxing Day to take in for the other team I work with.

Last day of Washmas, that sacred time of year where after many moons of monsoonal cairns-like weather I spend three days and three nights working through the backlog of washing to ensure clean underpants for the new year.

One Day More!

Why does everything fun involve washing up? Please send house elves.

Ooo @Duenan@aussie.zone it's getting interesting now.

Breakfast 🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍈🫐🍓🍇🍉🍌🍒🍑🥭🍍🥥🥦🥑🫛🍆🍅🥝🥬🥒🌽🥕🥐🍠🫚🥔🧅🥯🍞🥖🥨🧀🧇🥞🧈🍳🥚🥓🥩🍗🍖🫓🍕🍟🍔🌭🥙🧆🌮🌯🥗🍲🍜🍝🥘🍛🍣🍱🥟🦪🍥🍘🍚🍙🐠🍤🪼🦀🐙 🍗🥮🍢🍡🍧🍰🧁🥧🍦🍨🎂🍮🍭🍬🍫🥜🌰🍪🍿🍯🥛☕️🍵🍺🍶🥤🧋🧃🥂🍷🥃🍸🍹🧉🔋

Last day of work. I'm not achieving much, brain thinks the holidays have already started. Tying up some loose ends and everything else is a new year problem. So keen for the few weeks off.

Nothing like a 14 hour end of year reset sleep. Now to clean up and wrap a couple last minute presents.

And hello! I have been lurking here from a different instance but they keep having tech difficulties so I've joined the aussie zone instance.

Shirley Manson let's loose at a Christmas concert

Really winning this holiday season, fucked my leg and now I have a huge coldsore (this thing is bordering on having its own orbit)....

Phew. Finished work until after Christmas (I'm working the 27th and 28th) and got the last of the supplies - I just have to take around some more chocs and make the house look like humans live here, as Mum used to say.
Also called work about difficult client and only have to go once more (first job on the 27th alas). So major brownie points acquired for sucking it up for one last shift and then I never have to see them again. \O/

I'm in the sort of mood where there may end up being a cricut stencil of the garden of earthly delights on the bathroom wall.

Today is coriander dry seed harvest day.

They've been in since feb.

Now there's a bit of debate as to how you go about it. One thought is to get a bunch of paper bags, hang them in bunches upside down and they magically fall off.

I have not found that to actually work.

But believe me best bet I've found is lay down some newspaper and go manually into a bowl which sucks and also brings us to today's RAVE CHOON:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUGy7NIzrXY

Hey @Duenan@aussie.zone who you going for tonight the Sixers or Strikers at the SCG?

I don't like pop music much but I really like Dua Lipa. I only know 3 songs but I like them.

The best Christmas song ever.

https://youtu.be/N-PyWfVkjZc?si=vP6h7vYDuBzcK6Py

You know when you're on the home page and in the box it says Active, New, Old, Controversial. What does Scaled mean?

Last rave choon for the day: year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AKSpPkZAuE

Just going to continue my drunken ranting. The Dixie Chicks being forced to be called The Chicks, and Lady Antebellum similarly changing their name to Lady A is bullshit.