I wanted to wish everyone a fantastic Christmas, albeit a day early. Whatever you're doing tomorrow I hope you have fun and spending it with those you'd prefer to be around. Apologies to those spending it with the in-laws

I'm just messing about the in-laws bit. I'm actually spending tonight and tomorrow with them but the good thing is I really do like them and we always have good times. In fact I'm doing the cooking this year - my first attempt at making Christmas dinner.

I've started early and my Turkey is already basted, layered with bacon and slowly roasting in the oven. The gammon joint is soaking in water and I think I'll just roast that tomorrow. Whilst my missus is unfortunately at work I'm having a day of cooking with the local rock radio station on and shooting the shit online.

Let me know what you've got planned folks.

Merry Christmas to you Turi. Im spending the holidays as usual in Germany with my girlfriends family. In Germany we present the gifts on Christmas Eve after they come back from the church. For dinner we will be having goose this year which is a first for me.

It's always a nice time and i always looks forward to this during the year..

Christmas Eve in Brooklyn.

To all who are celebrating, a Merry Christmas.

SC

Ha ha ha ha! Great cartoon.

Thanks Turi and good for you getting into the kitchen and cooking, a big Christmas meal, no less. I'm sure everything will turn out great.

I'll add my Holiday cheer to all my friends here on the BB. As for me, I'll be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with my daughters, and son-in-law, grandkids, who are at the "perfect" Santa Claus age, eagerly awaiting his arrival.

I'll be off shortly to do some holiday baking.

TIS

To everyone (Dutch);) :

"Vrolijk kerstfeest en een gelukkig en gezond nieuwjaar!"

If you've just called my mother a slag I won't be happy!

Ha ha ha! I just love your humor Turi! (don't quite know what a slag is, but I get your drift) Shouldn't you be in the kitchen though, slaving over the hot stove?


TIS

No problemo, you can't read Dutch, so you can't understand, so no reason to be unhappy anyways ...

I think he called your rats "mice on steroids".

Hehe, a slag is a woman that easily sleeps around.

I'm done in the kitchen today. Turkey beautifully cooked, carved and refrigerated for tomorrow. Pigs in blankets and stuffin just tucked away and ready for the oven too. I think I'm gonna do my gammon in the slow cooker overnight and that's the hard work done, I'll just need to do the veg. My missus will be finishing work now, coming home. We'll get cleaned and changed and then off to her mum and dads for a Christmas Eve curry and drinks.

Merry Christmas to everyone (except M.M Floors, cause I ain't Dutch) and a happy healthy New Year to everyone here.

As for me, I'm doing the usual: Christmas Eve in Bklyn at my husband's grandmother's house. The usual parking nightmare will ensue, my husband's blood pressure will rise, the cussing will escalate, the "why the hell do I come here anymore" will surely be said about a thousand times with a bunch of f-bombs in between and then onto Mass with the rest of Bensonhurst, dinner which will leave me smelling of bacala (keep your nasty jokes to yaselves ) for the rest of 2012 and then the gifts.

Christmas morning we're at our house with the kids, our gifts and Santa's gifts (my daughter still believes, at least that's what she tells us). Then we spend the rest of the day at my parent's house for dinner and opening their gifts over there.


New Year's Eve: I'll be in Atlantic City with my husband.

And there you have it. Ta Daaa.

I lived in Bensonhurst for two years and HATED it because of the parking. Good luck tonight.

lol, The parking is still bad, but the less you go there, the more it irritates you when you do. Although, my husband is becoming much more impatient the older he gets. Maybe I should have him neutered, like Lil Caesar.

HO HO HO HO , yes Merry Christmas to all.

Having oyster stew tonight ,crackers, cheese, cold cuts. Hot apple cider.

Merry Christmas to you, Frosty. Ya zagnut.

Merry Christmas to everyone on the BB! Time to drink..

Damm, tears are comin to my eyes, Tx, and Blake, Nicky you youngens enjoy it while you can , oh Carmela you to, youngen !

It's not a very white Christmas in Canada this year.



Under the tree.







I'm 22 years old and I still have my Ninja Turtles stocking LOL

Nice stockings Blake. ,)

The First Presents: The Grankids had a ball. They loved everything.



Turi, I hope the turkey tasted as good as it smelled.

Christmas Eve the kids came over in the afternoon and we opened presents (that fit in the schedule the best). They had a blast with dolls, trucks, Sesame stuff, etc. We munched on shrimp, homemade bruscetta and spinach-artichoke dip.

4pm they went to mass. I had to go to the 6pm - choir duty. Music was great. I played guitar on some. We had trombone, trumpet and tenor sax accompaniment. I sang solo on the Responsorial Psalm: "Forever I will sing, the goodness of the Lord" followed by the Alleluia verse. A beautiful mass.

Came home, had a nice martini, ate Ahi Tuna, watched DVD of Andrea Bocceli in Central Park with the Mrs. (kids went home)

Got up this morning. Made breakfast for two (ham, egg and cheese on rolls); opened presents. Got Nikon Trailblazer binoculars (I'm a bird watcher). Going to the SILs parents for dinner.

carmela, I miss the bacala, smelts, oily spaghetts that my MIL makes.

Peace and Good will to all. Merry Christmas.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas Eve. Great pictures Blake. I think that's how Santa comes to California....by wave. It's suppose to be close to 80 here today so he just may come surfing in. Also Blake nice tree/presents. Looks like Santa was very good to your family this year.

MC, beautiful grandbabies. I got back from my daughter's house after waking up at 5:30 a.m. to my grandkids all excited cause Santa came. They are so adorable when they are so young and believe with all the heart. They had a wonderful Christmas.

I am getting ready to go to 9:30 mass. I usually go on Saturday evenings as opposed to Sunday but thought I'd go right on Christmas day this year.

Anyway, to my BB friends, have the happiest of Christmas and also a happy & healthy 2012.

TIS

Super pictures guys , thanks for sharing. Looks like the little gal is saying something thar to the little guy, so cute.

Blake looks like the snow hare. LOL what snow.

Thanks guys. LOL ninja turtles stockings for life. Yup, no snow here is unlikely this time of year. Cute grand kids MC. Merry Christmas everyone, be safe!

Hope everybody had a great Christmas?

We had a blast, great food, rivers of drink and everybody got the gifts they wanted. Most of all we spent quality time together as a family

P.S. Great pics Blake and MC

I've had a great Christmas folks. The dinner went brilliantly -I'm actually quite proud of myself. The whole combination of the Christmas Eve drinks and the Christmas day indulgence has worn me out. I've really had a great time.

The big trouble we've had is that there's been a murder outside our bedroom window last night. I can't say I live in the nicest area, well I do live in a shit area, but you'd never expect what seems to be an unprovoked bullet to the face attack. My to be father-in-law actually called in the emergency services (a fireman himself) but he never saw the attack itself, it was the commotion after that grabbed his attention to look out of the window from our spare room. The pro that he is (my to be father in law) timed it, 12 minutes, which is rubbish he reckons but the delay's been caused by the armed response. The ambulance service aren't allowed to turn up until they've been given the all clear.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/26/student-shot-dead-christmas-salford?newsfeed=true

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16137580

OMG Turi that's horrible. I assume since you didn't say, he wasn't from your area?

It appears to be unprovoked, and if that's the case that makes it even more coldblooded than it obviously was. The fact that the pub is nearby could be a factor, but by the report, the police didn't see a connection. What a tragedy. The fact that it's right by your window, even if it's unusual, is really alarming. Be careful.


TIS

Just watched the news video clip asking for witnesses to come forward. Maybe it's because it's blocked off but it doesn't seem to be a populated area which could be why they got away with it.

Sorry to hear that Turi, ya better train those rats to attack . Keep you head down. Be safe.

MC, the grandbabies are growing up! They look delighted, but I bet you were even happier! How nice to have little ones around on Christmas. I miss that.

Turi, sounds awful. Hope your Boxing Day was better!

Hope everyone here had a wonderful holiday!

We can actually see the crime scene from all our windows along the front of the flat and all our neighbours on (possibly 20) on the 2nd and 3rd floors which run parallel to the street will be able to see the area. The road is still blocked off and there's a huge police presence. The crime scene investigations are still continuing as I look out of my window now, they're absolutely combing the area including the construction site across the road.

So far a 16 and a 17 year old have been arrested.