Lazy Weekend

Its been a very lazy weekend in Chez Smith. I slept till about 11.30 Saturday morning, then didn't do a lot for the rest of the day. Noel and I had a quiet night in watching the X Factor final. I think Alexandria deserved to win, but I don't think she will do nearly as well as Leona.

Sunday Noel lit the fire in the the other room and we had a lazy day watching TV before I cooked a roast pork Sunday dinner which was very yummy.

Today I went to Haverfordwest to have lunch with my cousin-in-law Bella. She had asked me to get some photographs from my In-laws to put on the digital photoframe she has bought her father-in-law for Christmas. We met in the Bristol Trader and had a very nice girly lunch and caught up on all the family gossip.

I also did a bit more Christmas shopping and have now nearly finished. Just the wrapping to get out of the way.

On a very sad note, today one of the boys that Ffion was in school with was killed in a car accident with a road tanker. I think Ffion is pretty upset although she has not said much. I know these things happen all year round but why do you always hear of one just before Christmas?

Wild and Windy Night (the weather not me!!)

Well it's 5am and my last night watch of my first group of four watches back is nearly over. That means only four weeks before more time off \0/. The four days I work a week actually go pretty quickly, probably because they are such long days. I am always really tired after the day watches and after the nights I just sleep lots.

Not much to tell about what has been going on really. Erin went to the Clothes Show live in Birmingham on Wednesday and spent most of the money we gave her for Christmas. I just have to wrap the things she bought now so she will have something to open on Christmas morning.

Wednesday was also Pub Quiz night and this week we were away to the Yacht Club.

We lost :0( but again it was pretty close 97 v 91. The questions were more cryptic than really quizzy which was a bit disappointing, its not that hard to guess that the opposite to Abdication Lane is Coronation Street!! There were three rounds along those lines including TV, Films and Music, as Ianto, Blodwyn and Myfanwy are all a little older and not really into TV, music and films we struggled a bit, but I did manage to pull back a few 2 pointers but I must hang me head in shame for getting Tom Jones' real name wrong, I shall never live it down!!

Yesterday was my Mum's birthday so later today I shall be going round to see her. She had her two new hearing aids fitted last week so now Wayne and I won't be able to talk about her behind her back any more!! She does say its a great improvement though, she didn't realise she had got as deaf as she was.

I suppose I had better mention a bit about the title of this post otherwise it will seem odd. It was a very wild night last night with 50 mph winds and driving rain, this meant it was pretty quiet so I managed to get all my Christmas Cards written, these will be in the post shortly so I hope you will all be standing by your doorstep in anticipation!!

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

Just reading Donna's blog of how she enjoyed watching Bad Santa and it got me thinking about my favourite Christmas films.

Personally it has to be National Lampoons Christmas Vacation for me. We watch it every year and I still laugh at all the same places even though you know the joke is coming.

I also love Scrooged with Bill Murray and Karen Allen.

So come on folks.. what is your favourite Christmas Film?

I'm a Survivor

I am loving Survivors! I loved it in the 70's and have that series on DVD and I am equally loving this new series.

It is one of those series that really make you think "what if that really happened?... how would I cope?"

I've always been a bit of a sucker for post apocalyptic things. Stephen King's The Stand, for me is his greatest novel and I have read it more times than I can remember, as well as also having the DVD of the serial (probably one of the few adaptations of a King novel that is relatively true to the book).

There is such a threat of menance running through this new series, I found last night's episode with the community of teenage boys very like Lord of the Flies and very menacing. Also the "eco" community run by the ex-government minister is really spooky with their rules and levels of "acceptability". The whole thing is just really great TV.

I have also really enjoyed Spooks this series, especially as you have never quite known who is "expendable" in the cast, so some twists really have been unexpected. Although I do wish they hadn't killed off Adam Carter (the gorgeous Rupert Penry Jones!!). Maybe I shouldn't admit to it but I may be developing one of those "wrong in so many ways" crushes on Harry Pierce!!

See I can do Festive

It has been a very heavy and tiring weekend. No sooner had I recovered from my hangover from Friday night, we went out again on Saturday. This time for a meal, but with another over indulgence in wine as well.

We got to Phil and Karen's about 6.30pm and had a glass of wine while we waited for Adrian and Rose to arrive. We then all went down to Stone Hall which is only about a mile down the road from Phil and Karen's house. It is a really lovely old mansion which is decorated in a very period manner and the dining room has low beams and an open fire, it is really atmospheric.

We had a wonderful meal. I had a twice baked cheese souffle, followed by Welsh lamb in a garlic butter sauce, which was cooked to perfection. For dessert I had chocolate ice-cream with Amaretto. As usual the company was brilliant and it was one of the best nights out we have had for ages.

Phil and Karen's daughter Becky picked us up later and we all went back to their house, where we stayed up talking until 3am. Sunday morning we had a long lazy lie in and didn't leave until 1pm.

When we got back we set about putting up the Christmas Tree. Personally I think it is too early and would prefer to do it next weekend but as usual Noel insisted with the excuse that we needed to get the tree early in order to get a big enough one! This year I have gone for silver and purple and I am really pleased with it. Below is a pic of it taken with the flash on.


And below is one without the flash but with the lights on. It looks very prettyful!!

I know these pictures are nearly the same as last year but I tried to be artistic again and take a reflective one in the hall mirror.

And this is a close up of some of the decorations.

Today I cleared the kitchen and had to go to Haverfordwest to run some errands and pay a pilgrimage to very big Tescos which as usual was a nightmare. When I got back I put the rest of the decorations up and embarked on a bit of a cooking marathon, making spaghetti bolognese, chorizo and red lentil soup, spinach and ricota cannalonni and lamb meatballs for tonight's tea.

Tomorrow I am back in work... yes my 16 days off is over again and my next one isnt until 14th January. I'm not particulary looking forward to it but there you go such is life.

A Tad Hungover

Wow the time is just flying by!! I'm back in work on Tuesday. I have made large inroads into the Christmas shopping and have got most of it done now. The wrapping of it however, has not been done yet. Ffion and I went to Haverfordwest yesterday and had a very nice girly shopping time which included lunch at the Moon and Sixpence.

Last night was the Port Control Christmas "do", at the Horse and Jockey pub. There were only actually 4 Port Control staff there, me, Ian, Brian and Julian. The rest were assorted management, contractors and agents, but it was a good mix and the meal was ok. Throw in free drinks and a pretty good time was actually had. I think I may have over indulged in the Amaretto hence the slight hangover this morning. I resisted the temptation of going with Ian and Julian into town afterwards and came home in a taxi with Mike and Ian Kendrick who both live just up the road from me.

This morning I woke up about 8.30 feeling pretty dire, and have just slumped on the settee watching TV and blogging. My dad just visited briefly, the girls are also slumming around in PJs and Noel has gone out to find a Christmas Tree.... yes JoJo we are starting to get festive in chez Smith!.

Tonight we are going out with Phil, Karen, Adrian and Rose to Stone Hall for a meal and we are staying over at Phil and Karen's. No doubt it will be another gastronomic feast and I shall report tomorrow!!

Home Again

Well we are back and we had an amazing time. There will be a full report shortly on my Holiday Blog. We had every kind of weather you can imagine from lovely sunshine to snow but it all added to the fun of the weekend. We chilled out in the spa, cheered Wales to victory in the rugby on Saturday and swam in the snow on Sunday. Then yesterday we called in at Bath on the way home for lunch in the Green Tree and a bit of shopping.

Got home about 5pm yesterday and started the mountain of washing we seemed to have accummulated over the weekend. I still have a week of my time off left and I really must get down and do some serious Christmas shopping. The house also needs a good sorting out before I get back to work.

I am now going to do the first installment of the Center Parcs holiday blog complete with pictures!!