Wednesday, December 31, 2008

NEW YEAR HAPPY

I have always hated New Year's Eve. I must have been a real emo child because I'd get to Christmas and think, "I've made it through another year." Then the next thing it would be New Year's Eve and I was looking down the tunnel at another year to get through. Happiness at this time of the year was never my strong suit.

Later in my married state I also hated the drinking and the hangovers of so-called responsible adults. I hated being the sober one at every party. In fact, I used to put in an appearance early in the night and then go home for a cup of tea and some tv and trundle back in time for supper. Usually by then the neighbours would be more repulsive than normal so I would take a plate of food home and put my feet up and watch more tv.

This year is a little different. I am getting a return visit of my granddaughters. Twice, in 7 months, pinch me I'm dreaming. Three days notice and I haven't heard if they got on the plane but I will tomorrow. I've only got them for a couple of days but that's fine.

I shopped for food and made up their bed. I may have to shut the kitchen door until their other grandparents leave and I hope no-one looks too closely at my bed where I've thrown a rug over the debris. I'm expecting a guest on January 12 so the plan was to clean the easy way. I don't do fast clean. I don't do tidy up. I have to do it from the bottom up and everything in its place before the hoovering takes over. The Hoover is now happy, it was used at last and just to make me feel bad, the belt's about to break.

The BrickOutHouse came over last night and hooked up the DVD with its surround sound and Whoa Nelly! does it belt out. Stupid me, didn't realize it also had a built in fm/am stereo radio.
So I'm off to enjoy my Stargate and The Mummy Returns before the girls take over both DVD and computer.

14 comments:

Middle Child said...

Enjoy the grandkids...how amazing to have them...I live in hope.

Ann ODyne said...

oh isn't she sweet!
this whole xmas new year thing really clarifies how completely dysfunctional are all my family relationships.
Right after grinding teeth through all the "what are you doing for xmas? We're having 32 for lunch" remarks, I get:
My father who has dementia, telephoned me now that he can.
That wasn't good for either of us, so what was the point of him pestering me for 2 years to get a bloody phone?

He wants me with him but when I am he does not talk sense.

anyhow I hope it's
ALL DIVINE IN 2009

Link said...

2009 getting off to a good start in the Coppertop household with a clean sweep of happy hoovering followed by a couple of bundles of joy coming for a quick visit. Perfick. Plus, (((((((((surround sound)))))))))).
(((((((Eeee awww eee awww eee awww)))) that's a siren, by the way, surround sound has that effect on me.

Anyway, happy new year. I like New Year's betteren xmas. I always feel hopeful on NYD, it doesn't last but its a good time to make for a good time.

xxx

Link said...

snap brownie on dysfunctionality in families. Mother. Xmas. For two whole days I resisted dropping the klanger. Unfortunately she was here for three. But she's not now!

Lord Sedgwick said...

Coppertop, you'll be pleased to know that I'm sitting here waiting for the new year to arrive, eating celery sticks and tofu pavlova, drinking freshly squeezed carrot and goji berry juice ...

... sorry, I'm not a good liar. It's all Copha sangers, Porphyry Pearl and burn-outs round here tonight.

You have a good one me ole china.

PS. A propos of our adondyne's comment, would you like to buy a ticket to listen in on the every Thursday phone calls between my mother and Brownie's father? (Rhetorical, that was.)

River said...

Oooh! I'm shuddering. Tofu pavlova and copha sangers. Erk! Blech!

I don't do new Year stuff.

But Happy new Year to you and all your followers. May 2009 be filled with vanilla slices.

Jayne said...

Typing up tomorrow's trivial history so I popped over here for a break from the tedium; blessedly refreshing and YAY for your grandkids visiting again!!!
So, your Mum is moving in with you on January 12?(tongue planted in cheek and ducking the tossed debris)
Have a ripper 2009!

Kelly & Sam Pilgrim-Byrne said...

Lovely, JT. Enjoy them as they will enjoy spending time with you.

Anonymous said...

We all know that under that hard and bitchy exterior is an almost nice person. Best wishes for 2009.

Anonymous said...

Best wishes for 2009!

When it ticked over from 2008 to 2009, I was fast asleep.

I must be a real party pooper. Didin't stay up to watch the fireworks, or throw my arms around loved ones or anything like that.

Still 2009 came for me just the same, whether I was awake or asleep for its arrival, and I still hope to make the most of it ... and hope all you guys do the same. Best wishes and cheery thoughts, people!

R.H. said...

Greetings, I was thinking of attending the Bendigo grog blog, but then I saw the guest list. Good heavens, the most formidable assemblage since Hannibal crossed the Alps. Terrifying.
Meanwhile I've started a diary. Yes well I never keep at it for long, which is a pity because it's an excellent way for charting one's stupidity. Anyway here's yesterday's entry:
Woke at ten. Lit up a smoke while having a pee in the backyard (toilet still leaking). D---y rang at ten thirty. Sat in kitchen till midday drinking cups of tea. Kept thinking I should cut the grass and tidy things up out there, so I went back to bed. Lay there all afternoon, one dog at my head, the other at my feet. B.S. rang at six-fifteen, right in the middle of the news...

And so on. I'll try to keep it going. I find it astonishing, very revealing. My compos mentis is appalled.

R.H. said...

Well I did actually venture outside there about 4pm, stood in contemplation for a while, then tugged at a few weeds.
I'm just waiting till the weather improves, that's all, then I'll hop into it by golly!- I'll.....(ha ha ha!)

R.H. said...

It's funny but when I first got my own place I was thrilled, working on it day and night. It seems you can get blase about anything, including success.

JahTeh said...

Therese, soon, it has to be soon and the very image of Don. You'll be a disgracefully spoiling grandmother.

Bwca, never ever more than me for Christmas lunch, if you don't count the box of chocolates. Are you sure that's not my mother you're talking about.

So you blew it, Caroline? Never go beyond the two day limit and I hope the hole in the creek was deep enough.

Liar, Sedgwick, I'll bet it was near enough to a gallon of finest red and damn the pavlova. What a book those phone calls would make but are you sure they're ringing each other?

River, His Lordship tells porkies.
There'll be no vanilla slices, Miss O'Dyne and I are diet buddies if we don't kill and eat each other first.

Jayne, that's a very nasty mind you have there.

Muriels, they were great but getting so tall or I'm shrinking and before Miss C reaches that age, build another bathroom.

Hah! Hot Andrew, it takes one to know one. No more bois for you unless you behave badly.

Maria, I was in bed by 11.30 and nodded off with fireworks ringing in my ears. I don't love anyone on NYE but I did put out a special treat for the stray cat.

Robbert, if you pee in the right places, the lawn will never grow. A diary is good. If I'm having a bad day I look up last year and I was usually having a worse day. Having a diary was how I ran rings around a couple of social workers when I had to testify in the Magistrate's court. If you leave the diary to us we'll have them published posthumously and live it up on the profits.