Random Irritations

[Lord Tyrion]

The industrial estate I work on is a circle, just off the main road into the town where it is based. We never get gritted and so the recent snow has now been compacted into an ice rink. It will be like this until the temps get up to 6-7°C, some time next week. It would be incredibly simple for a gritter to turn into the estate, do a circuit, join the main road again. It doesn't happen.

You can request a gritter to come through Fixmystreet but the site is currently playing up, conveniently, and so we are stuffed.

Considering the simplicity of adding us to a route plus the exhorbitant business rates that we pay, it is a suitable entry onto this thread

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

That's a really good way of doing it. Don't have kids myself but seeing how much my niece & nephew get, they get way too much and not even appreciate it - just grab something off the pile, rip the paper off, put it down & just repeat for about 20 minutes

Works well for us and means it not just endless amounts of “stuff” plus they seem to appreciate it more as it takes more thought than just buying loads and hoping something sticks.

 

[PaulMdj]

Miserable, tight, grinch’s at Christmas!

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Miserable, tight, grinch’s at Christmas!

You called

 

[cliveb]

Obviously you've got to split between 'santa' and your own presents - I tried to explain that in my youth I got my stocking, plus one 'big' present from Santa, and the rest were from Mum & Dad. My missus I think did too many 'from Santa' and then thought we had to match that with 'Mum & Dad' presents so we didn't look tight in comparison to Santa, if you get what I mean. Hopefully now she understands where I was coming from though. Since you've got toys from every family member coming in as well.

My brother and I never got any presents from Santa. Our parents had to explain his non-existence to us at very early ages.
Apparently I was making "unreasonable demands" of him. (He's magic so nothing can be too much bother, right? )
And my brother was scared of him. (Which I suppose is a much better reason - a strange man sneaking into your bedroom at night? )

 

[Orikoru]

My brother and I never got any presents from Santa. Our parents had to explain his non-existence to us at very early ages.
Apparently I was making "unreasonable demands" of him. (He's magic so nothing can be too much bother, right? )
And my brother was scared of him. (Which I suppose is a much better reason - a strange man sneaking into your bedroom at night? )

I remember one year waking up at around midnight and saw my dad replacing my stocking, while pretending to be asleep. I never said a word and got another two more years of santa presents out of it though.

 

[rulefan]

This very old joke

https://forums.golfmonthly.com/attachments/1767612666571-webp.60573/

 

[rudebhoy]

Donald Trump apparently takes superstrength aspirin regularly for his well being.
Be wary.
You haven't started coveting your neighbour's back garden yet, have you?

No, but he does have an excellent wine cellar which is wasted on him.

 

[SteveW86]

Obviously you've got to split between 'santa' and your own presents - I tried to explain that in my youth I got my stocking, plus one 'big' present from Santa, and the rest were from Mum & Dad. My missus I think did too many 'from Santa' and then thought we had to match that with 'Mum & Dad' presents so we didn't look tight in comparison to Santa, if you get what I mean. Hopefully now she understands where I was coming from though. Since you've got toys from every family member coming in as well.

We try not to make the Santa present too big, but something that has been asked for and is reasonable. Reason being that I’m a little uncomfortable getting something extravagant from Santa and the less fortunate of her friends thinking why Santa didn’t get them something similar.

 

[Hobbit]

Having 6 kids we bought the really expensive presents, e.g. bikes, on their birthdays. We didn’t skimp at Christmas, they still got all the ‘secondary’ presents.

 

[irip]

We try not to make the Santa present too big, but something that has been asked for and is reasonable. Reason being that I’m a little uncomfortable getting something extravagant from Santa and the less fortunate of her friends thinking why Santa didn’t get them something similar.

When they were younger we always got my kids one present from Santa which was a medium priced on the list they gave him.
The stocking was always a selection box and couple of small fun cheap toys or colouring books and pens.
They always got PJs for the first present which they had to put on straight away and have a photo.
Funny how different traditions start.

 

[Slime]

Having 6 kids we bought the really expensive presents, e.g. bikes, on their birthdays. We didn’t skimp at Christmas, they still got all the ‘secondary’ presents.

Like pedals, wheels and handle bars?

 

[Slime]

Having 6 kids we bought the really expensive presents, e.g. bikes, on their birthdays. We didn’t skimp at Christmas, they still got all the ‘secondary’ presents.

Like pedals, wheels and handle bars?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Essential clothes for birthdays - no toys, games etc.; mix of clothes and fun stuff for Christmas. We didn’t get any bid/expensive Christmas presents other than one Christmas when me and my brother shared a Continental Edition Subbuteo; one year a Hornby Train Set, and a 3rd a Meccano 5. All shared. And everything from Santa - even though as we reached our early teens we knew.

Guess that was just a sign of the times, times when there were no sweets or crisps bought for us at all during the week other than one of a fudge, flake or chocolate cream on a Friday. If I wanted more sweets I had to fund them out of my 1s pocket money on a Saturday.

Yeh…life in the 60s and early 70s was so much better…for some things maybe.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

I genuinely don’t remember ever getting a present from Santa or knowingly remember what was from Santa or Mum and Dad. Maybe my dislike of it all stems back further

I do remember though as kids we’d sit around our parents and open one by one. We’d have 1 main present and a few little ones to open which meant a lot as they’d worked had for it. It was never lavish but it was always fun and pleasant but most importantly it was together. The only real stand out I remember is getting a bike when I was 8years old, bright yellow BMX it was class. Broke my wrist doing a jump attempting a jump on it on Boxing Day morning , taken to hospital and had a cast put on, went wearing it and Dad took me out again and told me see if you can do the jump one handed

That was my favourite ever Christmas as a kid, great present, looked cool with a broken wrist and my Dad had taught me if you fall don’t be scared do it again and prove you can do it(that lesson is probably also why I still do stupid things now). Don’t think my mom spoke to him for days! He probably liked the peace and quiet

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

Like pedals, wheels and handle bars?

It was funnier the first time!
You're milking it

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

Essential clothes for birthdays - no toys, games etc.; mix of clothes and fun stuff for Christmas.

Yeh…life in the 60s and early 70s was so much better…for some things maybe.

Late 50's my cousin and I shared a bed one Christmas Eve. Back then you got a nylon stocking with walnuts, a tangerine, some chocolate and a few small prezzies before rushing downstairs as early as possible.
We woke about 4am and found we had a small torch, a toy watch and a compass in each stocking. We were "detectives" in the dark for hours until we heard the grownups ((Mums) downstairs.
Happy days.

 

[jim8flog]

The talk about presents for kids got me thinking it's time for money.

Gave each of the grand kids a gift this year they both opened them, pushed it to one side and went back to their game on their tablet.

Previously always got them to have a least one play of the new toy but both have become a bit obsessed with their tablets (their parents do insist on 'down time' screen breaks).

 

[jim8flog]

One of my memories of Xmas presents as a kid was the number of times my parents forgot to buy the batteries for a toy that needed them.

Shops were closed until the day after Boxing Day back then and another day if that was a Sunday so no playing with the new toy for a few days.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

One of my memories of Xmas presents as a kid was the number of times my parents forgot to buy the batteries for a toy that needed them.

Shops were closed until the day after Boxing Day back then and another day if that was a Sunday so no playing with the new toy for a few days.

In recent years the mfrs have started printing on the box what batteries would be required. Very useful for parents, not having to guess the correct size and numbers.