Back At Home

So after a gruelling 8am-5pm shift on Xmas Eve which was a lot busier than I thought it would be (certainly with regard to the huge Flans we make in the store which myself and Lyndsey made 8 of in quick succession!), I packed up a few clothes, most of the presents I've bought (excepting Richard & Derek's gifts and they will get theirs on New Year's Day) and wrapped up warm, before trooping across town to my parents house. I spent the night there on Sunday and again last night. Sunday night I was tired and slept like the dead, last night... ehhh not so much. It took forever to get to sleep and at best I got maybe 3 hours of kip before the alarm clock woke me up. And it wasn't quality sleep either.

I've had a good Xmas all in all. I've eaten and drunk plenty, but done neither to excess. I've not gotten drunk despite drinking most of my parents bottle of Cointreau which I mixed with the remaining litre bottle of Kinnie that I brought back from Malta. Yes, I've had a bottle of soft drink sat in my wardrobe since early August just so I could enjoy it as my drink on Xmas Day. I'm home now though, having gotten a lift from my Mum a few hours ago. So what did I get all in all? Here's my Xmas Gift List:

• New Spectacles: This tends to be my Xmas present from my parents every other year, but this is the first new pair I've had in 3 years now. Thanks to Specsavers 2 for 1 deal, I also have a new pair of prescription sunglasses too with dark blue tinted lenses.
• A 70cl bottle of Jim Beam Black Label Bourbon, which is 43% proof. This will go very nicely with cola and ice, just as soon as I've bought and chilled some cola! Totally did not expect this present!
  
• A 1 litre bottle of Blue Label Smirnoff Vodka, which is 50% proof. This present I knew about, as I generally get a bottle of this every year. It is now sat in my freezer (the drink doesn't freeze) and I will open it on my birthday in 3 weeks time. It'll be ready to drink by then.
• Underpants, socks, a denim shirt and a pair of jeans were my clothes this year. The shirt was a total surprise!
• The book "It's Not Easy Being Green" by Dick Strawbridge, which accompanies the BBC2 series of the same name, about a family that decided to try and live as ecologically friendly and self-sufficient a lifestyle as they could without giving up their 21st century mod cons. Fascinating reading. I have my Grandparents to thank for this gift.
• Superman Returns DVD (2 disc edition) from my brother Rhys. I love this film, and watched it this morning as once I'd woken up I couldn't get back to sleep (damn single bed). Thanks Bro!
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest DVD off my Nan. Great film, and she already got me the DVD of the first film a couple years ago. Thank you Nan!
• A jar of coffee, a tub of hot chocolate powder and a handful of instant hot choc sachets in toffee, white choc, belgian choc and choca mocha flavours.
• A bag of peanut M&M's which got devoured last night whilst I was watching a 2 hour documentary on Channel 4 about the blood family of Jesus (namely his 4 brothers and 2 sisters) that the founders of the Christian religion did their best to write out of the Bible.
• A 6 pack of a Brazilian beer that I've never heard of before off Mads. No idea what it tastes like, but the other Brazilian beer I've tried (Brahma) is great stuff. They are in the fridge now chilling down.

And that's it (I think). All in all a pretty good haul. Some nice surprises in there, and the items I knew about are all things I wanted/needed. I am back in work tomorrow at 6am to re-open the department, only to have to close it all down again on Sunday for New Years Day when the store is shut again. Still I have Thursday off to look forward too. Here's hoping I sleep well tonight, as I'm going to need the energy tomorrow!