Christmas Carol
We spent Christmas in Finland again. Luckily it wasn't too cold this time around but going from 8 C in London to -14 C in Helsinki was still quite a dip in temperature. And the snow situation continues to be crazy, which is something I haven't missed one bit.
We stayed with N's parents, as per usual, and I'm very grateful that I get along with his mother so well. We've never had any cliched 'mother-in-law' issues, and it's always a delight to stay with them.
This time N's parents even gave up their bedroom for us, despite our protests, though after having actually slept in their bed, we didn't make too much noise. Our bed back home is 140 cm wide, which isn't really enough for two adults, and the mattress is old (and probably cheap) enough that it sags quite heavily.
Not so much in N's parents' bed that was wide as the ocean and hard in all the best ways. Man, I haven't slept that well probably since we moved to London.
Dinner and presents with the parents on Christmas Eve was downright pleasant, which was mostly down to dad not being horribly drunk. It was actually nice to talk to them and tell them what I've been up to.
Dad gave me the Wired boxset that I'd asked for and mom went for eclectic again. I got three different scarves, ranging from rainbow-coloured (!) to a really beautiful black/silver/purple silk one that she'd painted herself; various tiny bottles of scented lotions; mobile phone case; two different Marimekko toiletries bags; Mickey Mouse towel; and a pink Moomin mug.
I got my dad a new bathrobe, since he's had the old one for as long as I can remember having paid any attention to such things so, oh, a good fifteen years probably. For some reason all the other bathrobes I was able to find were all fluffy and cuddly, two things that my dad has never really been, and I just couldn't bring myself to give him one. I finally found a terrycloth one from Debenhams that set me back £60 but at least he seemed to really like it. To my mum I gave a cardigan and 2 loose t-shirts that I hope fit her.
Worst part of the evening came when it was time to take my dad's car and drive back to N's parents' place. It had been snowing steadily the whole day, and the roads looked like it. Thank god it was Christmas Eve and the roads were practically deserted, as I white-knuckled the car through the snowstorm. I don't think I once drove faster than 60 kph, no matter what the traffic signs said.
This isn't from that day, because not only was it snowing like crazy, it was also pitch black, but it should give you an idea.
Then came the moment I've been looking toward the most: more presents! Specifically, N's present to me. I'd given him a lot of gift ideas before Christmas but he ended up buying outside the list, so I had no idea what it was going to be.
When the gift arrived, I got a tiny inkling of a what it could be but I didn't dare to let myself really hope. It came in a massive box that barely fit into N's luggage:
I opened my other gifts first, Tangled bluray from N's sister and a rather random book about good life from his father, and then the big finish: the Aspinal of London purple Barbarella bag I've only been drooling after ever since I first saw it!!!
I have the best boyfriend in the world, and I'm not listening to any arguments on that.
And his mother, who chipped in generously. Now I'm doubly glad that N and I pooled our resources and got her that new iPad as a thank you for all the work she's put into looking after our flat while we've been gone.
The evening was only ruined by N's sister being sick with a stomach bug most likely from the norovirus family. N started throwing up during the night and myself on the 27th. Great fun was had by all. Being sick also totally messed with our plans to meet up with friends and former coworkers but did manage to catch up with most of the people we wanted to. This included L2 and his new German fiancee that we met for the first time.
We also went by our old place to see how the building renovations were coming along. N thought it didn't look too bad but my opinion the architect who thought this was a good colour combination deserves to be dunked in blue and yellow paint and be forced to look at the colour combination for the next twenty years.
New Year's Even we spent with L, watching movies and N setting up her new modem and wireless network. We flew back to London on New Year's Day and went to work the next day, which was not an entirely brilliant solution. Next year I was thinking we could spend New Year's Eve in London and go see the official fireworks.
We stayed with N's parents, as per usual, and I'm very grateful that I get along with his mother so well. We've never had any cliched 'mother-in-law' issues, and it's always a delight to stay with them.
This time N's parents even gave up their bedroom for us, despite our protests, though after having actually slept in their bed, we didn't make too much noise. Our bed back home is 140 cm wide, which isn't really enough for two adults, and the mattress is old (and probably cheap) enough that it sags quite heavily.
Not so much in N's parents' bed that was wide as the ocean and hard in all the best ways. Man, I haven't slept that well probably since we moved to London.
Dinner and presents with the parents on Christmas Eve was downright pleasant, which was mostly down to dad not being horribly drunk. It was actually nice to talk to them and tell them what I've been up to.
Dad gave me the Wired boxset that I'd asked for and mom went for eclectic again. I got three different scarves, ranging from rainbow-coloured (!) to a really beautiful black/silver/purple silk one that she'd painted herself; various tiny bottles of scented lotions; mobile phone case; two different Marimekko toiletries bags; Mickey Mouse towel; and a pink Moomin mug.
I got my dad a new bathrobe, since he's had the old one for as long as I can remember having paid any attention to such things so, oh, a good fifteen years probably. For some reason all the other bathrobes I was able to find were all fluffy and cuddly, two things that my dad has never really been, and I just couldn't bring myself to give him one. I finally found a terrycloth one from Debenhams that set me back £60 but at least he seemed to really like it. To my mum I gave a cardigan and 2 loose t-shirts that I hope fit her.
Worst part of the evening came when it was time to take my dad's car and drive back to N's parents' place. It had been snowing steadily the whole day, and the roads looked like it. Thank god it was Christmas Eve and the roads were practically deserted, as I white-knuckled the car through the snowstorm. I don't think I once drove faster than 60 kph, no matter what the traffic signs said.
This isn't from that day, because not only was it snowing like crazy, it was also pitch black, but it should give you an idea.
Then came the moment I've been looking toward the most: more presents! Specifically, N's present to me. I'd given him a lot of gift ideas before Christmas but he ended up buying outside the list, so I had no idea what it was going to be.
When the gift arrived, I got a tiny inkling of a what it could be but I didn't dare to let myself really hope. It came in a massive box that barely fit into N's luggage:
I opened my other gifts first, Tangled bluray from N's sister and a rather random book about good life from his father, and then the big finish: the Aspinal of London purple Barbarella bag I've only been drooling after ever since I first saw it!!!
I have the best boyfriend in the world, and I'm not listening to any arguments on that.
And his mother, who chipped in generously. Now I'm doubly glad that N and I pooled our resources and got her that new iPad as a thank you for all the work she's put into looking after our flat while we've been gone.
The evening was only ruined by N's sister being sick with a stomach bug most likely from the norovirus family. N started throwing up during the night and myself on the 27th. Great fun was had by all. Being sick also totally messed with our plans to meet up with friends and former coworkers but did manage to catch up with most of the people we wanted to. This included L2 and his new German fiancee that we met for the first time.
We also went by our old place to see how the building renovations were coming along. N thought it didn't look too bad but my opinion the architect who thought this was a good colour combination deserves to be dunked in blue and yellow paint and be forced to look at the colour combination for the next twenty years.
New Year's Even we spent with L, watching movies and N setting up her new modem and wireless network. We flew back to London on New Year's Day and went to work the next day, which was not an entirely brilliant solution. Next year I was thinking we could spend New Year's Eve in London and go see the official fireworks.