Xmas events galore (piccies) in Adventures in paradise

Omg, I didn’t have time to write this past weekend. I took Saturday off to attend my extended-family Xmas party out at The Grange in Pittsworth where my grandmother lives, so I picked up the hire-car at 9am and drove out there. They gave me a Toyota Camry hybrid this time that had only done 2700km, but it was much smaller than the other hybrid I used to hire out and my head was hitting the roof most of the time during the drive, but it could have been worse I suppose.

My little brother was my only sibling in attendance, which is funny considering he’s the one who had to travel the furtherest, by far. Apparently something happened with my older brother’s girlfriend and she needed surgery on something, and my sister had to attend a work meeting all day. I took off work for the day to attend.

I said a quick hi and a hug to my grandma upon arriving, but it was a little bit awkward for me, as it always is, sitting at a table with a bunch of relatives that I barely ever see anymore. I made some small conversation with my cousins who were in attendance and they’d brought their entire extended family, so if it wasn’t for them, there would have been barely anyone there haha. Seriously, the VonHoff’s pop out kids like crazy, and then their kids (around my age to a bit younger) each have like 4 kids each, so there were a hell of a lot of kids there but luckily there was a play-area outside. It always amazes me how much energy kids have and that they can make friends with anyone, wheras you get to my age and I feel awkward even sitting at a table with a bunch of relatives I’ve known my whole life but I only ever see at events like this or at a funeral etc. I guess the latter will happen the older I get, and hopefully I’m not the one in the coffin haha. Not yet anyway.

Got a few piccies of the day, but not many.

This is me with my younger brother and his family. They have a third one on the way and his wife is hoping for a girl.

Then a piccie of mum and me. Man I look tired haha - I wasn’t though! I did have a big headache on the drive though, which I’m sure is the last of the sinus still annoying me.
But anyway, cuuuuute

And one of mum, me and dad. I much prefer this one, wven with my hair going all There’s-Something-About-Mary on me.

I helped pack up at the end of the day and went back to my parents house for a while, which was only up the road. Being a small country town, everything is pretty close. I stayed for probably an hour or so and then decided to head off, as I had to work Christmas party to attend back home in Brizzy!

That went okay as well. I ducked home to change and Phil had a bunch of friends over, so I was like, “I’m only in and out again!” I grabbed my Christmas-y stuff and headed out the door. I wasn’t going to drive there, but of course I couldn’t get a park where I live so I just drove there to make things easier. I knew I was gonna be drinking though so just decided to see how the night went.

Another event that was a bit awkward, but thankfully there were a few staff members there that I do actually get along with, as well as a few who have since left and that I miss, like Bianca and Kirsty. I got there about an hour and a half after the event had started, because I needed batteries for my Christmas lights and then I bought the wrong ones and then realized I needed a screwdriver to even get into the battery compartment of the stupid thing, so it was back and forth a few times to the shop before I even sorted all that out. Such is my life preparing for stupid things like this. But anyway, they looked cool but don’t really show up in the photos. There was a photo booth there, which I only used a few times.

This is Nadia and me. She is crazy about birds.

And this is me and Andrew. He’s a new guy. He actually bought me a few drinks and thanked me for being so nice to him when he first started and showed him the ropes a little, so that was nice of him too.

Stupid me didn’t even realize this shark prop was a hat haha

And this is a non photo-booth one that Jenny took on her phone. I invited her along because she used to work at the store years ago and is always so friendly with the staff. She even got up and made a damn speech haha! Anyway, she was so incredible thankful for having been invited and she was totally fine. I shocked the hell out of her when I pointed out my store manager’s partner, who both turned up at the event after I did. She didn’t know he was gay until then ha! She was like, “You’ve just totally blown my mind.”
Then she was telling me about how she used to own a newsagency in The Valley and that she used to start at 5am and was friends with all the drag queens because “They were the ones who knew how to fight” so they protected her from all the crime and crackheads back in the day I guess. Always interesting hearing about someone’s history!

I sobered up for about the last hour and then made my way home, being totally paranoid that cops would be doing an RBT. Thankfully I was heading toward the city and not away from it though, so the odds were in my favour, and it wasn’t a big distance anyway. I probably would have still been over the limit though, simply because I barely ever drink.

I somehow made it to work the next day, on time and without a hangover.

Then, that night I had my Xmas event with my small group of friends at Steve’s house! Steve put on a huge feast and we gave each other presents. Luke and Rhys were kind enough to pick me up on their way through and dropped me home again that night. Just as well because I had like 5 bags of presents for everyone. We had a limit of $25 each for presents, so that was the deal we went with this year after Steve’s spat about not wanting to do presents for anyone. I’m glad we did though - I got quite a haul! Haha - a hamper of goodies, a tealight candle ceramic cat called “Kitty Claus”, a bunch of choccies and a cute reindeer snowglobe.
Steve ended up loving the Mickey Mouse mug I got him.

Oh, the most surprising part of the night was after we’d finished eating and opening presents and laughing all night, when we were just about to relax on Steve’s lounge whilst he was preparing the dessert, and Moe casually decides to say - “Oh, by the way, just casually, Ben and I are engaged.”
I almost didn’t hear it over everyone else talking, and then I had to do a double-take and said, “Wait.....What!!!???”
Yeah, apparently it wasn’t a big deal to them at all. Moe got home from work and Ben just asked him and he was like, “Yeah okay.” LOL! Like it was just a normal conversation like taking the garbage out or something. Moe said it just seemed like the next logical step. Ben was like, “If we can take on a mortgage, a marriage will be nothing.”
Haha, amazing. I was just stunned at how casual they both are about it. Then Steve was like, “I guess you guys are next” (to Rhys and Luke) and they were like, “Uhhhhh....” LOL!
I don’t think Moe and Ben are even doing a wedding though. They just want to go to the registry office and go on their honeymoon. Fair enough. Way less expensive and not a big deal. But wow, talk about a shock to just casually slide into a conversation haha.

We got one selfie! Moe and Ben are on the right.