h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Tomorrow, the 22nd, I fly out of Heathrow airport on an Air Canada 330 Airbus bound for Toronto. Where, I will be spending the festive season in the bosom of my family

The plan for the day itself is that I, my Mum and her husband travel into the city from their home in rural Ontario to spend Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day with her husband's son and his wife. Also in attendance will be the son's wife's brother, his wife and their three daughters aged 5, 8 and 10. My mother's husband's other child, his daughter, is also expected to make an appearance at some point in the proceedings.

Oh-boy! I'm really looking forward to this...

Poor GD! I hope you survive and have some good books to read


(oh and internet access would be good!)


Good Luck

Meyyr Christmas and I look forward to seeing you back here in the New Year

I'm looking forward to it being just me and my son for a change. I get to be in charge of the TV and assorted attachments.

Family gatherings Keep your head below the parapet as much as you can mate, chin up, that sort of thing

I think I may be avoiding a family Christmas too - but then again we may have teenagers

GD, next year you could avoid all the hullabaloo by inviting Mom to your place....

That would certainly avoid having to deal with so many others

It'll be just me and my son too, I wish I was on a plane bound for Canada, you lucky blighter!

Have a safe journey

I'm in a similar situation, Deskers, though I'm going to somewhere far less interesting than Canada - Erith! I'm spending Christmas with my brother (great), his kids (fine, I'm very fond of them despite my usual intolerance of children), his wife (not so good, she doesn't like me much) and assorted members of her complex family (I don't know any of them). It's not even a big house, so I won't have anywhere to hide!

The hols arrangements seems to be a mix of people who are spending time with other people they don't want to spend time with, or people spending it alone. (I just want some adult company, who can cope with my son's behaviour).

Is there anyone *actually* spending the holiday with someone they *want* to spend it with?

Don't be daft, GB. It's Christmas, no one gets what they want for Christmas. It's traditional!

Anyways, I'm packed and about to go to bed. I just need to polish off the last glass if wine - it would be a shame to waste it - and that will be me until New Year's Eve.

Enjoy

Christmas will be me and all my little ones plus no.2's fiancee - Chrstmas eve should be fun - we're off to the fiancee's and everyone keeps tell me to 'not mind Uncle Derek.' I'll be taking the brass knuckles.

"(I just want some adult company, who can cope with my son's behaviour)"

Ha, me too. We should have got married a long time ago.

"Is there anyone *actually* spending the holiday with someone they *want* to spend it with? "

Well since J's parents decided to dump us at the last minute we will be entertaining my parents and brother and my uncle and aunt, all of whom I am always happy to see This is kind of a relief as it was supposed to be a chance to introduce everyone so we'd all have been on best behaviour. Now we can all happily get and slob out in front of Harry Potter, before the annual viscious game of cards kicks off for the evening And dad can fall asleep on the sofa again before the flame has died on the pudding, just like last year

Christmas eve is always friends; best friends and their families (when we can fit time in for visiting amongst all the last minute shopping and wrapping there is to do).

Christmas day starts at Mr B's grandmother's house - I'm not sure why I don't enjoy this part but I'm always eager to leave and get on with the day. His family is okay, everyone's nice and always glad to see us, but many of them are very politically opinionated and my tongue starts to hurt after having to bite it for a few hours.

Then it's on to my family, this year at my grandmother's house, with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, his parents, one of his brothers, my ex and my son.

Have a good trip and a good holiday, GD

c'mon gd, it's only 3 days! i've been at mom's house FOUR MONTHS now! ouch!

If GD has to go to Canada I guess it will be longer than 3 days!

PF - more fool your sister in law

GB & Mina - can we start the rumours now?

I think I am going to be spending most of Christmas day with the person I would most like to OJ As it stands now his kids are here Christmas eve and then we take them back to their Mum's before lunch - I am such a lucky Light

However we have been summonds and I mean summonds to my mother for Monday Cant win them all!

* waves from Canuck-land *

I have discovered that Canadian keyboards are not laid out in quite the same fashion as English ones. This is causing me a certain amount of confusion

Look out for anhaga

Yipee GD has internet access

* waves to GD *