Jingle Bells...

So here we are, back at the dropzone the week before Christmas as planned. It’s a bit quiet as Shaz has gone to Sydney and the girls are away heading for Melbourne for Christmas, but this suits us as Rob is still suffering, he tries jumping but after one jump admits defeat and grounds himself so that, and the fact he isn’t eating, convinces me he must be ill. Now officially nicknamed the black lung he rests pitifully upstairs while I run back and forth into town to buy him various cough medicines and complete my preparations for Christmas. By the Friday we manage to get him into the doctors and with the help of some antibiotics and the temptation of more muffins (the only thing he can stomach) he appears to be past the worst just in time for Christmas. I’m on top fitness mode by now, running and swimming 2 out of 3 days, the early mornings aren’t easy but at least with Rob being ill we are having early nights too so I’m feeling relatively healthy and fit.

I battle with a turkey quarter (I broke a wooden spoon trying to prise it out of the freezer then fight to debone it once defrosted,) finally liberating enough meat for two I admit defeat and bin the rest. On two rings I do the best I can to approximate a Christmas dinner on Christmas eve, and it is actually quite edible, Rob even manages to eat most of it, his first proper meal in over a week.

Christmas day dawns bright, sunny and hot as ever, I manage an early morning dip in the pool to afford Rob a bit more of a lie in and then we sit and watch the Christmas lift fun jump land. Everyone is now under orders to be ready in an hour and surprisingly they are (might be the thought of missing out on the beer that keeps them in check…) We now juggle around with the 3 vehicles to get 20 people and all their food and booze on board then we are off to Wivenhoe dam for our Christmas picnic. The weather has clouded over slightly so the heat becomes bearable and we give a hand to carry all the picnic stuff down to a spot by the lake. There is enough food here to feed about 40 and unfortunately it is right under my nose so I’m picking on it all day, super scrummy though. Rob and I are sporting the enormous sunglasses that he has bought us for Christmas and mine quickly get adopted by Belgie who refuses to take them off all day. A few glasses of bubbly and a couple of bottles of beer later and we’re into the party games. An introduction into “pigs” and then a demonstration from Nicole on how to tie a cherry stalk into a knot with your tongue has everyone literally tongue-tied for ages.

Before we know it the sun is going down and we set off back to the DZ with the designated drivers taking control (Rob being on antibiotics does have its advantages!) Back at the DZ a crowd is there waiting with many people turning up after doing the “family thing” earlier in the day. The leftovers from the buffet come out and then Macca throws on a sausage sizzle… I’m stuffed! Not the most conventional Christmas day but a good one.