Inconvenient Annoyances

This time of year, when there isn't really any full daylight, combined with a dreary, rainy day means that it's already  been dark for a while now (and it's only 3:30 pm)

This time of year, when there isn't really any full daylight, combined with a dreary, rainy day means that it's already  been dark for a while now (and it's only 3:30 pm)

I hate this time of year I am usually an early riser, but this year I’m struggling to get out of bed because it’s so dark. 

I'm not good at family or holidays, but this Xmas not only did my US based family have no interest in setting up a call with me (I asked multiple times), my MIL said something so incredibly ableist and offensive I don't think I will ever visit them again. She blamed me for mental health struggles my other half has been having (he self medicated for years partying hard, he's finally speaking to medical professionals about it), and then because I am sick and can't do everything around the house asked "If he knew what he was signing up for" with a wife with chronic illness. Apparently I should be serving him, making him dinner and doing the dishes and laundry instead of the opposite when my illness is flaring. My husband is outraged but won't say anything to them (see mental health struggles), so I will just be painted as the evil lazy American wife taking advantage of the Brit, with no recognition of the absolute hell I've been through since moving. Yay. Happy holidays!

Suggestions for warm places we can go for Xmas next year that won't break the bank?

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Sorry you are getting hassled Margo, you don't deserve it.

Maybe you should look into El Gouna In Egypt.  It's kind of a closed resort so the hassle is low and the price is not crazy.  All the hotels are modern and transport is easy.  We went twice, once just a few months after my kid was born because we wanted a break.

That’s horrible Margo. I am so sorry.

Turkey is always recommended as a place for sun and not a bad price. 

I’m so sorry Margo, that is out of line and unjust.

I second turkey or Egypt for getaways.


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We seem to be in the habit of Spain between Christmas and New Years.  If gluten free McDonalds doesn’t sell you on the idea, I don’t know what will.   

We seem to be in the habit of Spain between Christmas and New Years.  If gluten free McDonalds doesn’t sell you on the idea, I don’t know what will.   

Yeah, I suggested Spain or Portugal. That seems like it'd be warmer than here!

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My parents gave my MIL a Christmas ornament as part of their gift to her. The ornament is a small coffee mug from Starbucks with our state on it. My MIL took one look at it and asked what it was, so I explained it was a Christmas ornament and that the drawings on the mug are of places in my state. She looked puzzled and said, “So it’s not really a Christmas ornament, now is it?”

Apparently, she only wants “Christmas-themed” ornaments on her tree. She didn’t even show any gratitude towards it. My husband is now in possession of the ornament and thinks it’s “very sweet.” I haven’t told my parents as they would feel a bit bad. What an odd MIL I have!

My parents gave my MIL a Christmas ornament as part of their gift to her. The ornament is a small coffee mug from Starbucks with our state on it. My MIL took one look at it and asked what it was, so I explained it was a Christmas ornament and that the drawings on the mug are of places in my state. She looked puzzled and said, “So it’s not really a Christmas ornament, now is it?”

Apparently, she only wants “Christmas-themed” ornaments on her tree. She didn’t even show any gratitude towards it. My husband is now in possession of the ornament and thinks it’s “very sweet.” I haven’t told my parents as they would feel a bit bad. What an odd MIL I have!

My friends were quite surprised that my MIL, knowing I was away from home and my family, would take such a stance with me. Apparently Christmas trees here are not nearly as sentimental, there weren't even "baubles" on theirs. At least now you have a nice ornament to remind you of home on yours  

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My friends were quite surprised that my MIL, knowing I was away from home and my family, would take such a stance with me. Apparently Christmas trees here are not nearly as sentimental, there weren't even "baubles" on theirs. At least now you have a nice ornament to remind you of home on yours  

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What is it with MILs?! A reminder of home is definitely a nice way to look at it.

That’s a lovely Christmas ornament!

My Mom gave us an ornament every year growing up that was related to something going on in our lives at the time so that when we grew up, we had a starter set.   So now my tree is really quirky and sentimental. I also display bubble lights on it that I run off a transformer. My in-laws don’t quite know what to make of my tree and I suspect they think I am quite bonkers.  Still they are very polite and don’t say anything to my face or to my husband.  My MIL puts out a tree that is nice, but could be in a shop window. Not a lot of personality into it. But they’re happy.

My parents gave my MIL a Christmas ornament as part of their gift to her. The ornament is a small coffee mug from Starbucks with our state on it. My MIL took one look at it and asked what it was, so I explained it was a Christmas ornament and that the drawings on the mug are of places in my state. She looked puzzled and said, “So it’s not really a Christmas ornament, now is it?”

Apparently, she only wants “Christmas-themed” ornaments on her tree. She didn’t even show any gratitude towards it. My husband is now in possession of the ornament and thinks it’s “very sweet.” I haven’t told my parents as they would feel a bit bad. What an odd MIL I have!

Is it possible that she's just not into the commercial aspect of it?  Respectfully, if someone gave me a Starbucks themed ornament  I wouldn't want to put it in my tree.  It's a commercial for Starbucks after all.  I'd actually have to agree with MIL that it's not really an ornament.   

However, it is common courtesy when receiving a present that you at least pretend that you like it, and recognise when someone is trying to make a connection with you.  If a new person to my family who my son loved  gave me a starbucks mug for the tree because it meant something personal to them, you bet it would be hanging at the front of the tree every year.  That's just what you do to make new members of the family feel welcome and loved. 

Speaking of quirky and sentimental, when we first came here we bought a small ugly tree from Argos.  It's got this disco theme going on, with internal fibre optics.  Since then we've bought a bigger, nicer fake tree that we put up in the living room every year but the kids always insist on putting up the Argos one as well.   It's also the tree we take with us if we are going to spend Christmas away. 

Wow, what a stressful week!

I was supposed to be detaching overseas to Ascension Island this week, but getting there is tricky at the moment because their runway is broken and the plane that normally flies direct from the UK (the same flight that then goes on to the Falklands) is too heavy to land there... which means that instead of 2 direct flights from the UK per week, now they only have 1 flight every 4-5 weeks via Cape Verde, plus a couple of flights per month via South Africa and via Florida.

Back at the end of October, I was told I would be flying out via Cape Verde on 9th Jan. I hadn't heard anything more about it so I assumed this was still the case, and I planned my shifts and annual leave accordingly (taking Mon and Tues off this week ready to travel to the airport Wednesday evening).

I was on leave for much of December, but I had my work laptop with me so when it got to Christmas week (2 weeks before I was due to travel) and I hadn't received my flight confirmation yet, I emailed HR to check on it.

I received an email back on the 31st, where I was CC'd in on an email to the flight booking team asking to confirm my flight on the 6th (which had been requested on December 10th). Since I had been told I was leaving on the 9th, I queried this, and the HR lady apologised and sent a correction to confirm the flight booking for the 9th instead of the 6th.

I was then back at work on New Year's Day, and I emailed the team at Ascension to ask some general questions, where I mentioned the lack of confirmation about my flights. They then told me that the flight on the 9th was no longer happening and had been moved to the 6th, which was why the flight booking request had been made for the 6th... except no one had told me this! They had known for weeks that there was no flight on the 9th, yet no one thought to inform me of the change! As a result, I was still scheduled to work night shifts on the roster until the morning of the 5th (and would have needed to check in for the flight on the other side of the country at 9pm that evening).

As it happened, the flight on the 6th (today) was completely full and had been for weeks, so there was no chance of me getting on it anyway.

So, now, I have no idea when I will be travelling or which route I will be taking to get there!

There's a flight that leaves the UK this Thursday night via South Africa and St. Helena, which arrives in Ascension on Saturday afternoon.. It's currently full, but there's a chance that 1 ticket may be cancelled in the next 24 hours and that they can get me on it... but I won't find out until tomorrow morning..

If I can't get on that flight, then my only other option is to wait until January 30th for the next UK flight via Cape Verde.

So, at the moment, I'm in limbo, unsure whether I will need to pack to fly out in 2 days, or whether I won't be flying until the end of the month, in which case, I'll need to pick up 3 extra weeks of shifts at work (which may mean travelling across the country to work at different stations).