We had a real good one this year! So much top tier food and drink, perfect weather to spend all day by the pool.

Originally Posted by Eye
<rant>
It annoys me that the moment I say I have a real Christmas tree - no, not one that can be put in the garden afterwards - it seems there is always someone that starts about the environmental impact

Yeah, it's pretty stupid.

Everyone at my place gets a lot of enjoyment from the real tree. We did try a fake one once but the Christmas tree smell is one of the most important things!

Originally Posted by purpleblob
What do you guys think of our live pot planted pine Christmas tree?

Aww, so cute! It's even got little lights!

No wreaths this year?

Originally Posted by SirJames
Aww, so cute! It's even got little lights!

No wreaths this year?

No wreaths, it is quite time consuming! Maybe next year

I've made a flower bouquet instead + we prepared lots of yummy food!

I miss having a tree. I have a small apartment and it's just me here, so getting an actual tree wouldn't work anymore, but I grew up with real trees (actually cutting them down a few times) and the fake ones don't do it for me.

@purpleblob
That looks absolutely stunning - and delicious. Well, apart from the flowers, that is a gorgeous bouquet.

Originally Posted by Eye
@purpleblob
That looks absolutely stunning - and delicious. Well, apart from the flowers, that is a gorgeous bouquet.

Thanks Eye

Originally Posted by Eye
Here are two more questions:

1. Do you have a real tree, fake, or no tree?

2. What’s your favourite classic Christmas song/movie?

1. Always the real xmas tree. We have no shortage of trees here. I think It is the most natural thing. I love the smell and feel of real tree. No question about this really. It is a large part our family xmas tradition. It is fun thing to select the perfect tree and then carry it to our house.

2. I generally prefer the old classics such as Silent night. As for xmas movies… either some adaptation of Dicken's Christmas Carol or die hard, depending on my mood.

Merry christmas everyone.

How can you even ask

That said, apart from obviously playing games - I've been doing a few things.

Binge-watching Witcher - for instance.

I don't do much outdoors, except from walking my dog.

I do keep myself reasonably fit and healthy, though. I lift weights and do a bit of cardio.

Christmas doesn't really factor into that - apart from me having more time to play games and watch stuff.

Oh, and I've had a few battles with my house - figuring out how shit works.

Only a few days ago, I fought and defeated my pellet stove setup - and managed to figure out how it works, because it was fucking cold and refused to ignite properly.

I guess I'm a real man now.

So…I have been visiting my parents and brother and surprisingly we did play games (well especially my brother and me).

My parents actually got me an old atari 2600 and so we played highlights like "Pac-Kong", "Dschungel Boy" and "Aufruhr im Zoo". There were also a few nicer ones like "Demon Attack". I also managed to buy "combat" on ebay and it arrived within 2 games so we gave that game a shot. This was actually a game my father told me about we played on some weird knockoff console back in the 80s. This was actually the best game so far.

So had some unexpected fun with some super-old software

Demon Attack? The old IMagic game (that pretty much ripped off Phoenix)?

And Combat as in the game that came free with Atari 2600?? This Combat?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_(Atari_2600)

Originally Posted by Zloth
Demon Attack? The old IMagic game (that pretty much ripped off Phoenix)?

And Combat as in the game that came free with Atari 2600?? This Combat?? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_(Atari_2600)

Yub, exactly these two

And speaking of rip-off, check the first two names I mentioned.

Well, I get the first one but translating the second I get… Jungle Boy? Is that some sort of Pitfall knock off?

P.S. Just got two TUBS of leftover cookies dropped off at my place! I'm supposed to take them to work. And I will! Some day.

Originally Posted by Zloth
Well, I get the first one but translating the second I get… Jungle Boy? Is that some sort of Pitfall knock off?

P.S. Just got two TUBS of leftover cookies dropped off at my place! I'm supposed to take them to work. And I will! Some day.

Yeah, it's a pitfall knockoff. It's written in German though. So "Dschungel" is the right way.
It's a German knock off by the mail order shop "Quelle" afaik.

I have more than three real trees.

So, we are heading towards the last day of the year. In my country, to sane people, this means staying indoors between 18.00 and 02.00 (6 pm and 2 am) although in some areas it is better not to go out during the last two days, because of local (mostly young) idiots not caring about the times allowed to light fireworks and/or lighting illegal stuff (like bombs used to blow up glaciers).
Here is an idea for those not familiar with Dutch tradition:

More and more people would like to see a ban. Last year we had a huge catastrofe, a 48 meter (157,5 feet) bonfire on a beach went wrong and it rained fire in the dense populated quarter next to it. The hair and coats of people walking outside got fire.

I like fireworks - but I also like nature and animals, so 2019/2020 will be my first year without any fireworks at all.

Yes, I have read wild birds fly 500 meters high to escape or they try to catch the North Sea.

Fire! Fire!! YEAH FIRE!!!!

I'm no fan of fireworks. Haven't burned any for a decade at least. A friend suggested a moving new year's party, having us walk from location to location. Nice idea in theory, but nope. Too many assholes outside. Can't compare whether it's worse in the Netherlands, but it's pretty bad in Germany as well, depending on density of the population of course.

Mark me down as another that doesn't care for fireworks. I find them to be loud, obnoxious, and flat-out dangerous, nothing redeeming about them at all.

Originally Posted by Carnifex
Mark me down as another that doesn't care for fireworks. I find them to be loud, obnoxious, and flat-out dangerous, nothing redeeming about them at all.

Totally agree … and as an animal lover, fireworks are torture to house pets and particularly dogs - torture, plain and simple (and yes, to be very clear, if you bring your dog to a public fireworks display you might as well be pushing a lit cigarette into their nose).

In Massachusetts and New York for several years personal fireworks were illegal so it was mostly town-centric displays, which were easy enough to avoid and minimize impact. But as more places relax the rules (because $$, nothing else) suddenly there are a$$hats lighting them off all over the place, with loads of injuries to people, animals and property. Yay.