Christmas Fever and an IT Genius

I know it’s a little soon for another post folks but I thought you could all use a little Christmas present from me, aren’t you lucky!

Yesterday was a busy (and in parts totally odd) day that I thought I would update you all on. My first big news… I managed to correctly install a printer and associated printer drivers to a computer because our IT staffer was too busy – I am ridiculously chuffed about this but given my previous ineptitude in this area, and last week’s achievement of mapping some network drives I think I may be a closet IT genius… always nice to know that you have options!

After this massive achievement it was very hard to settle back into work but thankfully I did not have to for long because it was Christmas lunch day! We headed off to the fancy old Marriott hotel for a buffet lunch that was absolutely gorgeous – lots of seafood salads, roast turkey, cheese and fruit and cakes and a proper cup of tea – yum, yum, yum. I am also pleased to report that my co-workers were not shy about getting their money’s worth out of the buffet so I didn’t feel too much like a dodgy back-packer for eating a couple of helpings!

To work off this big lunch (and you note I make no mention of alcohol… Christmas lunch without wine? My Corrections co-workers would twirl in the office chairs if they knew) we all went ice-skating together before retiring to a nearby bar for a recovery pint. I am proud to say that I did not fall down again so Pat’s theory that I may be more co-ordinated on ice than land appears to be holding true!

I couldn’t stick around at the bar too long because I was off to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (with the Rockettes) so I ducked home to get changed and collect my parcel haul for the day – I am still being good and not opening any Christmas parcels but I must confess that I did rip immediately into Zoe’s red cross parcel to have a much longed for marshmallow Santa. I even took pity on my countryman Kiwi and gave him one – mainly because I want to keep him sweet since he is going to give Mum’s pav recipe a go for Christmas dinner!

I met up with Natalie after that and we headed in to the Hummingbird Centre for the show… the show was kind of strange really. I expected a little bit of cheesy schmaltz but I didn’t realise the magnitude I would be facing in this area… I also was not expecting a rapping dwarf, a teddy bear in drag (complete with bad eye make-up and platforms), or live animals but they were all there! The Rockettes were very impressive with their high-kicks and synchronicity as well as some very nice frocks of course… the trouble was not with the Rockettes but really everything else!

The show was basically Santa walking you through his Christmas preparations and was a fun and bright (albeit very cheesy) dance and song situation… until suddenly the lighting changed, Santa disappeared, and a bible story began… we had a full blown nativity with not one, not two, but THREE camels and a donkey as well as some very entertaining sheep who didn’t want a baa (see what I did there… ahahahahaha) of this madness and were trying to escape. The change from light and bright to booming religious monotone was rather jarring to say the least and am very glad the Rockettes were good or I may have felt that I spent $45 to watch a nativity at church… Don’t get me wrong.. as far as nativity plays go this was a very good one (THREE camels – I kid you not) but not quite what I was expecting after the rollicking good time Santa had given us with such famous Christmas classics as "Santa wants to Rock n Roll" and "Three Shopping Days til Christmas". BIZARRE!

Oh and speaking of bizarre? Why does our office receptionist have a bowl on her desk saying “tips go here”… should I get one?

Well this will probably be my last post before Christmas so I hope you all have a great time with family and friends and I will talk to you all soon.
Cheers,
Clare