It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Off Topic Chat

BK5

Last day of June my friends, second half of the year starts tomorrow. Year is absolutely flying by, wonder when we will notice the evenings just getting that little bit shorter?

I'd say if you looked for them you'd find some of the movie channels have gone "Christmas in July".

PTH2009

Hope everyone is good and year is going well so far. Loving that time is going so fast and we're getting closer to the 'cosy weather' (angry at those in Winter now down in the Southern Hemisphere 😄). It's going into their version of our 'January'

Sadly a bit of bad news to start with, My Grandfather passed away a few weeks ago. It'll take some time to adjust and like all deaths it will really become aparent over the festive period

Summer going good so far and have been to a few amazing concerts, Rammstein was bonkers and was nice seeing Bruce Springsteen in Kilkenny again. Moments of the summer so far was finally seeing Weezer and Green Day live after missing the Hella Mega tour in 2022 due to covid (should still on went 😄). Heading to Madrid Tuesday week for a few days and heading to Madcool Festival. Not looking forward to the heat but can't wait to see the city and try some 'tapas'

Aiming to get a big one off the bucket list in December with hopefully a trip over to Ally Pally for the darts. London looks magical too and if I can get the time I'm doing the 'Christmas bus'

Winterval 2024 is coming and even featured in the Paddys Day parade here 😊

https://www.waterfordlive.ie/news/local-news/1541109/winterval-organisers-confirm-dates-and-unveil-brand-new-elements-for-2024-festival.html

pigtail33

I noticed 4 Music, The Box and Magic music TV channels are all closing down at midnight tonight. I know The Box always changes to Boxmas over Christmas, I'm not sure about the other two. I wonder will there be any Christmas music TV channels this year at all.

Great! are still showing Christmas films for the next week, at least. Maybe they'll continue it for "Christmas in July" (which I don't get at all!)

Posy

It's July!! 😁

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122324105#Comment_122324105

second half of the year is here!

This is also the month we pass 150 days on the countdown!

DvB

Those of us with the SKY platform only have 3 or 4 MTV music channels the last few years anyway, one of those turns to Christmas but IIRC tended to be the last of them at the end of November/Dec 1st. Back in the Day Trace would change on October 1st or suchlike! It always seemed a little 'too' early.

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122322679#Comment_122322679

I think Christmas in July started in Australia years ago as it's their winter down there at the moment so it's feels more seasonal to do something at this time. I am very open to correction on this.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122324333#Comment_122324333

No, you're correct, it started with the aussies for the very reasons you outlined. Remember it being discussed on a couple of podcasts.

antimatterx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122324105#Comment_122324105

Stop 🙃. I had to check my calendar

BK5

I see Office Christmas Party was on Film4 last night, I wonder was it their little nod to Christmas in July?

tscul32

We've had pur first big nod to "the kids are growing up" here. I was away on a cub scout camp at the weekend, back yesterday. But 2 of my elves are still there with scouts. Then our eldest, who has had no interest in drinking or having a social life up to now despite turning 18 last year, went out to a friend's house and texted in the wee hours that he was staying over. This is the first time in 18 years that it's just been us in the house in the morning and it's very very quiet 😆.... but I could get used to it.

Watching the forecast for Greece at the moment as we're heading out next week with just the youngest for a week. Looking at 30 degrees and I can't wait🌞🌞🌞

CheerLouth

Off on our holidays tomorrow - counting down the hours!

antimatterx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122328758#Comment_122328758

Office Christmas Party is a great film. Such a fun watch.

DvB

Was in the dentist this morning with the hygienist, spent the first few minutes talking about how dull, grey & cold its been the last couple of weeks.

Real feel for me, what with our holidays over, that the summer is kinda been & gone, can't see any significant improvement in the weather in the post so already planning for the kids going back to school in August (ours are back early enough on the 21st) and a short glamping trip just before then, with nothing else planned & finances tight until later in the year decent weather was the hope but nope, dull, grey & damp is all we have… think we'll still need to organise some weekend day trips though & simply be prepared for the weather, 7 more weeks of this would be utterly depressing!

miamee

I was saying similar to the OH @DvB we're just going to have to put on the rain coats and get out there because waiting for the nice weather is not a good plan!

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122329767#Comment_122329767

Yep, you'd be sat indoors waiting! Its only now with no GAA matches until after they're back in school and we have some time at weekends we noticed how we'd need to just get on with it basically.

I never remember as a kid the entire summers being so bad. All my memories are of decent weather.

pigtail33

I heard on the news earlier that June was the coldest June since 2015, with the average temperate only 13°, whereas last year was the warmest June on record! Maybe this years summer will be the complete opposite to last year, awful up to mid July and then the sun will come out. All I can remember from last summer is, what seemed like, non-stop rain from July until beyond the end of the year.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122330417#Comment_122330417

Vaguely remember hearing some mad stat that there wasn't a 24 hour period in Dublin that didn't have rain for something silly like 80 consecutive days, or something akin to that anyway implying we had A LOT of rain!

BK5

I'll try and bring some good news in - 2 colleagues and myself have got the ball rolling on organising the staff Christmas Party , very late in the year for us but we'll see what we can get. Will keep you updated.

Jude13

We had a bit of mission getting our tenants out of the house at the weekend, meant to leave Saturday, left Sunday and also left a load of their old furniture. The good news is that after 15 years renting we will have our first home. Getting some bits and pieces fixed and the house fully painted then move in next Tuesday.

I already know where all the decorations will go.

DvB

Yep.

BK5

Congratulations @Jude13 , best of luck in your new home. Won't be long till you're putting up that tree.

freshpopcorn

We've done the first quatre of the 100's!

Weather has been poor. I still have loads of blankets on my bed.

Haven't experienced those endless Summers days yet but there's still a nice few weeks to go.

Good Luck with the house @Jude13

Cork Lass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122333286#Comment_122333286

Delighted to hear that @Jude13, wishing you and your family every happiness in your new home.

BK5

Speaking of knowing where the decorations are going to go, I just checked the calendar and the 1st of December is a Sunday this year. We don't have young kids (Toy Show Night) so don't usually put up the decs till the first weekend of Dec.

The thought that's going through my head is - do we decorate on the Sat & Sun of the 30th of Nov and 1st of Dec?

Or do I take a day off work on Fri the 6th of Dec and make a long weekend of it?

Posy

100% the 30th Nov and 1st Dec! 🎄

pigtail33

I hadn't looked at how the weekends fall this year, but I think it'll be Dec 6th/7th for me. I just can't do decorations in November! I may change my mind at the time though.

tscul32

Will be 6th/7th for us too as we'll be in Frankfurt the previous weekend. Although the 7th is an elf's birthday so might be midweek after that instead.

DvB

Already have Friday Nov.29th booked off work for our decorating day (it was the first days leave I confirmed when coming into wok in January after the break) . Before the kids came along we would have always looked at around the 7th/8th Dec or the closest w/e to those kind of dates, but since the LLTS became a thing for the kids we started decorating that day and its become tradition now. Given the work that goes into getting the place decorated its nice to get the best part of 5 weeks out of it.

On a complete tangent, saw the weather forecast for the week ahead, shocking, looking like another wet washed out summer by the looks of it… what I wouldnt give for 2 or 3 weeks of bright sunny weather.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122336451#Comment_122336451

watch out mods are about….