Who else would rather be riding

Call me a grinch but this Xmas shit pisses me off , I'd rather be sweating my guts outs stuck half way up Billy goats bluff , then doing Xmas crap , camped along side of a river with a beer
And a rod chillin out after a hard year of work that's the life I work for not battling dick heads with trolleys through shopping centre's

I know I'm not the only one , so fess up if your a grinch like me .

The wife and I worked out long ago to get the shopping done well before the dick-heads all come out. No supermarket trolly wars, screaming kids with the I want attitude and parents all hassled.

No kids so no shit-fights.

We have a mate come over and lunch is low key and we plan trips on the bikes or tell tall story's. If I lived along the southern coast I'd stay away some place. get a motel for a few days and just look about.

Must be hard for those solo's without family at this time of year...its all so in your face.

Don't whinge, go and ride then.....

I love spending time with good friends and family. Christmas is one time of the year when everyone stops long enough to catch up with each other.

For me, the other 51 weeks of the year you can play.

I am hearing ya Guts , shit time of year to be anywhere near the masses and the commercial rip off that is perpetuated upon us .

Got it all sorted - living remote so no obligatory family visits required on the day, bought the little one a JR80 for X-Mas Mrs AJ has committed to bringing the 80 out to ride on Xmas day with the little one and I will meet them up on my bike.
You can have kids, Xmas and bikes all on the same day - takes a bit of planning though

It's the little ones that make Xmas worthwhile you can pick up on that excitement and anticipation as it practically drips out of their pores.
Mine are too old for the excitement of it all now so I have reverted back to mild Grinch mode my missus loves the whole seasons greetings festival so I try not to rain on her parade too much.

:slurp



:dg

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

For most folk having children makes the festive season a bit hectic...

But with my birthday being yesterday, then Xmas, the wife's birthday is on the 29th and then we hit New Years eve .... :eek1
Suffice to say that the little fella has quietened us down a lot.
Still, Xmas is pretty exciting when you're 4.

Mudguts, you're looking at this wrong. Sit back, get into the self ingulgant commercialism or the boxing day sales...then over winter go get stuck on billy goats. The place is a dustbowl infested by weekend warriors over the xmas period - xmas in july

You poor bastard, mine's today

I fight the commercialism by donating to a few charities so those who have got nothing get a bit of help.

Xmas day is a good day for a ride because most of the population are meeting their obligations and not on the roads.

Fantastic time of year, but I have a 5 year old boy, heaps of bikes, great wife and enjoy life

Gee muders i didn't think you where a misery guts (grand children make it all good)

Ha ha, my birthday is 26th.
Was always a good excuse to 'get back on it' but like Neil, I have slowed. The 15 mth old Regie dosnt help !!
Family comin over from the east coast. They are good folk so it should be good.
Took Reg to a fully sic Christmas decked out house last night. His eyes were :eek1

It was fun to see.

Good god, am I slowly geting less grouchy ??

My kids, a 500exc and 690R have been spoilt this year with SXS forks for the 500
And new crank and hi comp piston for the 690 , just waiting for Santa postman

My partner is Italian and she's all about Xmas $2000 of food and grog were I'd be happy with a 6 pack of Jim beam along a river some were

I did the same thing this year as I did last year and it still made me laugh. This morning I went to the supermarket to buy food. The car park was a war zone. Everyone was there inside. Most of them had their game faces on. Rushing around frantically getting organised for the festival of gluttony.

After last year I knew I would be judged. Regardless, I collected a basket and with my meager list in hand I collected my requirements.

Couscous. Quinoa for the wheat hating mate. Sachets of salmon. Dried fruit. Two minute noodles. Lots of two minute noodles. Stock cubes. Miso soup. Some other curry sachets.

Like the rest of the sheep with their chops, steaks, chickens, turkeys, seafood, copious bottles of drink, lollies, chips and who knows what else I queued at the register.

Same as last year, the imaginary speech bubbles above everyone's heads all spelt the same thing. I read the check out chick's pity. "What a poor, miserable Christmas that guy must be having if he's down to salmon and noodles." Like a marked man I returned to the battlefield that was the car park and smiled maniacally at everyone. How little they knew about my agenda.

There are new tyres on the bike. My gear is nearly packed. Tomorrow and the next day are hopefully going to be pleasant enough. The following week in the hills promises to be truly festive. As sure as there is an X in Christmas, I'm off.

Might be a touch of the black dog there Mudguts, which wouldn't surprise me at this time of year with all the commercialism and pressure to celebrate, be with family etc. It doesn't suit everybody.

Good luck, mate and enjoy it your way.

^^^ THIS...

HAH! +1. Enjoy Wonangatta.

Xmas isn't really celebrated here in Thailand, unless you hang out in the tourist enclaves.

I'm with the OP - I do not miss it one bit.