Arrrrrgh! This is doing my head in.

[HeyWayne]

When you can be alone together in a crowd that makes it special.

You tried 'blending' into a crowd when you're 6ft7 and 6ft?!

[Brengirl]

You don't want to listen do you? Height has nothing whatsoever to do with it.

[beefy]

OK - I don't understand why you don't like Pink Floyd but hey everyones different . I'll get over it.
How or if you get out of it is up to you - I sometimes have really bad migranes -enough said.
The real problem here is the whole "secret santa" issue.Its a real retailers dream when you think about it - everyone buying things for everybody else and not really knowing or caring about weather or not the gifts are welcome.Having a rather large family circle on both sides we have a rule that only the kids are bought for and a few close friends at Christmas otherwise we would be broke. Perhaps it's time to end the whole secret santa thing - tell people to concentrate on bean perhaps.
Maybe thats another can of worms best avoided ?

[its hilly]

Tell her you really love the thought of her babysitting..thank you, crawl, grovel. But Admit that you are off somewhere else as its the romantic night out alone with LW that you really want..Offer them the chance to go instead, or pass the tickets on to one of their pals who really will enjoy it. And arrange another night for the sit if need be.
I understand you worrying about Bean, you've not been parents for that long yet (compared to the years youve still got to go ) but IMHO children often settle really well for babysits, cos the sitter isnt worried if they will or not and babies/toddlers sense it and gain confidence from it. And it does them no harm, and you need to remember that you are a couple too, not just parents. Get into the habit of taking time together for yourselves.
Ohmigod, just reread that and it sounds so bossy
Please take it as meant, you're too big for me to cross

[its hilly]

And I'm off with G4 and Piskie..mutters to self..Pink Floyd are soo good

[northepaul]

This is exactly the reason our family stopped giving each other presents...no body offended and no wasted money....( this is of course after being given my tenth bottle of baileys after I mentioned to my sister that i liked Irish whisky.... )

[Rhona]

I completely understand your distress. Someone tried to make me listen to Pink Floyd once.

Poor you - I've been in that situation because of not wanting to hurt someone's feelings, and then it all hangs over you like a cloud. Your sis knows you - she feels a bit disappointed, but she'll also know that you've been in conflict over it, 'cos you were genuinely grateful.

You could just add that as the date approached, you realised more and more that what you REALLY wanted was just a evening in LW's company having dinner. Which is true.

Anyway, all done now, I'm just getting in late! Hope you have a lovely evening anyway.

[HeyWayne]

Having a rather large family circle on both sides we have a rule that only the kids are bought for and a few close friends at Christmas otherwise we would be broke. Perhaps it's time to end the whole secret santa thing - tell people to concentrate on bean perhaps.

We don't have big family circles on both sides - especially LW's. It's my family that the 'problem' exists. Never have been much good at buying gifts. That's not to say that I don't appreciate the thought or gesture, but when you have stuff that you really don't want/need (one year my brother bought me a towel with 'face' on one end and another word for bottom on the other end, along with an Evel Kneivel stuntbike set - I was 31 at the time!) it gets to a point where you run out of cupboards/drawers to put them in.

There are only two children in the family - Bean and my sisters step-son.

You don't want to listen do you? Height has nothing whatsoever to do with it.

It has when you stand in a crowd and can be seen from anywhere within that crowd! Sit on someone's shoulders at a gig and tell me again it's easy to be 'alone'.

Tell her you really love the thought of her babysitting..thank you, crawl, grovel. But Admit that you are off somewhere else as its the romantic night out alone with LW that you really want..Offer them the chance to go instead, or pass the tickets on to one of their pals who really will enjoy it. And arrange another night for the sit if need be.
I understand you worrying about Bean, you've not been parents for that long yet (compared to the years youve still got to go ) but IMHO children often settle really well for babysits, cos the sitter isnt worried if they will or not and babies/toddlers sense it and gain confidence from it. And it does them no harm, and you need to remember that you are a couple too, not just parents. Get into the habit of taking time together for yourselves.
Ohmigod, just reread that and it sounds so bossy
Please take it as meant, you're too big for me to cross

Can't tell her we're off somewhere else - this was a Christmas present. Even we are not booked up that far in advance!

We've left Bean with both grandparents, and his aunts and uncles - he has always settled, that's not necessarily what concerns us. It's the restless nights he has subsequently had that does.

Hard to enjoy a good night out when you know you're going to have a disturbed night and very early start the following morning.

We're happy to leave him with babysitters and do on a number of occasions - providing we've settled him and we can get back at a 'reasonable' hour.

Anyways - spoke to sis last night and said we'll go rather than upset her finance' who bought the tickets. She has noted for future reference though.

All's good in the HeyWayne hood.

p.s. having had a reasonable night's sleep last night the idea of a disturbed night is even less appealing this morning than it was last night.

p.p.s me? cross? hardly!

[weekendwellies]

Just caught up on this thread.
I am glad you are going.
I usually don't want to go out (not that I get the chance much), but tell myself that when I get there I will enjoy it - its the company you're with that makes the difference.
Have a great night out with your missus.
Enjoy the show and have a good dinner.
And worry about the restless Bean when/if it happens.
You never know, he may just surprise you and not be restless over coming nights.

[di]

You never know...if the tribute act's that bad it may just pass as laughable and you'll have a ball!

I've become really lazy about going out and the kiddies are often my excuse for my apathy.Nine times out of ten though,once I've been dragged out I end up having a good time...even the times I convince myself it's not my evening out of choice...they often turn out to be the better ones as you don't have high expectations.

Hope it's not so bad and you manage to enjoy your evening...even if it's just an eensy bit.

[HeyWayne]

We do go out you know.

On our own.

[HeyWayne]

Well, we lasted an hour - I think they churned out three songs on that time. It took 20 minutes for the entire band to arrive on stage!

Fat Old Sun/Son wasn't half bad - but the rest, well...

Each musician was pretty good, but nope, I still don't get Pink Floyd.

They had a 'break' after an hour and we seized our chance. Ducked out and went to one of our fave pubs (on a lock by a canal). We stayed until Pink Flid was supposed to finish (so's not to rouse suspicion back home).

We had a great night, but it was nothing to do with PF.

Sorry all you Floyd fans, but I really don't get it - and LadyWayne certainly doesn't.

[SlugLobber]

Oh dear. Glad you had a good night despite PF. Don't mind them, but I know how I'd feel if somebody bought me tickets to Mama Mia...

This is what I hate about Christmas. People buying things that others don't like, out of desperation to please because they feel 'obligated'. I am SOOOOO sick of tat being given to me by MIL, but after 5 years, it still comes...because she feels obligated. Is it too early/late for a bah humbug?

[Rhona]

I'm really glad you had a great night! You did well to last a whole hour. My sis thinks they're ok, and occasionally played the odd song when we lived together. I assume she did it when she wanted the place to herself.

[Alison]

Pink Floyd always reminds me of sitting as a small child in my oldest brother's bedroom listening to him playing Dark Side of the Moon to me. Have loved them ever since and seen them a couple of times in concert. Tribute acts can be hit and miss but I didn't really understand the problem with trying it so am glad that you went along.

A bit late now but what I really don't understand is that if you really had to say something then why you didn't do it either in person or at the very least on the phone, whilst I'd be disappointed that I'd got a present wrong (particularly after putting a lot of thought into it) but more upset that the recipient couldn't be bothered to speak to me about it. This may be a "me" thing but I find that e-mail / text / facebook to be quite a lazy method of communication and prefer any difficult situations to be dealt with head on and that this usually avoids some of the problems.