Its All About Christmas

“I really did not expect any trouble. Thank goodness my friend did.”

Those were the words of 35-year-old Jim Tucker, who narrowly avoided being stabbed by 40-year-old Marianne Tucker, his wife of six years, whom he is in the process of divorcing.

Jim left his wife after years of verbal abuse and being forced to do physical labor around the apartment that his disability made him incapable of performing without great pain, he told this reporter, in addition to drug and alcohol abuse. This while his wife Marianne sat around and did nothing, expecting Jim to wait on her hand and foot. She even demanded that he walk her two medically-prescribed “companion dogs,” in contravention of all rules for companion dog owners. Jim’s best friend, Jonathan Baker, got him to stand up for himself and, when that did not affect a change in the situation, helped him move out. Jim is now staying with Baker.

Despite the problems, Jim felt it was important to get together with Marianne to see if they could not reconcile enough to at least be civil when they saw each other in church, and to iron out details of the divorce. So, against Baker’s advice, Jim went back over to his former residence to have a private dinner with his wife.

“I told him it was a bad idea,” Baker said. “I said, ‘She’s dead set that she wants you back, and she as much as told me the last time she called that if she could not have you, no one would.’” Baker said she even implied that the two were gay lovers and that Baker had broken up their marriage so he could have Jim all to himself. Their friends say this is nonsense, since the both of them have a serious eye for the ladies.

“If he was dead set on going,” Baker continued, “then I told him he should be prepared for a problem.” Baker sent along a digital recorder and a small can of pepper spray, secreted in pockets of Jim’s vest. This way, Baker suggested, there would be both an audio record of what went on and some insurance in case Marianne tried anything.

The evening started off well. It was the day after Christmas, and Marianne plied him with wine and gifts the minute Jim walked through the door. The gifts included a scarf she had promised to knit for Jim – a promise made shortly after they had gotten married, and not followed through on until after he’d moved out in late October. She served a sumptuous meal of Jim’s favorite lasagna, crusty garlic bread, Caesar salad, piping hot Minestrone soup… and an appeal for Jim to “just come home” over the homemade tiramisu for dessert.

When Jim said, flatly, no, because she’d admitted that she was not in a drug and alcohol treatment program as she’d promised before he’d even consider coming back, Marianne reached into the kitchen drawer behind her chair in the dining nook and pulled out a butcher knife. Jim deflected her slash at his heart, getting his arm slashed instead, and grabbed for the pepper spray. He gave Marianne a dose of the chemical, jumped back, and ran for the door. He ran out into the parking lot, calling 911 on his cell phone on the way.

At this moment, Baker drove up in his van, it being the agreed-upon time for him to pick Jim up. Marianne, still coughing and wheezing from her dose of pepper spray, ran out into the parking lot, waving her butcher knife and shouting. Baker put the van in gear and started to drive away… when the police arrived.

Five minutes later, Marianne was in handcuffs being driven away in the squad car, and Baker was taking Jim to the hospital. “I do not know what I would’ve done without that pepper spray, and Jon’s advice to be careful,” Jim said. “I’m truly grateful for his help, and God for providing good friends to look out for me.”

Marianne Tucker was booked into Fraleigh County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon and her trial is scheduled to begin on May 13. The divorce Jim Tucker filed becomes final May 21.

by Katie for BoomerYearbook.com, December, 2008 – Aside from the period of time when the kids are opening their presents, and the 24-hour period when they are playing with them before they get bored, the rest of Christmas can be a challenge for parents and for grandparents in terms of keeping the younger generation occupied – what can you do to entertain them over the Christmas period?

If energy is an element of vitality your kids always have an oversupply of until asked to do something, then it looks like you’re in for a tough time while they’re at home for the holidays! We’ve put together some ideas for you to try and keep the whole family entertained.

Party Games:

Switch off the TV and use your imagination for amusement.  Physically getting off the sofa and engaging in an activity together with your family will be much more stimulating than nodding off and waking up covered in post-beer dribble and surrounded by lethargic kids. 

Here are some fun games to try, whatever age you are:

Whose shadow is this?

Hang a white sheet in a doorway. One of the players sits down on the chair facing the sheet.  At the opposite side of the room there is a lamp on a tale. All the players walk between the lamp and the sheet in turn.  The guesser must try to identify the others by their shadows as they walk past.  The players try to change their shadows.  The player who is recognized becomes the guesser.

Zombie:

Two pairs participate in this game.   Each pair stands hand in hand with their adjoining hands tied together.  With their free hands (one with the right hand and other with the left one) they must wrap up the package, bind the rope around it and tie it in a bow.  The pair which finishes the task the first is the winner.

Water carriers:

Two players compete in this game. For each player there is a chair with a bowl of water and a spoon on it.  A few steps away there are two more chairs with an empty glass on each of them.  The object of the player is to fill the empty glass with water as soon as possible.  The player who is the first to do it is the winner.

Pin head (not suitable for young children)

Each player is given a paper cap with the needle at its top.  The object is to burst as many balloons as possible with the half of the needle on the cap.

Pass the Lemon:

Two teams line up opposite each other and the team member at the front of the line has to pass a lemon to the second in lie.   The catch is that no hands are allowed and the lemon must be passed from under the chin.  The person who receives the lemons has to grab it under their chin too.  The lemon proceeds down the line of players until the end, and the last in line runs to the front (with the lemon still under their chin) and the process starts again.  The winning team is the first to pass the lemon (without touching it with their hands) through all players, with each player having a turn at the front of the line.  This game is guaranteed to give some real laughs!

You should find that once the family gets involved, everyone has more energy than they thought they had. And at least it’s a good way to work off the Christmas dinner!!

Want more helpful tips on how to de-stress this holiday? Come join boomeryearbook.com

www.boomeryearbook.com is a social networking site connecting the Baby Boomer generation. Share your thoughts, rediscover old friends, or expand your mind with brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join today to discover the many ways we are helping Boomers connect for fun and profit.

Some friendly advice for employees regarding holding on to your job and reputation after the annual office Christmas party celebrations!

It’s a pretty common cliché, intoxicated announcements of love, unloading a years worth of insults about your boss at the top of your voice while he stands right behind you, and the predictable drunken pash that will forever be remembered.

The end of year work Christmas party for many employees is their only chance all year to fully let go of work and socialize with their work mates. As a result, there is a lot of pent up emotions that can very quickly make or break your reputation, one that you have managed to keep in tact all year.

Know your boundaries.

It’s unfamiliar territory for many workers to be socializing with their colleagues, so the answer to get past this unfamiliarity is to drink so much that everyone comes down to the same drunken level. Remember, not everyone reacts the same way when they are drunk, and you risk doing something you may well regret and you will have to face up to everyone at work feeling rather awkward. Be aware of how much you drink, and take your time doing so. Just because the beer is free isn’t worth risking spending the night throwing up over the side of the boat on your annual work Christmas party boat cruise.

We know you’re dying to – but avoid gossiping.

It’s a terrible idea to start a conversation about how incompetent one of the managers are. Not only does it sound like you have nothing better to chat about, there is every chance your idol gossip will work it’s way back to the wrong person.

Flirting – should you?

There is a girl at the party you don’t really know that well but you’ve seen her around, and up till now there has been very little acknowledgement of each other. You notice her looking in your direction smiling, and funnily enough she’s looking much better than you previously remembered. If you read the situation incorrectly through your beer goggles, you can expect a sexual harassment allegation the next day. Innocent flirting as an ice breaker is fine, but after several cocktails, your ability to make good judgment calls comes into question.

There’s a time and a place.

If you want to paint the town red, don’t do it at the office Christmas party. Pick an appropriate function and venue. Go and slag your boss off to someone you don’t know at a bar, or visit one of the online dating sites for information regarding singles events where you can flirt like there’s no tomorrow!

a Christmas party in London this year then read on then, I attended this event last year with my office colleagues and we had a fantastic Christmas party. It is an extremely lavish Christmas party event, a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that will transport everyone who takes part back to Dickensian London.

You can go back in time for your office Christmas party to experience the very essence of Christmas. Everyone is familiar with the look and feel of Dickensian London and that’s exactly what is provided for you. It’s an elaborate recreation of the Christmas party events that Dickens would have seen – but with the luxury and convenience that office Christmas party goers expect today. What you get is an exceptional Christmas party in London comprising dinner, dance and theatre. It will almost certainly be the best Christmas party London has ever seen – in the Past, Present or Future.

A complete office Christmas party experience

So what will you find during one of these Dickens office Christmas party events? When we arrived we were greeted with a glass of champagne before being taken down Dickens Lane, accompanied by traditional Christmas carol singers.

A Dickensian guide then escorted us to our exclusive dining area where waiting staff attended to our every need. Then we had all evening to experience the best that Victorian Christmas London had to offer, but with all the luxury that party goers today expect from their Christmas party events.

Great wining, dining, dancing and more

As well as the fabulous dinner, we had the opportunity to visit The Boars Head Tavern, located in the centre of Dickens Lane, with its three large bars serving fine ales and the always popular roulette table. And to add a modern twist for a bit of extra variety to complete our Christmas party in London, there’s a roulette table and cocktail bar with barmen showing off their flair and skill.

Step back into Dickens’ London

Dickens Christmas party nights in London wouldn’t be complete without a suitable cast of characters. So you get to meet Oliver, Fagin, The Artful Dodger, Miss Haversham, Mr Macawber, Bob Crachit, Jacob Marley, Jenny Wren and many more Dickens favourites.

The actors aren’t just there to look authentic: the actors will recreate all their trials and triumphs to reveal the stories that are so familiar yet always a pleasure to experience. Don’t expect stuffy performances – the characters can get very rowdy during the evening and love entertaining in true music hall style!

There are many other ideas for office Christmas party events, but this is the best I have yet to come across.

Christmas party. London has never seen anything like it . . . well not for 150 years!

When you desperately want to gift them something ‘different’ this year

Anyone who has ever tried giving a ‘different’ gift to their men folk on a Christmas will know what I am talking about. It is far easier to select gift for women due to the kind of variety and range available in the market. Anyone under 30 would love to have the latest designer makeup offering. Above 40 will love some concoctions of skin creams. Bath luxuries, new shimmering evening dress, cookery classes vouchers, time saving kitchen equipment…there is no dearth of offerings for women.

However, for men, the choices are so limited. How many times can you gift someone golf clubs, socks, aftershave, watch or a good old leather wallet?? Any offbeat gift like bath marbles or a cute puppy may not hit-off with everyone. You are always in doubt while experimenting, if it’s the right thing.

Here are some alternative gift ideas that might earn you that big broad smile from your dad, grandpa or husband. The kinky ones will get you some hugs and more from your man.

. Sudoku Toilet Roll For the enthusiasts who can’t get enough of the game. It is a sure way to pass time on the bob. Sudoku is a massive puzzling craze that has swept the world. One of those addictive little games that will keep you amused for hours. Gift one to the one you love and watch their grins on receiving this unusual gift.

. Racing Grannies These are desktop dolls in the form of ageing, wrinkled grannies, but race around faster than a car on the desk. Race these old dears at crippling speeds, wind them up and watch them go, just adjust the grannies arms to find the perfect race position. Two grannies complete with zimmer frames and shopping baskets will have you howling with laughter as you watch them scuttle along the desk. Ultimate fun guaranteed!!

. Babe Beer Bottle Holder If you want to gift him something kinky this Christmas, we have the perfect gift. The Babe Beer bottle holder has an alluring ahem…female figurine on the outside. He will remember you each time he holds the holder or the babe…

. Hand Mobile Battery Charger – For emergency times when he needs to recharge his cell but there is no electrical socket nearby. This neat little gadget has a shaft that is rotated by hand. A 3-minute charging results in a talk time of about 7-8 minutes. Can be remodelled to suit any mobile phone brand. Perfect gift for any gizmo-freak.

. A hammock Rekindle the memories of that Caribbean holiday by gifting him a hammock. Who wouldn’t love to lounge around in a hammock in the sun (even if imagined!) with a beer bottle in hand? A suitable gift for those who love to rest their derrieres often enough..

. Hip flask cum Cigarette Case A perfect gift to a Football fanatic. When he goes to see his favourite team in action, this cute little flask helps him carry his favourite spirit and upto 6 cigarettes in neat, very small case. Looks elegant too.

. Virtual Girlfriend Game Gift this video game to your brother or friend if they recently got dumped or have been too shy to ask anyone out. It will help them polish their dating skills. A perfect gift for tongue-tied teenagers.

. Whistling, Flashing Keylighter They will never loose their keys again. On being whistled to, this amazing keylighter whistles back at you and flashes light. So gift this to your absent-minded hubby or careless teenager, they are bound to appreciate this thoughtful gesture.

. Football club share What do you gift a Man United fan?? A share in their favourite football club!!! They will swear by you if you give them this chance to own a piece of the magic. These shares are available in different denominations for various clubs.

. An acre on Mars or Moon What do you gift to a man who has everything, in his own words?? An acre of land on moon or Mars will really make them reach for the stars J Yes!! They are up for grabs and the recipients of your gift will get a neat little certificate to prove it. Now you know what to gift that well-off uncle.

. Family History Gift-Box Perfect gift for teenagers finding their roots or people living away from their native neighbourhood. This box contains personalised family history of people in Wales, England, and Ireland. Imagine the surprise on their face in knowing how many of their ancestors went to the New World and who knows, they might even have royalty as part of their lineage.

. Personalised Stationery Surprise him by gifting him his insignia stationary. He is sure to be impressed by the embossed letters of his name on all his personalised letter-pads, cards and other business and personal markings.

. Table Football game Who hasn’t loved a good game of Table Football on a bleak wet day? Gift this to your bachelor friends or cousins and watch them play it over and over with squeals of delight. Danger: you might feel ignored in their company…

. Espresso Cappuccino Machines – For the modern wonders of men who need a coffee first thing in the morning but cant brew it to save their lives! This classy and handy machine makes life a little easier for your dear ones by serving them hot piping Espresso or Cappuccino every single morning unfailingly.

. ‘Macho-man’ Apron or ‘Danger: Man Cooking’ Apron If you have survived more than one of their cooking disasters last year, its time to give them a ‘Danger Man Cooking’ apron. Or, stroke their ego and laugh as they put on a ‘Macho-Man’ apron and then sweetly ask them to fix the dinner.. Men will always be boys.

The coming of Christmas feels our hearts with hope and joy. It’s a festival of exchanging good wishes with our near and dear ones. Are you looking for a special gift for your special friend? What better way can you think of other than gifting your family and friends with Christmas gift basket. A Christmas gift basket is the best way to portray your feelings to your family and friends.

Christmas gift basket is one of the best ways through which you can express your feeling for your dear ones. Christmas gift baskets are uniquely designed for different consumer. You can get these candles in different categories and prices as you think it fit for your budget. Gifting candles in Christmas is one of the latest fashions, which is followed by many people.

There are different gift shops where you can find Christmas gift basket. These Christmas gifts basket are seasonal and are specially designed for Christmas. A simple online search can help you find a reliable Christmas gift outlet online. You can find different varieties of Christmas gift baskets to portray different feelings mainly

• Corporate Christmas gift basket

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• Christmas cookie gift basket

• Christmas food gift basket

• Christmas candle gift basket

• Christmas chocolate gift basket

• Christmas wine gift basket

• Christmas holiday gift basket

• Christmas coffee gift basket

Today one can find different types of online gift basket stores. These online outlets provide you with different varieties of gift baskets. A proper search can help you find a reliable store. These outlets provide you with number of value added services like free home delivery, packing services and so on.