Bubbles

So, yer mam dies in her early 40's, when you are 16.  2 years later, yer dad dies, still in his 40's, albeit 49.  This leaves you, as an 18 year old only boy, 3 elder sisters (21, 24 & 27), and the baby of the bunch, little sis who is still only 9 at this stage.
I guess what happens next is you start to wonder... will I manage to live a bit longer than my parents?... who will be the first sibling to cop it... and when!
Those thoughts have never left me.  4 of us have since lived longer than our parents, thankfully.  Baby sis has now lived longer than mum, and is closing in on the age dad was, so all good there, I guess.
I have to admit, on the day I equalled Dad's age, I was a little bit emotional, if truth be told.  Relief?  Guilt?  No idea, but it was a weird feeling!
But the one thing I have literally been dreading since being left an "orphan"... over 39 years ago now... is the first of us siblings going. 
...It happened last night! 

The sister up from me (so the third eldest) lasted until she was 60.... and two months.  I guess we shouldn't moan, given the family history, but I can't describe the gut-wrenching feeling, now the first one of us has gone!  This is the day I have been dreading for over 39 bloody years!
Depressed?  No.  Not in the true sense.
Anxious?  You bet!
Stress?  Not yet, but I'm sure that will come, as we try and help our 24 year old nephew (Sis's only child) through the next few days, weeks, and maybe even years.  Lot's to do.  Lot's to sort out.  Him and us.  There's no-one else to do it!
The first of my siblings gone... out of the blue... no warning!  Suddenly, I no longer feel immortal!
Eldest sis (67 next month) is feeling guilty, not being the first to go!
Baby sis is distraught, and now has to face her first close-relative mourning since becoming a 9 year old orphan!
Being old fashioned, I feel the need to take the lead.  To be practical.  The only boy, and all that!  Time to become a man!  Time to take charge, I guess, and stay strong for my remaining 3 sisters, and my nephew... but I can't help but feel vulnerable this morning, if truth be told.
Thankfully, I have the strongest, most wonderful wife tight by my side, so all is not lost!
I'm sure I'm not the first to lose a sibling, of course, but right now, feeling the way I do, a feeling I've never experienced before, is daunting to say the least.
It feels different to losing a parent.  It feels different to losing a granddaughter at 1 hour old.  Maybe not worse.  Maybe not easier.  But closer, I guess.  More frightening.  Too close for comfort!
Not looking for sympathy.  Just an ear.  Just a shoulder to lean on.  I may be back, I may not.  Having not been through this particular emotion, I really don't know what happens next!
 
PS:
Yes... yesterday's game really was poo, wasn't it!
 

I was asked if Derby will fare better in the new year, i haven't got 2020 vision.

A warning to all, be careful about drink driving as we are getting close to Christmas. Quite rightly Police are out checking on people. ?‍♂️ 
Last night I went out for a few drinks. Cocktails then wine. (Not a good idea)
However, knowing I was over the limit, I took the bus back home. 
We passed a police checkpoint and I could see they were pulling over drivers giving them breath tests. They waved the bus past.
I arrived home safely and without incident, which was a surprise as I've never driven a bus before and I’m not even sure where I got it from.
? ? ? ?

Is that a new cider?

This is great. 
Apparently loads of bots scour Twitter for people saying "I'd love that on a t-shirt" and then spam them with print on demand offers for the t-shirt
Which is all well and good until people start to think up ways to out-do the bots
https://waxy.org/2019/12/how-artists-on-twitter-tricked-spammy-t-shirt-stores-into-admitting-their-automated-art-theft/
 
 

Die Hard. First time watching it, and I was thoroughly entertained. Definitely a Christmas movie.
Alberto Bueno/10.

nearly started a new thread, such is my outrage
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-50743023
They're "rebooting" Home Alone!

The Jim Smith Room.
Applause for whoever came up with that

That is all.

So what, she might have not wanted to come in yet.. Stalling for time.

Agreed... and whilst we're on the driving theme, the folk who seem to think it is ok to cut across lanes on a roundabout, effectively driving in a straight line to save them having to turn their wheel... and in the process wiping out the poor sod to their right...
I'd say they were equally Bamfordious!  

Looks like a penis colada to me. 

Forgot about this thread. Good morning.
Safe to say that fight wasn't as thrilling as the previous, however credit to AJ for playing smart.
I reckon he'll beat Usyk, then go up against the winner of Fury v Wilder ( so Fury, obviously...) and then I think Fury will take his titles.

Bums? I'd pay a pound to see you call them that to their faces mate! 

He might, but it's not fair to call the rest bums. The heavy weight division is looking the most competitive it has for some time. 

Fury will beat all these bums tbh
 
 

heard this in Pryzm once, best to say everyone was skanking about.

This weekend is going to be great. Watching Die Hard with a few drinks and a few uni mates on Friday, going to Blackburn away and watching the fight in a student bar on Saturday, and going to my Law Society Christmas Ball on Sunday. Can’t wait.

That was the first fight I ever watched. Brilliant introduction to boxing.

? I bet he's probably alright away from boxing. Just a complete tool when it comes to the sport. 
I really hope come March we have 2 British World Champions. 
So excited for Saturday. Massive fight for Povetkin v Hunter and AJ v Ruiz is off the scale. 
I pray AJ just to jab, jab, jab and jab. Especially when stepping to Ruiz's left. 
Watching the first fight and the left hook/uppercut is on all day long. Every Ruiz jab, if AJ can step back and to his own left, then there's a left hook/uppercut on. 
Rob McCracken was telling AJ to double jab right hand but the right hand makes AJ lean over and Ruiz is quick. 
He's got to be defensive surely. He has to be patient with his right hand. That caused him all his trouble. 
Ruiz really is just a bad style for Joshua. 
Wilder fights off a defensive style anyway so he'd walk Ruiz onto something. Tyson can fight in both stances so would just be a nightmare for Ruiz. 
 
 

Merry Crimbo guys hope the happy holidays are great over Xmas.

People who cheat at pub quizzes are the lowest of the low. Utter Bamfords.
 

Vote Labour, they're promising free garages for everyone