The Mulligans Christmas Card Photo

Dorric Mulligan is the manager of the Kicking Donkey Pub in Cloverdale. Dorric, along with his wife Delma and their children, live in the small flat above the pub. The Mulligan's are a large Catholic family and find the flat 'cozy' to say the least.

Dorric's parents arrived by train on Sunday to spend December and half of January with the family. They are old age pensioners living on a tight budget and haven't the money to stay at one of Cloverdale's fine motels or B and B's, meaning the Mulligan's will have two house guests for the holidays. Delma is not happy about the situation and informed Dorric that he will be spending the next several weeks sleeping on one of the pub's downstair sofas. The aging grandparents are oblivious to the tension caused by their unannounced visit. They suffer from mild dementia and enjoy their daily pint or two of Guinness, which keeps them in a partially woozy and cheerful state.

The family gathered for their annual Christmas photo on Sunday evening. Dorric placed the camera on a tripod, arranged the family, set the camera's timer and rushed back to insert himself into the picture. The camera beeped three times before snapping the picture. The beeping entertained little Tina and drew an immediate reaction. Her reaction confused Grandpa, causing him to loose focus and forget where to look. Grandma never found the lens. She was still trying to remember her youngest grandchild's name.

You'll notice that Dorric cropped Delma out of the picture. It was his own twisted sense of humor. He made the photo card in Photoshop, printed a copy and left it on the kitchen table 'by accident' so Delma could find it. He thought it would lighten her spirits, resulting in an invitation to return to his own bed.

Unfortunately, Delma was in no mood for one of Dorric's practical jokes. Delma exploded. The resulting fallout made the flat unsafe for Dorric and his parents. They are now staying at Miss Libby's Bed and Breakfast for the next few days while Delma finds her emotional footing.

We are all hoping the Mulligans reconcile quickly. The pub has several private bookings for the holiday season, which means its all hands on deck for the pub's staff.