Oh the JOYS of Christmas (Bah Humbug!)

Sydneyd · Dec 21, 2010

So I love Christmas, I really do. But there are those moments along the bumpy road to the lovely holiday that make me want to rip my hair out.

Today for instance.

I kept my cool while fighting for a parking spot at the mall. I managed to get over it when I realized the slippers my boyfriend wants were $50. (FOR A PAIR OF SLIPPERS!!) I took a deep breath and remained calm when I was cut off and almost hit in the parking lot of Target.

But when I got home and started to wrap. I lost it. In a matter of moments I realized I had no more tape, had forgotten a child (there are 13 of them), have no time or desire in the next few days to pick one up, AND my throat is doing that hey-i'm-going-to-be-sick-soon-ache.

So...anyone else have some holiday joy stories?

Jstwatchin · Dec 21, 2010

Christmas as celebrated this day and age is a feast mostly for the retail businesses. What we used to celebrate when I grew up long ago and far away in my family gets postponed to another day on the calendar. As it is now, the occasion marked as 'Christmas' on my calendar is now mostly a competition on outdoing each other in the shininess and lavishness of gifts given - so I'd rather abstain.

Sydneyd · Dec 21, 2010

I get ya Jstwatchin I really do. But at this point I'm not trying to outshine. I am merely trying to stay lit

If that makes sense.

alleycat · Dec 21, 2010

Except for cash and some cash cards, I did all of my Christmas shopping online this year. Saves an awful lot of frustration.

I even got rid of all the shipping boxes by taking them to the office where other people could use them for wrapping their Christmas gifts or to ship them.

Caitlin Black · Dec 21, 2010

I have a Christmas flu. *sigh*

Caitlin Black · Dec 21, 2010

And shipping 2 small presents to England in the same box cost me over $20. I have now officially spent more money on my brother, who I hardly ever see, and his girlfriend, who I've met twice, than anyone else in my family.

I would've got them gift cards and just posted a couple of letters, but I don't think any stores in my Aussie city do gift cards that are valid overseas...

Sydneyd · Dec 21, 2010

Cliff Face said:
And shipping 2 small presents to England in the same box cost me over $20. I have now officially spent more money on my brother, who I hardly ever see, and his girlfriend, who I've met twice, than anyone else in my family.

I would've got them gift cards and just posted a couple of letters, but I don't think any stores in my Aussie city do gift cards that are valid overseas...

I tried shipping to books to manchester (from Oregon USA) and they quoted $80 bucks!!!! I could not believe it.

Caitlin Black · Dec 21, 2010

Yeah, books are heavier than they look, and international weight-shipping-prices are ludicrous. It's kind of like having to buy insurance for the plane, in case the extra 2lbs of weight takes it out of the sky... Instead of $10 to ship something decent, they charge you 2-3 times that much, and the more it weighs, the bigger that modifier becomes.

Or so it seems.

What do I know?

BeatrixKiddo · Dec 21, 2010

I don't mean to, but I get really bummed out around the holidays. I miss our house where we grew up. We had a decent sized house and I miss being able to invite a bigger group of folks over. There's just not enough room in our apartment these days. (We can't afford a house these days) I miss having a house around the holidays. I'd be the type who'd have people over all the time, especially if they had no where to go over the holidays.

Other then that, the only other thing that truly bugs me about the holidays is how crazy people get on the roads. I kid you not, I almost got pushed off the road tonight driving me and my mom home. Someone was in a hurry in the lane to the left of us, and they suddenly swerved over into my lane. Thank god I had the reflexes to brake and pull the car to the right at just the last second, otherwise, that would have been another car accident. (I had a lady run into me last year which totaled my car so the car I have now is only a year old! Well, technically it's used but it's new to me!)

I did honk my horn at them after they pulled in front of me and that's when they finally seemed to notice there was a car right there behind them. *rolls eyes* Ugh, I hate the way people drive around the holidays. Makes me so dang nervous. We don't have much public transportation in the suburbs, otherwise, I'd take a train or a bus everywhere to avoid nutty holiday drivers.

Sydneyd · Dec 21, 2010

You bring up a good point BeatrixKiddo. Why are drivers so crazy during the holidays? Must they get places that much quicker? Are they that much more in a rush?

Sorry about your house. I am in a apartment too, with a fake tree

mario_c · Dec 21, 2010

I have a higher end Christmas hell season job - our call center maintains sites specializing in not only retail, but travel and credit reporting: people make huge extravagant purchases, which requires a credit check. They find out their score is in the 500s, call and yell at us for not telling them. You're supposed to check more than once a year if you pay a monthly fee to do so, genius!
So yeah, I love the people who do the same act every year - wait for the last possible second to buy gifts, then call at us and yell because UPS is backlogged. Yelling at UPS? Oh, no, that would be smart. EVERY YEAR the same routine, following the stories about people kicking each other to the ground and brandishing weapons on Black Friday to save $10 on some trinket, because that's what Christmas is all about.
Forget spring - is it New Years' yet? Because I could use a drink. More brandy and/or scotch in that eggnog, please!

BeatrixKiddo · Dec 21, 2010

Sydneyd said:
You bring up a good point BeatrixKiddo. Why are drivers so crazy during the holidays? Must they get places that much quicker? Are they that much more in a rush?

Sorry about your house. I am in a apartment too, with a fake tree

Too many people on their cell phones. That's what I notice. Too busy yakking on the phone about last minute shopping instead of paying attention to the cement below their tires.

We have a fake tree too. As a matter of fact, I can't remember ever having a real tree. We grew with fake trees. I didn't mind them. Some of the fake ones are pretty decent looking. We had a really pretty white one for many years. We would put red lights and ornaments on it. However, our cat loved attacking our trees over the years for some reason. lol. She'd even try to eat some of the plastic needles.

Silver King · Dec 21, 2010

Now seems like a good time to link to this thread.

Sydneyd · Dec 21, 2010

But I love Christmas Silver King!

backslashbaby · Dec 22, 2010

People have been really nice where I live this year. It's kind of bizarre. I was in the dairy aisle and took my scatterbrained time picking something, and there were 2 sweet strangers waiting behind me, all smiles. I was so embarrssed!

My brother is being nice, too. Is there something in the water?

I do have a complaint, though. $4+ for honey??!!!! A tiny thing of honey, and I'm making a Greek dessert. I need to put those bees in my yard to work next year, looks like!

Actually, food prices on tons of things have been going up very fast, I think. It's very noticeable when you only make special dishes once a year.

Sydneyd · Dec 22, 2010

backslashbaby said:
I do have a complaint, though. $4+ for honey??!!!! A tiny thing of honey, and I'm making a Greek dessert. I need to put those bees in my yard to work next year, looks like!

Actually, food prices on tons of things have been going up very fast, I think. It's very noticeable when you only make special dishes once a year.

I just bought honey yesterday! $3.79 I think.

And I found more tape.

Jersey Chick · Dec 22, 2010

I hate wrapping, with a passion. It puts me in a lousy mood until I finish. Then I'm my usual ray-o-sunshine (NOT!) self.

I'm on AW right now as an excuse to not go and wrap. I need an elf or a minion or something to do this wrapping for me.

Bubastes · Dec 22, 2010

I wish I could help you, Jerz! I learned to like wrapping. Mr. Bub's family used to go overboard on gifts, and since Mr. Bub was generous AND a last-minute shopper, I spent many Christmas Eves and mornings wrapping 40+ gifts for his side of the family. I got *really* fast.

We draw names now. Thank goodness.

COchick · Dec 22, 2010

We usually only gets gifts for the kids, because we love to hear their squeals of delight...but this year, there's suddenly all sorts of people giving us gifts. And it's the kind of gift-giving where they EXPECT to get something back. ARGH! But my husband and I both agreed that we're not buying anything else for anyone.

Jessianodel · Dec 22, 2010

Oh this Christmas season is great. I'm sick, and I found out my younger brother has a concussion. Not only that, but our new puppy (that we got about 2 weeks ago) just got over a really sudden case of pneumonia. For three weeks we have to keep him away from our 2 dogs, 2 cats, and our bunny. Otherwise they might get sick, and too much excitement can make him suffer a relapse.

Fun.

Caitlin Black · Dec 22, 2010

I haven't celebrated a Solstice in a long time. Probably because I don't hang out with Pagans anymore, so I either forget what day it is, or just don't feel like doing anything.

I still remember one Hallowmas. I got the day off work, citing religious holiday (Pagan New Year) because at the time I was deeply involved in the local Pagan community, and believed a lot of that stuff myself. Then 2 guys I was working with took the day off too and harangued me into doing stuff with them.

So instead of a nice celebration on my own, which would've been really meaningul to me, I saw a movie with them, and then they harangued me into going to a party. I hated those guys for that, but I was an old softie, doing things others wanted me to do. And I wasn't very confident, so I didn't want to tell the Christian and the Atheist, "Sorry, Pagan holiday."

I really should have.

Oh the JOYS of Christmas (Bah Humbug!)

Aye, ye scurvy dog!

Where's my head?

Aye, ye scurvy dog!

Still around

Wild one

Wild one

Aye, ye scurvy dog!

Wild one

Is it summer yet???

Aye, ye scurvy dog!

Your thoughts are not real...

Is it summer yet???

Megalops Erectus

Aye, ye scurvy dog!

~~~~*~~~~

Aye, ye scurvy dog!

Up all night to get Loki

bananaed

in a holding pattern

Blessed by the AW Gods

Wild one

*