I survived another Christmas!

[faralos]

Whew! finally all the relatives are gone the wrapping paper/bows/ribbons/tape is all thrown out, my maintenance guy from our complex showed up ten minutes after i called at 5:50 AM this morning to snake out my clooged toilet (my gal, NOT me!...women!), Now! I can relax and start to eat all the goodies and food left for me! I still have an uncooked 10 pounder (turkey) in the fridge as we ate at my cousins house this year! Yippee! I know what I am doing today, aside from waiting for impending doom in the way of anywhere from 4 to 12" of snow expected tonight! Just in time for my return to work tomorrow after being in and out 3 times since May, missing a total of about 6 months in that time! Well, we'll see how deep it gets...merry after/Christmas everyone, now on to New years! woohoo I can't wait!!! One of the few days of the year I do drink booze! I usually just cook with it!

 

[tiltjlp]

I stopped buying into all the hype years ago, and find that the holidays are much easier to handle when you decide to ignore the guilt trip advertisers and society try to dump on you. Since I can't afford giving lots of gifts to friends and even near-strangers, I don't. I give 3 gifts, and usually get 3 in return, but if I don't, so what. And what little I buy is done online, so I don't have to be bothered with all that quasi-cheerful BS. Just one grump's take on the money-hungry Xmas retail spirit.

 

[faralos]

oh the only gift I bought was a necklace for my gal! But my relatives all like to treat it as the last meal they will ever have, and go all out with everything! Me and my gal spent yesterday cooking OUR turkey for just the two of US, but christmas eve was a nightmare as that was when we did our visiting! I am so glad that as weget older we Do do much less gift-giving, I did get clothes from my mom (who doesn't?) and some from my gal, but aside from that (and over-eating again!) most of the actual holiday I try to avoid. This beingme and my girlfriend's first Christmas we did much of it alone, with just each other, so this one was better than the previous few, I will admit, but the crap I see on tv, "it's XMAS TIME! BUY! BUY! BUY!" depresses me. what ever happened to the birth of Christ and all that? That part is getting pushed (or more bluntly, rudely shoved) aside to make room for 'more discounts!' ah well, gotta' love American greed...

 

[elton]

I love Christmas me. It's not so much for giving as meeting with the relatives etc. Just 4 of us for Christmas day nice and quiet. 25 adults and 6 children for boxing day [my wifes family] and then on the Monday 14 adults [my family]. A lovely three days. Yes, there is much to prepare food wise but it all comes together rather well.

Then this year, on New Years Eve our niece is getting married so service at 11.30, then onto the reception in a hotel/marquee some miles away for a hog roast plus through the evening. That will be a long haul for sure. And as someone who doesn't enjoy New Year celebrations particularly, will be a bit of an endurence test.

Happy new year everyone. :)

 

[druadic]

I had a nice Christmas. I went over to my buddy's house and we had a small get together with his fiancee and the two girls. I bought "Littlest Petshop" for each of them and they were ecstatic. Each girl was $11. That's it.

My friend looked at me and said he felt bad that he didn't get me anything. I told him I didn't need anything and that's not what Christmas was about. I like giving and not receiving as much but it can be nice :)

Just to see the two little ones happy was all I cared about. I'm glad I could make their Christmas just a little more special. :)

d

He's also invited me over for New Years and we'll be drinkin' up a storm. His friend from Wisconsin will be there and we both get along very well; we're both nutbags and love the older comedy stuff. He's younger than me by 19 years but he's a true gentleman. We'll have goodies, beer, tortillas and salsa. The kids will have sparkling grape drinks served in small champagne glasses and Funyuns. They love that stuff. It will be fun as usual.