The most wonderful time of the year!

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. Ha! More like one of the most stressful times of the year! I rank it right up there with time to calculate our yearly income taxes.

I've already stood in a mile long line at the post office and had to inform three adult kids and one of the grandkids that their Christmas gifts will be late as gifts ordered last month have not even shipped out to me yet and there's still re-shipping to them to look forward to. 

We have "informed mail delivery" service where the USPS sends us pics of each piece of mail supposed to be delivered each day, three times last week our mail disappeared afterwards and never arrived and reporting does nothing. 

Holiday choices include being "guilted" for not making trips to visit family for the holidays or making trips of thousands of miles that we can't afford to feel tired and taken for granted while we are there and wishing we had stayed home. 

Cooking another big holiday meal after having just done so a few weeks ago for Thanksgiving just isn't happening this year. Neither is a bunch of unnecessary baking. I'm tired, achy, stressed and instant potatoes with packaged gravy is the name of the game. Honestly those people that eat at Chinese restaurants for Christmas are looking more and more like the wise ones to me.

Had loads of fun with our Christmas tree. My shipment never arrived, the substitute was the wrong color (green rather than white) and part of the lights didn't work. Made the best out of the situation. Stripped all the lights from the pre-lit tree and put new ones, decorated with ornaments I made myself and even put together my own tree topper and it turned out beautiful- but it was stressful just the same and a lot of extra work.

Shopping for each other? We took the guesswork out of that. We just asked each other what we wanted, I ordered all of it and we will just hand them to each other in the packaging they came in- no muss, no fuss. This has been the best part of the Yule season as it was the easiest. 

Christmas used to be so much fun. I thought as we got older it would become easier and less stressful. Honestly I think I have reached the point where I'd just as soon hibernate until after the New Year,

The most wonderful time of the year?
Bah Humbug!!!  

[EndtheMadnessNow]

My brother has an annual tradition every Thanksgiving of pissing people off, which he says saves him alot of money. However, this past Thanksgiving he did the opposite. Far as I know he didn't win the lottery so apparently some people do change after a while.

My wife would always do most all of Christmas shopping on Black Friday, heading out at 9pm with her girlfriends and not coming back home till 4-5 in the morning with a car load (sometimes 2 cars) of gifts. She was anti-online shopping and said that takes all the fun out of it, plus you can't haggle prices online. Waiting in lines for hours was no big deal to her and actually kept her calm. She was the type that could strike up a conversation on anything with anyone and manage to get the intel she was after on anyone or anything. Watching her work employing psychological tactics on cashiers to haggle a price was a helluva scene to behold. Though, I'm usually reaching in my pocket for a handful of cash and holding it out toward the cashier as like a bribe while my wife is gently pushing me away...whispering, go sit in the goddamn car. Half hour or so later she'd be strolling out with a cart of gifts smiling & giggling. She'd say see, I saved us $48 dollars. Now onward to the next big box store she'd sing like jingle bells. Over the years I would never go shopping with her again, which suited me just fine, And...

That took all the stress off me and would call the boys over for drinks, cards, cigars, & movies. Great times, no stress, until she arrived back home clamoring & hollering to unload the car. Though most often by the time she arrived back home, we were all blitzed & crashed out under the tree.

Each gift had to have the appropriate gift wrapping & properly measured squared off paper cutting & judicious use of scotch tape.

My stress time came when it was time to haul all the gifts to UPS, USPS, & FedEx (which all boxes were so labeled), coming back home hours later with receipts in hand and wife waiting at the door. She would then post them one by one on her cork board and inevitably was always one that shipped via wrong carrier that would send her into a tailspin. My fingers crossed every December until every receipt on the board was X'd off as received.

Soooo, I just learned to go with the flow. Yes dear, task #37 post-it note  has been completed...shall I ccontinue? No, you can take a break. Thank you dear, I'm retiring to my bat cave.

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

My brother has an annual tradition every Thanksgiving of pissing people off, which he says saves him alot of money. However, this past Thanksgiving he did the opposite. Far as I know he didn't win the lottery so apparently some people do change after a while.

My wife would always do most all of Christmas shopping on Black Friday, heading out at 9pm with her girlfriends and not coming back home till 4-5 in the morning with a car load (sometimes 2 cars) of gifts. She was anti-online shopping and said that takes all the fun out of it, plus you can't haggle prices online. Waiting in lines for hours was no big deal to her and actually kept her calm. She was the type that could strike up a conversation on anything with anyone and manage to get the intel she was after on anyone or anything. Watching her work employing psychological tactics on cashiers to haggle a price was a helluva scene to behold. Though, I'm usually reaching in my pocket for a handful of cash and holding it out toward the cashier as like a bribe while my wife is gently pushing me away...whispering, go sit in the goddamn car. Half hour or so later she'd be strolling out with a cart of gifts smiling & giggling. She'd say see, I saved us $48 dollars. Now onward to the next big box store she'd sing like jingle bells. Over the years I would never go shopping with her again, which suited me just fine, And...

That took all the stress off me and would call the boys over for drinks, cards, cigars, & movies. Great times, no stress, until she arrived back home clamoring & hollering to unload the car. Though most often by the time she arrived back home, we were all blitzed & crashed out under the tree.

Each gift had to have the appropriate gift wrapping & properly measured squared off paper cutting & judicious use of scotch tape.

My stress time came when it was time to haul all the gifts to UPS, USPS, & FedEx (which all boxes were so labeled), coming back home hours later with receipts in hand and wife waiting at the door. She would then post them one by one on her cork board and inevitably was always one that shipped via wrong carrier that would send her into a tailspin. My fingers crossed every December until every receipt on the board was X'd off as received.

Soooo, I just learned to go with the flow. Yes dear, task #37 post-it note  has been completed...shall I ccontinue? No, you can take a break. Thank you dear, I'm retiring to my bat cave.

Mistakes inevitably happen, often through no fault of our own. Earlier I checked tracking on a package shipped to our son in Virginia that was supposed to be delivered to him today. Somehow the package has ended up in Des Moines, Iowa instead. The tracking receipt definitely shows Virginia and Iowa is in the opposite direction. C'est la vie! 

[Freija]

For me as supposedly an adult, Christmas has often been a time of depression, sadness, anger or feelings of loss so I spent many years in full bah humbug mode hating every minute of it but with age, maturity and wisdom (haha!), I just don’t care anymore.

As a child, I can remember up until the age of maybe 5 or 6, I was always given toys I didn’t want – things like firetrucks and robots or baseball gloves I had absolutely no use for or interest in so I was always pretty disappointed but I did finally start getting things I wanted and do have some pleasant memories of the season and after my daughter was born and when she was little, the joys and delight in a toddler’s eyes awakening to presents under the tree was simply heartwarming and something I looked forward to.

But for a time, that was also one of my greatest disappointments because I often lost access to her during the holidays due to the fact her birth mother was in charge of things and had a large family she always celebrated with that thought I was bad news and didn’t want me around so Christmas with my daughter was never actually on Christmas. Then after my mom died when I was 25, Christmas was a pretty miserable time for me to spend completely alone.

For years in a row, I made it my personal tradition to take a day long motorcycle ride by myself regardless of the cold or inclement weather and can remember crying in my helmet so hard a few times I had to pull over and talk myself out of getting into a high speed head-on with a semi truck. I remember coming home physically and mentally exhausted then crawling into bed and crying myself to sleep more than a few times. The whole thing, the decorations, the music and the pressure to be with loved ones was seriously oppressive and depressive.

After I got married and my daughter came to live with my husband and I full-time when she was 11, the tables turned and Christmas once again was something I looked forward to with joy and it was her other mom that had to have Christmas not on Christmas but sometimes I did give in so my daughter would still be part of that side of her family.

After she moved out when she was 18, with neither of us having any other family, Christmas for just the two of us was pretty subdued if even acknowledged and he was as indifferent about the whole thing as I was.

Moving on a few years later after him and I got divorced, my grandson was born somewhat reviving my Christmas spirit even though I am not a Christian and had never associated religion with the holiday. I did my best to make Christmas at grandma’s house something he would have good memories of even if he had two other grandmas. Then when he got older and moved on with his own life, it was back to just me again and other than making huge batches of different kinds of cookies and handing them out, that I did for a few years, this time of year was nothing special.

I think it was three or maybe four years ago, my former husband and his wife invited me out for Christmas which was the first time in years I had done anything special and he’s been bugging me again this year to get together. Today he called me and said they’re now going to someone else’s Christmas party, which he really doesn’t want to do but still wants me to come out and go with them. I said no. How fun would being with strangers be when it’s always weird being the ex-wife in the first place?

My best hope for the day is that my daughter and grandson send me a text. That will make me smile and feel loved but otherwise, Christmas is just another day like any other day. I’ll probably play video games, watch movies and maybe treat myself to frozen pizza or something?

I am fine with that. I no longer feel stressed or depressed or sad. I just couldn’t care less.

The New Year’s work holiday will be my 68th birthday. Maybe I’ll do something with the ex and his Mrs. then because he has been asking me to but he doesn’t even drink or smoke weed! What kind of party is that? Lol!

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

For me as supposedly an adult, Christmas has often been a time of depression, sadness, anger or feelings of loss so I spent many years in full bah humbug mode hating every minute of it but with age, maturity and wisdom (haha!), I just don’t care anymore.

As a child, I can remember up until the age of maybe 5 or 6, I was always given toys I didn’t want – things like firetrucks and robots or baseball gloves I had absolutely no use for or interest in so I was always pretty disappointed but I did finally start getting things I wanted and do have some pleasant memories of the season and after my daughter was born and when she was little, the joys and delight in a toddler’s eyes awakening to presents under the tree was simply heartwarming and something I looked forward to.

But for a time, that was also one of my greatest disappointments because I often lost access to her during the holidays due to the fact her birth mother was in charge of things and had a large family she always celebrated with that thought I was bad news and didn’t want me around so Christmas with my daughter was never actually on Christmas. Then after my mom died when I was 25, Christmas was a pretty miserable time for me to spend completely alone.

For years in a row, I made it my personal tradition to take a day long motorcycle ride by myself regardless of the cold or inclement weather and can remember crying in my helmet so hard a few times I had to pull over and talk myself out of getting into a high speed head-on with a semi truck. I remember coming home physically and mentally exhausted then crawling into bed and crying myself to sleep more than a few times. The whole thing, the decorations, the music and the pressure to be with loved ones was seriously oppressive and depressive.

After I got married and my daughter came to live with my husband and I full-time when she was 11, the tables turned and Christmas once again was something I looked forward to with joy and it was her other mom that had to have Christmas not on Christmas but sometimes I did give in so my daughter would still be part of that side of her family.

After she moved out when she was 18, with neither of us having any other family, Christmas for just the two of us was pretty subdued if even acknowledged and he was as indifferent about the whole thing as I was.

Moving on a few years later after him and I got divorced, my grandson was born somewhat reviving my Christmas spirit even though I am not a Christian and had never associated religion with the holiday. I did my best to make Christmas at grandma’s house something he would have good memories of even if he had two other grandmas. Then when he got older and moved on with his own life, it was back to just me again and other than making huge batches of different kinds of cookies and handing them out, that I did for a few years, this time of year was nothing special.

I think it was three or maybe four years ago, my former husband and his wife invited me out for Christmas which was the first time in years I had done anything special and he’s been bugging me again this year to get together. Today he called me and said they’re now going to someone else’s Christmas party, which he really doesn’t want to do but still wants me to come out and go with them. I said no. How fun would being with strangers be when it’s always weird being the ex-wife in the first place?

My best hope for the day is that my daughter and grandson send me a text. That will make me smile and feel loved but otherwise, Christmas is just another day like any other day. I’ll probably play video games, watch movies and maybe treat myself to frozen pizza or something?

I am fine with that. I no longer feel stressed or depressed or sad. I just couldn’t care less.

The New Year’s work holiday will be my 68th birthday. Maybe I’ll do something with the ex and his Mrs. then because he has been asking me to but he doesn’t even drink or smoke weed! What kind of party is that? Lol!

I too have a birthday coming up, mine is on New Year's Day. Growing up I always felt like I got screwed over having a birthday so close to Christmas so when I had my second child whose birthday is on December 29th I made it my business to make sure her birthday was always special. Even now when everyone else overlooks her birthday (she will be 32 this go around) I always send her something and call to sing Happy Birthday to her.

Also if there are no "party favors" it just isn't a damned party! 

[Freija]

I too have a birthday coming up, mine is on New Year's Day. Growing up I always felt like I got screwed over having a birthday so close to Christmas so when I had my second child whose birthday is on December 29th I made it my business to make sure her birthday was always special. Even now when everyone else overlooks her birthday (she will be 32 this go around) I always send her something and call to sing Happy Birthday to her.

Having seen more than my or anyone's fair share of a few (or ten) psychologists and psychiatrists in my younger years, you would be surprised how many of them asked me this very question upon seeing my birth date. Apparently, parents throwing a special birthday day in with Christmas and not acknowledging the birthday separately was cause for notation?

When I was little, both days were something special but I do remember a few times when I got older and got something big or expensive, it was a combined Christmas and birthday present because my folks weren't rich but I still got a birthday dinner or cake or something and my step-dad used to chase me around the house threatening to give me birthday spankings.

I was an only child with a lot of problems and undoubtedly received some special care and attention but I can see how in larger families with multiple siblings and with expenses and all how a birthday so close to Christmas might get lost. I'm sorry if that happened to you.

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

I too have a birthday coming up, mine is on New Year's Day. Growing up I always felt like I got screwed over having a birthday so close to Christmas so when I had my second child whose birthday is on December 29th I made it my business to make sure her birthday was always special. Even now when everyone else overlooks her birthday (she will be 32 this go around) I always send her something and call to sing Happy Birthday to her.

Having seen more than my or anyone's fair share of a few (or ten) psychologists and psychiatrists in my younger years, you would be surprised how many of them asked me this very question upon seeing my birth date. Apparently, parents throwing a special birthday day in with Christmas and not acknowledging the birthday separately was cause for notation?

When I was little, both days were something special but I do remember a few times when I got older and got something big or expensive, it was a combined Christmas and birthday present because my folks weren't rich but I still got a birthday dinner or cake or something and my step-dad used to chase me around the house threatening to give me birthday spankings.

I was an only child with a lot of problems and undoubtedly received some special care and attention but I can see how in larger families with multiple siblings and with expenses and all how a birthday so close to Christmas might get lost. I'm sorry if that happened to you.

Nah, it wasn't anything like that. My parents were always more worried about partying and ringing in the new year. New clothes and the night out at whatever nightclub was most hip with enough booze and drugs to make them sleep my birthday away the next day while my sister and I stayed home and I watched all of their party friends kids until 3-4am. Once, on New Year's Eve of my 16th birthday they took me out with them. I drank 5 bottles of wine with my mom and danced all night with a bunch of dirty old men. I only ever had one birthday party my whole life, when I turned 6 years old. Appreciate the sentiment though! 

Christmas is just consumer driven capitalism and totally fucked up music playing everywhere.

If Jesus is real and resides somewhere in the kingdom of heavens, and if he would return and take a look around during Christmas time, he would just vomit, flip the bird and return to heavens.

For me, it is gonna be a traditional Christmas. Drinking cheap beer alone until i pass out.

---

I see we have others here too, who have their birthday around Christmas time.

Mine is 26th. My plan is to get pissed off, for having to serve this sentence on this prison planet for 41 years with no release, no peace, and no love.