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mcrimm, Where's Santa in that red S2000?

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
to remind people of what this is really about

I and mine are celebrating Yule and the solstice culminating in a big gathering and feast being we aren't christians.
The season's celebrations aren't the same for everyone.

My wife lives for Christmas and I’m finally allowed to take all the lights down tomorrow.

Christmas starts right after Thanksgiving for her and doesn’t end until January 6th.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
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mcrimm, Where's Santa in that red S2000?

He's happily tucked into the ride inside the small garage door. Don't want him to overheat in the desert sun. Sure is nicer here than in Montana.
Mike

Christmas packed up at the ensigmatic household:



There are two or three boxes that were already moved out to the garage and the bag for the big tree that was already stored. Then there's the outdoor stuff--which is still up, but turned off.

I am glad this thread was started. I'm about to complain in a shake your fist at the sky manner.
Christmas has become something I dread rather than look forward to. Granted, I enjoy the time off, but the work load and the freeloaders that sit on my furniture waiting to be served drives me nuts.

So, like many of you, my wife goes all out for Christmas. We have lights on the house, the trees, the bushes... everywhere outside. We even have giant ornaments we hang from the tree limbs. We have inflatables, and music. I really hope someone enjoys all this, because I get the feeling my kids are like meh. Oh and the 4 year old boy helps, but the 16 year old girl always finds a way to escape this labor exercise.
Inside the house is crazy as well. There are decorations everywhere and furniture has to be rearranged to accommodate the 250 dollar tree that is now sitting on my front lawn. Electric cords have to be moved and new lines run that cannot be visible or there will be hell to pay.

Now for the part I really don't like. Her family comes over and I feed them and I pay. I have brothers that do their own thing, so I am thankful for that. My wife's family on the other hand descends on my house like locusts and annoys the hell out of me. Here are the players:

Her mother and step father: They are cool and I enjoy spending time with them.

Her father and step mother: We see these people twice a year maybe. So when the 4 parents are present, it creates a seating nightmare where you can't sit these people near each other because they don't get along.

Her sister and her dingus husband and dingus jr. I really don't like these people. First off, the dingus husband has kids from a previous marriage that he never sees and he is a general loser. For example, his kids moved from one state to another and so his wages were garnished by two states. He said it would work itself out and he let it go that way until his wife's savings were nearly depleted. She had to hire a lawyer that could practice in both states to get it fixed. As far as I know, they never got a refund. What pissed me off one year, they came over and promptly dumped their kid in my living room to pace around like a caged animal while they went upstairs to my guest room and had disgusting people sex and took a nap for 3 hours. I almost handled that one, but my wife surprisingly scolded them and I was satisfied. This year, dingus jr. is 14 and the three of them were sitting on the couch while the 70+ year old step mom with a recently replaced knee was sitting on a folding chair. I had to tell them to get up and let the lady sit.

I don't get to enjoy Chriistmas day. I am chore boy. I have to help the wife in the kitchen because no one else will help. I argued that my 16 year old daughter is old enough to help, but my wife wants her in the living room keeping the peace between all the steps.

After dinner, I open a new bottle of Bourbon. I of course share and I don't mind sharing. I open the bottle to drink myself stupid to avoid the situation. It's really the only day that I get drunk.

So now, it's nearly mid January. The inside of the house is back to normal other than finding pine needles until June. The outside is taken down but the boxes are in the garage and I will need to take them upstairs just like someone posted earlier.

I really hope my kids appreciate Christmas at our house when they are grown, because I only do it for them.

quote:

Originally posted by xd45man:
I really hope my kids appreciate Christmas at our house when they are grown, because I only do it for them.

We don't even have any kids.

I look at it this way: It's only once-a-year, my wife absolutely loves doing it (and she does most of the work), it does look very Christmas-y and festive once it's all up, and it really makes her happy.

So, for all that: I find it well worth the little effort I have to put forth.

I'm reminded of this:



Ever since reading that, every time my wife asks me for something I really don't feel like doing I think "Make the chile."

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:

quote:

Seven large plastic bins

Amateurs. Your rant lost all credibility at this point.

Yup! When I read seven bins I thought to myself, "Pfffft, rookie."