I loathe the holidays for many reasons but the main reason being it’s a royal pain in the ass to get normal things done. Buying weekly groceries, getting my hair cut, dentist visit. Need to pick something up to fix something at the house. You know all the normal weekly things you have to do as an adult home owner. Holidays means people losing their every loving minds, traffic out the ass, grandmas cutting you off, people swerving into your lane, people racing around in their vehicles with no experience on how to drive a vehicle fast and not giving a royal fuck either. Drunks on the road, lines, everything becomes a big pain in the ass and people get real rude.

It’s funny to watch people in January. Some get depressed because consumer product bonanza season is over. That depression turns into anger when the credit card bills hit. I always thought Christmas was about the Lord, not about myself, and certainly not buying consumer products down at the Walmart/Costco/Mall/Amazon/whatthefuckever store.

So here is to it all being over! Bye Santa, Turkeys, trees, lights, wreaths, red sweaters, gift wrapping, etc! Have fun taking all your shit down, putting it back into a box, back into the attic until you lose your minds next year!

I’m SO ready to go back to work on Wednesday for a break.

This was the first time in 15 years where I work that I got the entire last week of December off and the nice relaxing vacation never happened.

First I got sick as a dog Christmas night, stomach bug and was out of commission for 3 days, then my two boys aged 4 years and 19 months got sick with bad colds/cough/ear infections. This week has sucked ass to be frank and I’d love a do-over!

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
I always thought Christmas was about the Lord, not about myself, and certainly not buying consumer products down at the whatthefuckever store.

^ This! ^

I am with you! Its endless.... Starting with Halloween right through New Years.
Enough already!

At least it dies down. Next it’s “playoffs? Playoffs? Playoffs?” then when that shit is over, it’s “Buy her the two stone diamond, one for your lover, and one for your best friend”, candy, flowers, the big V day dinner. On February 15th it all dies the death it needs to. So the big act is done, with the small ones left. I just want to be able to go get shit done with some semblance of sanity.

My favorite time of year is the first week of January. I dig that fresh feeling of a new year, and all that holiday crap is behind me and everything gets back to normal. It's quite exhilarating. I love it.

Mrs. PHPaul and I have found the perfect cure for Holiday Madness.

We ignore it utterly.

It IS a minor PITA to not be able to run out and grab whatever widget might be needed or get mail delivered, but that's only on a couple of days and a little planning will avert the worst of that.

We do grocery shopping once a month and keep the pantry well stocked. Usually hit town the first week of the month so that's well before the holiday rush in November and December, and live off the pantry stock until well after New Years.

Both of us would rather take a beating than deal with after Christmas sale crowds.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

Both of us would rather take a beating

I will add...Take that beating with a sopping wet shitty bus station mop...I am also glad to see this season pass...
I used to (somewhat) enjoy the holidays...but as I've gotten older, wiser and just plain assholeish (my new word)...plus having to deal with the fragile feelings with family, neighbors and friends...I for one, am happy to see the holidays fade away with what ever dignity is left...
Now I get to pay my property taxes

I'm not what you'd call religious by any means, but this verse in Matthew is so appropriate given the materialism of our age.

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth
and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal"

I hate everything about the two month "holiday" known as Christmas.

THIS is the most wonderful time of the year. 10 months of not hearing about that bullshit.

I would add to your list- people dragging their sick kids everywhere because they don't want them to miss out on any festivities and fun regardless of who all they will infect with their germs.

quote:

Originally posted by Bisleyblackhawk:
Now I get to pay my property taxes

Ohhh, no, no, no, friend! Property taxes are due December 5, right ahead of the holidays.

And then, after the holiday costs have slowed and bills have shown up, the homeowners' insurance and car insurance premiums are due.

Get me the heck to February!

One in every bunch...
I had one dude remark the day after Christmas...

"Only 364 days 'till Christmas"

I should have choked him out.

There is one thing that I miss - eggnog season is over! No!!!

quote:

Originally posted by LastCubScout:
There is one thing that I miss - eggnog season is over! No!!!

Switch to Bailey's 'til next December. Problem solved!

Happiest day of the season for me is January 1st, that is the day my wife allows me to "de-holiday" the house and put the 10 boxes of shit away.

quote:

Holidays means people losing their every loving minds, traffic out the ass, grandmas cutting you off, people swerving into your lane, people racing around in their vehicles with no experience on how to drive a vehicle fast and not giving a royal fuck either.

Agreed, but the part posted above are nothing but a description of every day traffic around here. The Rt. 234 bypass here runs like the Indy 500. but without the skill and discipline.

quote:

Originally posted by Kevmo:
Happiest day of the season for me is January 1st, that is the day my wife allows me to "de-holiday" the house and put the 10 boxes of shit away.

I hear you. My friends bitch incessantly about this. They call me “so lucky” because I don’t have a SWMBO. Friends, colleagues, etc, gasp at what it must be like to flip the bird at all decorations, trees, etc. I’ve never bought any of it and never will. If I ever find an illuminated cross, preferably LED lit, that is tall, I will happily put that up every year if it can be disassembled. Christmas for me is about celebrating the Christ, what he stood for, what he died for. For me that means volunteering at the homeless shelter, helping someone in need, thoughts on God, thankful, etc. But these are things I do anyways, or do every day so I don’t need a holiday to remind me as I remind myself daily. I would love to find a 10-12’ Illuminated cross to try and remind someone what all this about. The fake, marketing bullshit of Christmas pisses me off to no end. All the holidays are marketed 3 ways to Sunday with the end goal of getting your money. 90% of it is absolutely fake. We have another fake day coming on Feb 14th. I tell people all the time, take her to dinner the night before or night after and save $. Buy flowers the day after or the day after that, just switch it up a few days and save yourself a ton of money. Nope, they have to do it on that day, waiting an hour or longer to be seated at dinner and paying double for flowers that will just die. The fake part of these holidays is way important to people than the reality. V-Day isn’t even needed if you value that relationship and maintain it.

I'm just happy it's over.

Have no fear. The Valentine's Day candy , cards and decorations are already out in the stores.