Stocked up on groceries last week so I don’t have to do shopping this week. I knew it would be a fucking zoo this week on the roads, everywhere, but I had no idea. Had a couple of stops to make today, my errands done for the week. All within 3 miles of the house. Never seen anything like this shit today.

Leave the neighborhood and got slow/fasted. People either doing 60 mph on a 40 mph street, or going way under the speed limit. I merge, just to get on the road, needed to merge 2 more lanes, I was literally doing 20 mph like a school zone for half a mile to get over. I make a right and there is an older truck towing a massive trailer. He bogarts the road for a mile, preventing you from going around him. Done it on purpose. We pull up to the service road of the highway, to make a right, passing over the train tracks. There is space for his truck, trailer, and my little car. Asshole behind me pulls onto the train tracks. Gets scared and starts honking his horn. I’m looking in the rear view mirror going dipshit, you want me to back into you or crash into the trailer in front of me? You’re in the wrong here, not me. This is 2 miles from my house. Must be some idiot Californian visiting and doesn’t know the area. Dipshit, you don’t pull onto train tracks. Instead of hitting that horn, look in the fucking mirror. It’s one thing to put up with this shit 30 minutes from the house, or out of town or something but in your back yard? GTFO.

I make the right, behind the ass hole pulling this trailer again, and he’s not going anywhere. So I get over a lane intending to pass, never breaking the speed limit. Instead he stomps on the throttle to block. I’m going really? Bro you aren’t driving a car, you are in an old truck, you’re towing too heavy a load for it, and you’re driving it like a hairy douche. My DD isn’t fast or anything but has torque so I get past him, move over in front of him, never impeding him, had a few car lengths on him, merge onto the freeway, now he’s laying on his horn, pissed off his shenanigans didn’t work and he couldn’t purposely hold me up. Sorry fuckhead, not having you hold me up on the highway too. I’ve got shit to do.

Massive traffic, and again I’m within 3 square miles of my house. Traffic everywhere, and it’s like 2pm. Finished a quick appointment with the wig splitter, and I’m heading to get the state tag for my trailer as it’s up next week and I don’t want to wait until the end of the month. Should have done it at least a week ago but that’s on me. This bullshit holiday not being next week kinda of threw me as I don’t check the calendar to see which week this bullshit is on. I’m used to it being the end of the month but I guess Thursday is the last Thursday of the month because of the calendar. Sorry my life don’t revolve around fake ass holidays. I’m driving to the customer service station at the grocery store as I get all my state tags there. Guy next to me is literally eating a sandwich with one hand, and staring down at his phone with the other hand. I had looked because he was swerving all over the fucking road. He came into my lane and I’m like WTF? Big sumbitch too. Last thing on this Earth that fucker needed was another sandwich. He needs to be eating lettuce. Inside the grocery store was more shenanigans. I was just glad I wasn’t shopping with a basket. A total zoo. The customer service ladies know me because I have several vehicles and they know to ask if I need the small sticker or big window sticker (bikes, and my trailer still use the physical small sticker on plate, auto/truck use the bigger one that sticks to your windshield). They are being courteous but one of the two ladies was wore the fuck out and was well past tired of it. I ask her, zoo been that bad already today? She nods, “yup”. I said I was sorry for them and it’s going to be a bitch of a week. It was written all over face and it’s Monday. I don’t know how she is going to make it tomorrow or worse, Wednesday. It will be in prayers tonight that I don’t have to work retail this week. I could not imagine. All the animals have escaped the zoo.

That’s my rant for the week. I need to go outside, shut the garage, and between now and mid week next week for my Costco grocery run, the gym is the only place I will leave the house for. It’s begun, and it’s worse than I’ve ever experienced before. That’s due to millions of fuckers migrating here, and I guess they brought their fucking kin in for the week. Today and the last few days I’ve seen so many idiots in smaller type vehicles, with 5 deep in that bitch, cruising around, looking out the windows. The mall by me closed a few years ago and all around here, nothing but food places, nothing else. These people look like they are going to explode already and it’s not even fake bird day yet. I loathe this time of year because everyone is out in the streets, driving like ass holes, every place is packed, traffic everywhere, night and day for 6 straight weeks. Hermit mode: Activated

I don't really partake in any of the popular holidays so I'll be staying home and enjoying a paid day off slow cooking a rib roast.
The thought of going anywhere that the sheepish rabble are congregating for the shopping mania gives me the heebie jeebies.

We got in part of our Costco & HEB run over the weekend.
Shouldn't need anything until after the weekend, unless something unexpected comes up.

My wife stopped into a nearby Aldi... yesterday? Said it was a madhouse. No carts available.

'Tis the season to piss away money you don't have on shit you (and your sex trophies) don't need, only to get further in debt than you can ever pay off. Then piss and moan that the government needs to up your welfare payments because you can't make ends meet.

I love this season for its meaning and for its traditions, but I hate this season for what it's become.

I have never purchased anything on Black Friday. I also told the families we Will not be gifting or receiving gifts for the holidays. The only exception will be children. It’s ridiculous the spending people do during the holidays.

No participation for me either. At my little part time gig, everyone wants to know what my holiday plans are.
I plan to bunker up with the cat and wait for it all to subside.

Picked up an order at the feed store yesterday. No plans to leave the property until the next order in 4 weeks. Folks just don't pay attention on the roads this time of year.

Not sure where you live however it sounds like central Florida near where I live.
The only thing is, what you describe is evey day and the holidays only make it worse.

The thing that annoy me more than anything is this absolute holiday arms race that has developed with each retailer now trying to beat the other guys with getting Christmas stuff out. Lowes and HD now have Christmas crap out in August. August!

My wife likes these Aldi chocolate Advent calendars for the kids and went to pick some up this past weekend. Oh no, sorry. Sold out since November 1st.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

Lowes and HD now have Christmas crap out in August. August!

My wife likes these Aldi chocolate <snip> Oh no, sorry. Sold out since November 1st.

Should have gone in August.

I buy groceries two weeks at a time, and specifically time it to avoid holidays. Grocery stores are always a madhouse right around Thanksgiving and Christmas especially, but also New Years, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.

Similarly, I get all of my online supplies for the remainder of the year bought before the week of Thanksgiving, whenever possible. I try not to order anything online for the ~6 weeks from Thanksgiving through New Years, unless absolutely necessary. The majority of my lost, delayed, or missent packages have occurred during this period.

What's a wig splitter? Asking for a friend and too afraid to Google it.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:
What's a wig splitter? Asking for a friend and too afraid to Google it.

Slang. Your wig = your hair. Splitter = stylist. IE, wig splitter

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
I buy groceries two weeks at a time, and specifically time it to avoid holidays. Grocery stores are always a madhouse right around Thanksgiving and Christmas especially, but also New Years, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.

Similarly, I get all of my online supplies for the remainder of the year bought before the week of Thanksgiving, whenever possible. I try not to order anything online for the ~6 weeks from Thanksgiving through New Years, unless absolutely necessary. The majority of my lost, delayed, or missent packages have occurred during this period.

Very similar. I start doubling or bulking up in November, preloading. Next week, I’ll go calculated on the pantry, freezer, etc. Switch to frozen fruit vs fridge temp fruit. Next week will definitely be my last Costco grocery trip for the year. Have to pay more for the grocers but it’s minimal buying.

I also don’t buy consumer products from November to late January. Christmas, is something us Catholics celebrate every single day of the year so the entire thing is
Some extra masses to attend, other than that, business as usual. I skip every holiday of the year. The big ones I’m referring to. Veterans/Memorial Day are big to all of us here. I think you understand. All the hoopla Hallmark bullshit ones I mean.

I understand the time off people get this week and wanting to do real family time. But many of us know it’s bullshit. My aunt, that I got to know for only 5 years, who was the mother I never had died of Covid before the vaccine was available to her. Probably would have saved her life. She got me to go to her husband’s (her 2nd husband, so not blood) family T Day in 2018 or 2019, or I think both. Each time it was a 1.5 hour drive to the country. A ton of people, held at a non denom Church. People were there 45 minutes and cleared out. I asked her “No family time, throw the ball around, have conversations”. Her response was that they all peel out to go home, do another “event” and such. I’m riding home and thinking 3 hours of ride/drive time, and 45 minutes of eating and barely getting any convo with this side of the family I don’t know? Never again. Just fake ass shit. People celebrate the fake marketing first and foremost and any semblance of meaning is out the window. It’s cringe turf, all of it, for me. Cannot wait until I can move to my land. So few people I won’t have to deal with any of this madness ever again. I’m a prisoner in my own home for the week.

I hate that the seasonal chaos beats on you so badly, man, but I love your rant.

I stocked up earlier, but inevitably found I'd missed a couple of things. Got held up at work this afternoon with a broken machine, got that running, and headed to the grocery store for six items. Good thing I wasn't in a rush and didn't need a cart! Nuthouse, indeed.

As for the travel-and-peel-out thing... I've been there. Years ago there was tremendous pressure to visit three different households on Thanksgiving or Christmas, and the route was about a 2-1/2 hour drive one way. Those were some really long days. I miss some of the people I got to see and hang around with, but I don't miss the Epic Holiday Chaos Drive events at all.

Hit the gym and hibernate... good plan.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:
What's a wig splitter? Asking for a friend and too afraid to Google it.

Slang. Your wig = your hair. Splitter = stylist. IE, wig splitter

I've been shaving my own scalp for the past 13 years. I was unaware. Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
25% of Americans have holiday debt...from LAST year.

Not surprised in the least. It’s amazing to me that people go into so much debt over commercialism of a holiday.

Well pray for me fellas. I purchased a performance car over a month ago for my 50th. Saved for it for over 4 years and planned it for many more years than that. It took me a month to setup it up to corner in and not get damaged. More money. I’m heading out in half an hour to the country to run my normal motorcycle/car route. Rural twisties. I’m praying people are all inside stuffing themselves. This will my first opportunity to push the car, test what I paid all this money for. This is the only day this week I have an OP to drive it. Tomorrow the nightmare begins of millions running to stores with money falling out of their pockets, oh sorry Gus, credit cards falling out of their pockets

We needed a couple things at Costco on Tuesday morning. Total insanity with checkout lines all the way to the back of the store. At least the checkers are extremely fast. Insane.