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Why I Hate Christmas (a rant)

I know damn well why you hate the whole damn idea...For the third year in a row, I am alone for Christmas...My wife is visiting her family in Mexico, I couldn't go because of work (hotel = christmas party banquets). My parents are in Phoenix with my sister and her family, as always so there's just me, all alone again.

I'm not trying to sound sorry for myself, but honestly, I am not fond of this time of year! :no:

Bah Fuggin humbug!
 
My view of the commercialism aspect is similar to Charlie Brown's, but my Xmas spirit nowadays comes from the kids. Ages eight and three. Their exitement is enough to keep me going. Also I do 80% of my shopping on the internet to cut down on participating in the jungle out there. I don't wish for much except their happiness since I pretty much have everything I want. Well except maybe a pair of headphones. And mint in boxes HPM-200s and...... :^)

Counting your blessings (make a gratitude list) is a good way to get outside of yourself this season.
 
bordeno said:
Counting your blessings (make a gratitude list) is a good way to get outside of yourself this season.
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.....outstanding, Bordeno....we'll hope MarantzFan reads it....working on holidays ain't fun....I'll be on a train Christmas Eve if not before....the motel at the other end in Fort Smith serves Christmas dinner for guys up there on Christmas Day.....

.....MarantzFan, I'd cut the parties short around the 22nd and take a break with the relatives....it ain't good to go into a new year riding a bummer, and it for sure ain't much fun to virtually live at work.....
 
Today's the last weekend before Christmas, and all those retailers are desperate for us to go and spend lots of money buying presents. Why, if you went by what they're hinting at, if we don't all get out there and buy some presents, TEH ECONOMY WILL PLUMMET AND WE'LL ALL SUFFER!!!! :boring:

I just tune out the retailers screaming on TV about their bargains and enjoy Christmas the way I want to. :)
 
I love Christmas and always have since I was a kid.

I can tell you how many days till Christmas every day of the year. One of the other web sites I frequent is www.organizedchristmas.com.

I even have a tattoo of a Christmas tree above my ankle.

We decorate big time in our home and I shop all year round, a little at a time to make the finances even out. It also means I am not shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas when it is soooo frantic and crowded out there. Hubby and I don't exchange big gifts, mainly useful things that we need anyway or a few things like books or CD's we want.

I am not sure why I am so crazy over Christmas, just as I cannot always understand why others dislike it so. I guess that is what makes the world go around - we are all different.

I hope those of you who don't like it can find one redeeming aspect of it - whether it is a day off work, some good food or the beauty of the lights.
 
I typically go out and buy a "Charlie Brown" tree on the 23rd or 24th. I go to the local nursery or tree place and pick out the ugliest 5 to 6 foot tree, bring it home, and dress it all up so that the early demise to its short life doesn't wind up being in vain. I'd love to do the same for the rest of its perfection-rejected brethren, but only have space enough for one tree.

Sadly, the meaning and spirit of Christmas have changed since I was a kid in the 50s and 60s. These days all I can say is that Christmas, Commercials, and Capitalism all begin with the letter C...

Ah, America... I love this country... ;)
 
Christmas as a child was always a great time, even though we were in the middle of the Great Depression. Immediate family gathered at our house, well my grandparents and uncle lived diagonally across the intersection.

After I was married it was always the problem of which family did we spend the day with, until I started the custom of having my parents spend New Years Eve with us - her mother lived with us so that was no problem.

When the lad came along having a child in the house made all the difference and it was a day to which we looked forward.

After the divorce and I re-married we would fly him down for the week between Christmas and New Years. Now our granddaughters who could make it a special day are 500 miles away so we don't decorate or make anything special out of the day. We used to send lots of toys, but not having any desire to harm the girls we don't buy toys any more. We don't shop on holidays, the employees should be at home with their families. We support Covenant House in an effort to save runaways from the predators. We don't exchange gifts simply because if we need or want something (and can afford it) we get it when we want it.

Sure all the commercialism sucks - so ignore it already - just like we recycle all the special catalogs that turn up from Halloween onwards. And as He said, "Where two or more are gathered together in my name, there shall I be also." - so our home is our place of worship.

Merry Christmas all.
 
2600 s.f.

bentpencil said:
Actually, I kinda like it the way it is now. As I watch all the people with their 2600 square foot $450,000 houses and their SUV and hybrid POS parked in the garage and their 4 hour 80 mile commute and their gardener and their manicurist and their membership at the gym and their kids with the i pod and the blackberry and blueberry and halley berry and the cell phone that will give you a colonoscopy and the day care centers and the babysitters and the high school graduation trips to europe and the trips to Disneyland and Disneyworld and the ski boat and the dirt bikes and the jet ski and the snowmobile and the artificial snow at the ski resorts and the new car when you get your license and all that other stuff that people get that they don't need or appreciate:

I have the memories of Christmas when I was a kid and we didn't have a ton of money, but we had the best group of friends and family you could ask for.

That's something a lot of these people will never have. I do.
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I'm just curious.

Is it general opinion that a 2600 sq. ft. house is a big one?

I realize bent pencil lives in CA, which has very high-priced real estate, but I would like to hear from others in different parts of the country about the size of houses - is 2600 big?
 
merrylander said:
Sure all the commercialism sucks - so ignore it already - just like we recycle all the special catalogs that turn up from Halloween onwards. And as He said, "Where two or more are gathered together in my name, there shall I be also." - so our home is our place of worship.

Merry Christmas all.
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Beautiful ML:thmbsp:
 
70salesguy said:
I'm just curious.

Is it general opinion that a 2600 sq. ft. house is a big one?

I realize bent pencil lives in CA, which has very high-priced real estate, but I would like to hear from others in different parts of the country about the size of houses - is 2600 big?
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The 2600 isn't big. The $450,000 for 2600 is big.:yes: Which, by the way, is now inching closer to the $250,000 range where they were a few years back.:sigh:

I went a different route. Bought a smaller house on 4 acres. Then bought the 7 acres next to me. Got it re-zoned to industrial. The house ain't worth so much now. The property is.:thmbsp:
 
bentpencil said:
The 2600 isn't big. The $450,000 for 2600 is big.:yes: Which, by the way, is now inching closer to the $250,000 range where they were a few years back.:sigh:

I went a different route. Bought a smaller house on 4 acres. Then bought the 7 acres next to me. Got it re-zoned to industrial. The house ain't worth so much now. The property is.:thmbsp:
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Does this mean you are on your way to becoming the target of your own rant? :D
 
Well, Merry Christmas anyway....

I don't have it exactly 'made' for Christmas. I spent the last few hours watching Rio Bravo and reading AK posts. I'm not in a Christmassy Mood, either. Usually I'm full of the spirit and having a great time on this day.

But, hey, guys. Bentpencil, Marantzfan, others. I feel for you. I think maybe it's all the commercialism that affects us. We know it's sick, but the disease gets us anyway. Some more than others.

What's that stereo doing over in the corner with the lights off? Grab a CD or LP and get it going!

Merry Merry Christmas

Rick
 
Salesguy,

Here in central Missouri, 2,600 would be considered a fair sized house. Once you get to 3,200 up they start to be considered big, with the sky the limit, especially in the Lake of the Ozarks, Jefferson City, and Columbia areas.

The last new house I built, and for some poor people I might add, had app 1,600 SF with a 576 SF garage. And if they ever get around to finishing off their basement, they'll have another 800 SF. App 140K including the lot, basically a starter house, nothing too fancy. But this is a poor area, no building codes, if you go very far in any direction, the price of poker goes up.

Anyway, you asked, and this is the situation in Moniteau County, one of the poorest counties, in one of the poorest states, in the United States, according to my old drinking buddy, the county DA.

For what it's worth, Charles
 
After all the stress of traveling this week I've decided that I'm staying home next year for xmas. If my family wants to see me, they can come to me. Seeing the family on xmas has become an obligation, not something fun. I have yet to spend a single xmas with my SO of 6 years. We both HAVE to be with our own families and not with each other. I like the tacky lights and other decorations, but I don't even bother any more since I won't be home.

We're not even religious, so I don't understand why it has to be such a big deal. When I was growing up it was me, my brother, and my parents. No long trips to the extended family, no one staying with us, and not much stress.
 
andy said:
After all the stress of traveling this week I've decided that I'm staying home next year for xmas.
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Years ago I adopted the plan of every other year I go and visit. There have been a few times due to work that it has gone to two years but for the most part it has worked out very well. You might want to give it a try with next year being the first.
 
My family is in Ohio, save for one sister who lives here in
Virginia, and a brother in Kansas. I usually go to Ohio, but I've been there twice this year, and to Florida twice, visiting a cousin. Tired of travelling.
Just gonna chill at home with my Dalmatians, and my sister this year.

Dave
 
Eric H said:
I agree, Thanksgiving is my new favorite, two days off work, no presents to buy and lots of food! :thmbsp:
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Amen to that. Unfortunately the commercialism of Christmas reflects many of the distorted values which I think are ruining this wonderful nation of ours. I am happy with getting together with family and loved ones to celebrate the true meaning of the season!
 
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