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Did I mention I HATE everything about December? I hate christmas, I hate being home with the entire family, and I hate the gift giving. I hate it I hate it I hate it...


Every year I hope things are different, and every year, they are the same.

Maybe you'd rather be worrying about IEDs or seeing good buddies go where they will never see home or their family again. Personally I hate the holidays too but, for a different reason. I have always felt guilty for making it home when so many of my buddies didn't.

You'll live through the holidays and it will get a little easier every year. You have life by the gonads and you need to realize it

Gifts should be from the heart not the retailer. This is a time to be with family and friends because you want to not because you have to. In our family we all know that Christmas is for the kids. nuf said.

BAHUMBAG

Christmas ROCKS! I love watching the joy my wife gets from buying gifts for all our family members and especially the kids and two grand children. We really enjoy having all four of our children together at the same time It's so much fun to see the excitement on our kids face when they come over Christmas morning. Our kids have memories of Christmas past that they always talk about and will never forget. when they all get together they talk about the different times they had and it warms my heart and puts a big smile on my face

ah, a 3 hour nap always feels good...

sorry Reed, wasnt meaning to sound like "woe is me". just gettin on a "damn this holiday" soapbox. ive got it good compared to alot of people...

and reasons i say these things are such as family dynamics, things i cant control going back to some real dickhead grandparents, affects parents, who unknowingly and unconciously affects me. then my sister runs off and gets engaged, forgets about the core family unit, and then proceeds to piss on my back and tell me its raining today, when she doesnt have to come home for break and live the the mess we call Christmas every year...arghhhh... and shopping?!! dont even get me started. my parents run a christian bookstore...they know the true meaning of christmas...we are all just about to say screw the holiday and save the money for more important things, such as college tuition, not to mention whats worse than buying something useless for someone ya know!? good intentions or not, its a waste...every day i sound more and more like a scrooge.

Oh you think your X-mas sucks...

217. Holiday ham fatality (12/14/06) - Jon, Chicago, Age 43

When I was twelve years old, my grandfather choked to death on a piece of ham at our family's Christmas dinner. My dad unsuccessfully tried to dislodge the meat from Grandpa's throat with his fingers, then a spoon, but by the time the paramedics arrived, Grandpa was dead. My entire family was running around the house, screaming and crying, and my grandmother fainted. (We momentarily thought she had died, too.) Merry Christmas, indeed.

You know I view Christmas as phases.

I loved it as a kid.
I hated it when I worked retail as a young 20 something.
I love it now that I have been out of retail for a decade and grown older and a littler wiser. I treasure the time I am with my core family because you never know what Christmas will be the last with them.

That is a very festive post Barch. I think everyone can come up with a Christmas sucks because story. I have a long one that involves the lose of family members and very very close friends but I don't let any of it get in the way of making this holiday very special for my family. I believe everyone should do the same. PEACE

It is what you make of it. Like we say when we're butchering deer... "Put sh*t in get sh*t out."

OK. Here's my rant about this time of year.....

I usually get the shaft this time of year. My birthday is only a couple days after christmas (so minimal BD gifts, if people even remembered), my grandmother's BD was Christmas eve, and my brother's BD is early January. I just celebrate it now for my daughter and my neice & nephew.

Last year was even worse. Last year I was locked in the chemical plant due to a union strike through christmas, my birthday, didn't get to see my daughter, and was also finishing up my divorce.

Here's the story of the strike issue-The union strike started Sept. 9th. Management personel were not allowed to leave the premisses(can't just shut a chemical plant down). So I lived in my office for 28 days straight, then we began a 4 day off then 8 days in the plant three shift rotation. It turned out my holiday rotation was the entire week of Christmas & BD time working in the plant. Strike finally ended in March 2006. So no celebrating again last year.

Plus, I only got one happy birthday phone call, from mom. I had to remind my daughter that it was my BD (on my nightly phone call to my daughter at 7pm)--The F--'n soon to be ex-wife didn't even take the time to have my daughter call me during the day. Nobody here at the plant even said anything about my BD.

The only blessing was the strike money, due to the overtime money being utilized to purchase new furniture, presents, and paying off divorce bills.

I guess my gift came in February when the judge said you two are now DIVORCED.

Done, ranting now.