Don't care for it. My family usually gets together in the summer. We like to go places and do things we haven't done before, and having something cool to do stops a lot of the carping at each other. And that stinking music drives me insane (used to work in tv, the commericals start breaking it out about the same time as the retail stores).
For my buds who like the holiday, tho..I found you a cartoon..
Christmas music makes me want to kill 
......especially when I hear it in October.
I'd rather get together with my family nearly any other time of the year. 1/2 the family is Jewish, the other 1/2 Christian / non-denominational. This always causes stress with the Mom's / Grandma. It turns into more of a gift swap than anything else. I'd rather skip it honestly. We don't want for much, and splurging seems a bit obscene when so many go without.
I love the shelter idea. Maybe I'll skip the family festivities and do that instead this year.
besides.....Jesus wasn't born in December anyways
http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/was-jesus-born-on-december-25-faq.htm
I don't drink with my family. I come from from a large Irish Catholic family. I hate a lot of the crap that goes along with it, but I still like Christmas. It was always the only time my Dad took vacation and hanging out with him when I was a little kid was pretty much the end all be all of a good time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxAAz1lUV14 - One of a handful of Christmas songs that are actually relevant
Sky_Render wrote:mndsm wrote:Haha! I actually like cooking, but I've found out the hard way that making a delicious, huge meal for one means leftovers for 3 or more days!Sky_Render wrote: Wow, I appreciate all the concern. I've had a pretty rough year. I'd take you guys up on the invites, but you guys are all over the country.Think a turkey well enough insulated could stand to be fedex'ed overnight and still be warm? Otherwise... I can probably arrange to have food delivered. I've done dumber.... just in case. I forget I have family all over the east coast.I think I'm going to try working at the local rescue mission (both Thanksgiving and Christmas). Isn't that what the holidays are supposed to be about anyway? Helping people?
The hard way?!?
leftover turkey for 3 days>hitting the apex perfectly in your Neon while passing a Porsche as you downshift
4cylndrfury wrote: The hard way?!?
My point was that cooking a huge dinner for only yourself is kind of, well...
...lonely. 
I like Christmas. Besides the religious meanings behind it, it's one more reason to see family, on a date we all know to keep open for such things.
I've already started telling my wife's family to make a contribution to Meals on Wheels for my gift.
I am religious (but not a "good" Christian) and pretty much hate the season for all the reasons that have been brought up. We have a tree at church with cards from kids that need stuff. We pull off a couple of cards from kids that obviously know a need from a want. My wife has pretty much ruined decorating for me by going so freaking overboard I want to go postal. But, now that we have a new grandson, I want to decorate outside the house with our big walk through wreath to the front porch. That boy loves being outside and lights.
I wish I had the opportunity to spend a day with my relatives over a good meal. Most are dead now, and as I start to take and interest in my ancestors, there's no one to get the story from.
I hate the holidays. Pretty much just a big bag of pain in my ass every year.
I especially hate that I'm ALREADY hearing Christmas music in some stores/restaurants. When I'm Emperor of the Known Universe, it's gonna be illegal to play Christmas music or put up Christmas decorations outside of December.
Nope, I love it, bring it on!
Went to ACE hardware today to pickup a filter for my furnace. I had to be careful walking around all the Christmas stuff to get to the back of the store where the filters were and then return up front..
And Thanksgiving is over two weeks away.
There are a lot of bitter people on this site, lol.
I woke up Sunday morning to find my neighbor's lawn ablaze with Christmas lights, blow up reindeer, a Santa popping out of a blow up Christmas tree, every tree, fence and porch wrapped in flashing LEDs; fugsamaddawidyou?
In reply to 914Driver:
Sweeeeet! I am waiting for someone else to do it first. I am probably going to put up my tree this weekend. We fully decorate the inside of the house early and wait a little longer for the outside do prevent provoking the ire of the Scrooges out there.
Change of plans for our Christmas Day. We usually do Christmas Eve with my family, then on Christmas Day the wife and I visit with her family.
Unfortunately, her father was killed last week in horrific house fire. Old 70s model mobile home, it burned to the ground with him asleep inside.
Her father was a member of the Elks Lodge and many other organizations, so this Christmas we will be going to Stillwater to volunteer at the community center dinner from 11-3..........something her father was found of doing.
I know Christmas will be a lot harder for the wife this year.
26 is too young to deal with losing a parent. 
z31, sorry to hear about your father in law.
So sorry to hear of your loss.
z31maniac wrote: Change of plans for our Christmas Day. We usually do Christmas Eve with my family, then on Christmas Day the wife and I visit with her family. Unfortunately, her father was killed last week in horrific house fire. Old 70s model mobile home, it burned to the ground with him asleep inside. Her father was a member of the Elks Lodge and many other organizations, so this Christmas we will be going to Stillwater to volunteer at the community center dinner from 11-3..........something her father was found of doing. I know Christmas will be a lot harder for the wife this year. 26 is too young to deal with losing a parent.
Wow, that sucks. I think you're doing a wonderful thing in handling it though.... mourning is rough enough, but celebrating someones life by doing something they loved, now that is a good deed. When I go I expect burnouts, loud music, and shenanigans at my funeral. And maybe an autox course at the cemetary.
mndsm wrote:z31maniac wrote: Change of plans for our Christmas Day. We usually do Christmas Eve with my family, then on Christmas Day the wife and I visit with her family. Unfortunately, her father was killed last week in horrific house fire. Old 70s model mobile home, it burned to the ground with him asleep inside. Her father was a member of the Elks Lodge and many other organizations, so this Christmas we will be going to Stillwater to volunteer at the community center dinner from 11-3..........something her father was found of doing. I know Christmas will be a lot harder for the wife this year. 26 is too young to deal with losing a parent.Wow, that sucks. I think you're doing a wonderful thing in handling it though.... mourning is rough enough, but celebrating someones life by doing something they loved, now that is a good deed. When I go I expect burnouts, loud music, and shenanigans at my funeral. And maybe an autox course at the cemetary.
+1.
z31maniac wrote: Change of plans for our Christmas Day. We usually do Christmas Eve with my family, then on Christmas Day the wife and I visit with her family. Unfortunately, her father was killed last week in horrific house fire. Old 70s model mobile home, it burned to the ground with him asleep inside. Her father was a member of the Elks Lodge and many other organizations, so this Christmas we will be going to Stillwater to volunteer at the community center dinner from 11-3..........something her father was found of doing. I know Christmas will be a lot harder for the wife this year. 26 is too young to deal with losing a parent.
Damn, I thought our year sucked. At least none of us died..
Palm-to-palm handshake with a shoulder bump, bro. And our most profound wishes that you & yours find strength.
My condolences.
On a side note. This should be my Father's first Christmas home since '06, if the Iraq pull out goes through.
In reply to z31maniac:
Sorry to hear about that, my condolences.
Just wanted to stop in to say Christmas sucks. That is all.
JG Pasterjak wrote: The wife and I will be spending Christmas on this:
How will you play Forza with me from there?! sniff sniff
It was all about getting the toys you could never get and seeing this on TV:
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