Bah Humbug!

[judecorp]

Never fill in a bunch of friends/relatives into those "Birthday Reminder" e-mail thingers. Because then you'll get a million reminders about your late father's upcoming birthday. And really, who needs that?

We were supposed to go to Mindy's holiday party today but we never quite got around to doing everything we needed to do in the morning/early afternoon so we could go. I spent a good chunk of time in the morning chiseling the huge-ass hunks of ice out of the parking spot so we have a nice clean area for the car, but by the time it got to be that "we should seriously start getting things together if we're going to that party" time, we still hadn't done anything else we were supposed to do, like pick up Jen's dry cleaning or wrap holiday gifts or write out more holiday cards or get a Christmas tree. So we decided to skip the party instead of figure out how to frantically get this stuff done when we got home. Plus, we were in terrible moods which doesn't really make for good party-going. So, bummer.

I realized today that two of the holiday gifts I ordered online must have gotten lost in the mail, since the website said they were shipped on 12-01 and the USPS tracking number came up as a bad number. So I had to talk to customer service and they have to put a trace on my package, which takes up to 10 business days, so I had to cancel the damned order because those lost items needed to be wrapped and mailed to NJ and SC. So now we have to find new gifts at a store somewhere so we can start mailing out these packages. Also bummer.

I did so many more holiday cards while watching "A Very Brady Christmas" that the pen/marker I was using is completely dried out. Sucks, cause I still have more cards to do. I found all of the received cards from last year and so many freaking people moved that I don't know what I'm going to do. I found a couple of people's updated addresses on LJ but I don't really have the energy to go on an address hunt. After the cards I cleaned up a little bit and then started making a big vat of chili to take to Coworker Gina's tomorrow for the Survivor finale. Jen started the laundry so there's not so much to do tomorrow, because tomorrow's shaping up to be a day of pain:

Get up early, put the crock pot of chili on, run to some store or other looking for replacement gifts. Go to RI - wipe dad's computer clean, bring monitor and TV to grandparents' house for them, bring china to grandparents' house for storage, load car full of more of my/dad's stuff that is coming to live here, tidy up a little more in preparation for estate folks, visit with grandparents briefly, run back up to Boston to get chili and stuff together, go to Gina's, come home and finish laundry.

This is definitely a "Bah Humbug" holiday season for me.

Comments

[gabriellag.livejournal.com]

I am really sorry that you're dealing with so much. I serioulsy can't imgaine what you're going through.

I want to tell you more, but I won't. I hope all is well and it all works out. Have fun tomorrow night.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It will all work out.

[luloubelle.livejournal.com]

I hear you. *hugs*

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

xoxo

[grrlpower.livejournal.com]

maybe you need to take a step back and evaluate what the holidays are about. I know sending cards and gifts is nice, but is it something you /need/ to do? You've had a busy year and maybe now is a time for you to relax and enjoy the holidays with your lovely wife, rather than rushing about to get done a million little tasks to show people you are thinking about them. Your friends and family know what you've been through, they'll understand.

Heck, you're a social worker, I'm assuming your friends and family would appreciate if instead of sending little gifts to everyone, you made a donation to some good cause in their name. Saves you lots of hassle, and really benefits someone who could use it.

Or maybe I'm just not into gift-giving and I'm over-simplifying.. ;)

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Well, I do enjoy sending the cards, so it's as much for me as anyone else. I /do/ like to keep in touch.

As for donating to charity, I've done that with my family before and it wasn't very well-received. I have a hard time matching charities that *I* would give money to to family members who don't share my beliefs. However, I have a tiny family and most of the gift=buying ends up being for Jen's family, and I don't really feel comfortable doing that for them - she knows them better than I do, after all.

Relax? What's that? Like you can talk.

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

hug!

[calledmara.livejournal.com]

Hugggs. I will send you a present of Christmas lard of good cheer.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmm, delicious lard!