UnO's Winter Holiday rant 2014 edition.

[Unorthodox]

Ah, Black Friday approaches...time for the annual rant to start warming up. 

For starters, Black Friday was a tradition I personally enjoyed.  Last year, with most stores opening Thursday Evening, we didn't bother.  I don't know that I will be bothering this year either. 

Financially, after being laid off most the year, we're just getting things under control again for starters, but there's just not a whole lot out there we'd even be interested in...certainly not at 6 PM on Thursday (or earlier). 

Also don't know if I'm going to be getting any lights up outside this year, even.  Weather's supposed to go crappy this weekend, and if it don't happen, I'm not going to stress about it.  My daughter might be disappointed though.  Don't know.  I really hate lights.  Yard wise, I could wrap up Fred and the Chimera as in years past with little fuss. 

Shopping for the kids is going to be pretty boring this year as well.  Probably 90% or more online.  However, I need to go do one of the things I hate most in the world:  Buy myself clothes.  This new job pretty much requires a new wardrobe on my part, and while I've managed to squeek by so far, it was just to get me to the winter holiday.  I really hate going to try on clothes.  So much easier when I can just online order my size of jeans. 

With the new job, I also cancelled my annual christmas eve breakfast with my family.  I just don't have any vacation, and will be working that day.  Well, I have a use-or-lose day I need to take, but I didn't GET it till AFTER Halloween, and I have to take it BEFORE December 18th.  So, I'm taking an extra day off this week.  I've put this breakfast on for over 10 years at my place trying like some idiot to get some kind of family bonding.  If it wasn't for my sister in law, and cute niece/nephew, I don't know that I would care much.  Parents already complained I should find a way...which wouldn't be half as frustrating except they complained I should do my breakfast 2 breaths after they informed me they were cancelling the New Years Day dinner they've done my entire life.  They can cancel, I can't. 

So, fewer family issues this year at the very least, except they'll all be mad at me for that. 

For those that didn't know, we also are going to have stress on the boss's side of the family.  Her dad died October 13th, and her mom's breast cancer moved to her brain, so we've got a couple of first holidays without one grandparent and potential last with the other. 

Just going to be a very strange month and a half all the way around. 

[Geo]

I've got a gut feeling my parents are rapidly dropping into the less nimble phase of their life as well. Compared to most of my late grandparents, almost half a generation too soon.

[Unorthodox]

Her parents are early only 60s.  On one hand it seems odd, but I never knew one grandpa, died in his 40s, and the other died early 60s, so I guess it's not so out there.

Then my Grandma is 98, has had cancer for 10 years which is not being treated, and is just too stubborn to die. 

[Unorthodox]

Tickety Tockety.  9 hours till vacation. 

The boss decided to do turkey day at our house on Sunday this year (yeah, odd tradition from her side to have a 'second thanksgiving', normally her mom does, but, well...).  Gotta be in the house with a carcass.  (shivers)  Most things that bother me I got good explainations for, why bird carcasses bother me so is totally beyond me. 



First got to rot in the fridge a few days, then stink up the house cooking, then lie there in disgusting splendor as the ghouls pick the flesh from bones....bleh.  Then she won't even let me have the bones, which would admittedly be cool all disarticulated.  No, she'll toss the detrious into a vat and boil it for hours to stink up the house even more and make soup which tastes of the bones...(shivers). 

[Rusty Edge]

Who knew?

[Unorthodox]

If it weren't for boneless/skinless chicken breasts, I'd have to go vegetarian most days.  Red meat and I don't get along too well, either.  And don't ever ask me to eat anything off a bone.  Bones are meant to be cleaned, dried, and displayed, not eaten off of.  bleh. 

[Geo]

Her parents are early only 60s.  On one hand it seems odd, but I never knew one grandpa, died in his 40s, and the other died early 60s, so I guess it's not so out there.

Then my Grandma is 98, has had cancer for 10 years which is not being treated, and is just too stubborn to die.

3 of my grandparents got in their nineties. One died in his late seventies, but IIRC he had altzheimer (or at least some other geriatric 'disease').
So, since my parents are still in their early seventies and late sixties respectively, its a bit alarming to hear them talk about their endphase.

[Unorthodox]

"Little Live Pets"

In what I believe is a manufactured "shortage", these things are going to be one of the big items this year.  Retailing for $15-20, they are already going for $50+ on ebay. 

For my part, already had issues ordered store pickup online, oh, it's out of stock despite the site saying it was in stock, we'll rush one, you can pick up in 3 days...

Day three, oh, we're sorry, we'll rush one...

Best guess is the store doesn't want to diminish stock for Black Friday crazies, and they'll get me one after the holiday weekend. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Not often, but sometimes, I'm glad I don't have kids.  Anytime parents talk about the latest childrens' toy/entertainment trends is one of them.

[Unorthodox]

https://www.shoutfactory.com/editorials/mst3k-turkey-day-sale-marathon#marathon

[Buster's Uncle]

I have no idea what we're doing for Thanksgiving - but as long as we do it at home, I'll cope.

[Geo]

Poor turkey's.
 

[Buster's Uncle]

I did have to walk next door...

[Geo]

I did have to walk next door...

Poor sister?

[Unorthodox]

"Little Live Pets"

In what I believe is a manufactured "shortage", these things are going to be one of the big items this year.  Retailing for $15-20, they are already going for $50+ on ebay. 

For my part, already had issues ordered store pickup online, oh, it's out of stock despite the site saying it was in stock, we'll rush one, you can pick up in 3 days...

Day three, oh, we're sorry, we'll rush one...

Best guess is the store doesn't want to diminish stock for Black Friday crazies, and they'll get me one after the holiday weekend. 

So, this 'rush' was supposed to arrive today. 

Got an email Friday, about 3 PM, just after all the craziness has died down, saying it had miraculously arrived early and we could go pick it up. 

Translation:  they didn't sell out on the black friday sale and I could pick mine up. 

Ironically, as we went in, there was still some of the big TV's and other 'hot' items from the morning sales.  News this morning confirms it wasn't such a great year for the retailers.  Guess more people don't bother with this whole Thursday afternoon bullcrap.