UnO's Winter Holiday rant 2014 edition.

[Unorthodox]

Heading into a week of C activities. 

Office party on Thursday being the high/lowlight...

Won't make sense to many people, but so in a knot over this damn party, I couldn't sleep. 

Yeah, yeah, I thow a huge party every year, should 'like' this kind of thing, and most people just think I do. That party is on MY terms.  I'm busy throughout needing to constantly make sure things are working/playing host, thus individual socializing is minimal and controlled. 

Same with the Christmas Eve Breakfast I have done for my family (not this year).  It's on my terms, provides the requisite family gathering, but at the same time limits my socializing.  I'm busy hosting, minimal need to deal with parents/siblings and always have an 'out' when it gets uncomfortable. 

Really dislike socializing in general.  Not a very Gemini attitude, I know, but socializing is exhausting.  And no season demands more socializing than the winter selection of festivities. 

At least I have a long weekend mostly free if I make it through.  Just the kitchen and me, and a boat load of mix to make. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Averse to being squeezed in with too many people with, probably, deafening music playing and possibly a lot of booze?   Makes no sense.

[Geo]

None at all. No Sir, definitely not the reason I'm flyin' out to the other side of the world.

[Unorthodox]

The T Rex cutter has gone missing.  Triceratops may have to fill in for the wise T rex's...

[Buster's Uncle]

The three three-horned wise dinos?

[Unorthodox]

or a dozen pulling a sleigh?

[Buster's Uncle]

Three riding up on three more?

That's 18 horns if they're the three-horned kind.

[Unorthodox]

Can anyone explain to me how at all this whole elf on a shelf thing is "fun" or interesting, or a good idea in the least? 

Other than people with WAY too much time on their hands competing with each other who can be more 'creative'.  Why in the sam hell would I want to make a mess and stage the doll just so I can clean it up? 

The boys missed out on this, thank god, but Talia keeps asking why we don't have one. 

Part of me wants to buy one and have mola ram ritually murder the damn thing just to be done with it. 

[Unorthodox]

Among other things for Thanksgiving, I made a lemon pie for the one at our house.

Well, there's a history with this lemon pie. 

It is DIFFICULT to cook properly.  As in, probably the most difficult thing I've ever cooked.  It always tastes fine, but a lot of times it's runny instead of a proper consistency.   

Originally this is my paternal grandmother's recipe...and my mom has FLAT REFUSED to give it to me straight.  See, Grandma is my kind of cook.  There's not a lot of writing down, she kept the recipe in her head, and thus there are presently a couple versions of this pie recipe floating around depending on who she told it to at which time.  Some work....some don't. 

Well, mom gives me A recipe...and then flaunts they've had to change it to get it to work, but refused to give me the changes. 

Well, fine.  She doesn't realize I had Grandma show me HOW she made the thing around the age of 15, so I go into this thing with an ingredient list, and just relying on the fact my mom's not that great at the fundamentals of cooking, I am stronger there, and relying on my memory. 

Well, I absolutely NAIL the pie.  I've never seen anyone's set up as beautifully.  I even took a piece over to my parents as a kind of FU that night. 

Well, last night we had everyone over for Kyle's Bday party (since everyone's busy on the 23rd), and Jen's Grandma was just gushing on and on about that lemon pie.  Don't know if anyone else noticed my mom staring daggers. 

Down side is now I've got to see if I can duplicate the results for the party on Monday.     

[Flux]

Can anyone explain to me how at all this whole elf on a shelf thing is "fun" or interesting, or a good idea in the least? 

I can remember doing that.
We would all follow the oldest sibling around and whoever saw the elf first got a piece of chocolate. I don't do it anymore  .
I suppose I didn't answer your question then. I actually hated doing it because I barely ever got the chocolate and had to watch it be eaten by someone else.

[Unorthodox]

Did our annual visit to the cemetery when they light the luminaries near Christmas. 

First of all, this year there is no snow.  So, it was a bit understandable they had to go to battery powered tea lights instead of the real thing, fire danger and all. 

However, the dollar store tea lights are NOT the best option there.  Price OR brightness.  I've done a considerable amount of research into tea lights... 

And, they didn't bother weighting down the luminaries as you would normal ones, so they were getting blown around haphazard as well. 

Combined with the newfangled cars that can't turn off their headlights, and it was difficult to see this year at all. 

[Buster's Uncle]

[Geo]

Who comes knockin' in the retail parthenon after the Easter bunny?

[Buster's Uncle]

Fourth of July, maybe - holidays between Easter and Thanksgiving are pretty slim pickin's.

[Geo]

Fourth of July, maybe - holidays between Easter and Thanksgiving are pretty slim pickin's.

National Flag retail? Anthem records?