Uno's winter holiday rant: 2016 edition

[Unorthodox]

Continuing our tradition. 

http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=17154.msg84523#msg84523
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=13768.msg62728#msg62728
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=5986.msg40281#msg40281


In case you didn't know, I HATE the winter holidays. 

2015, especially, these threads tend to help me cope. 


Challenges in 2016:

The great room is not done.  There is a tiny sliver of hope it might be halfway functional by 12/23, but won't be DONE till well after the holidays. 

THIS MEANS:

NO TREE.  (bittersweet, I especially hate trees, but it'll be a bummer for the rest of the family with is no good)
NO family breakfast. 
NO Kristmas Kitchen Kooking Kalamity
NO Three Wise TRexs
NO hEt Christmas Eve family party at our house (among the reasons for the remodel was to house these)

NOWHERE TO REALLY HOLD CHRISTMAS MORNING. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Hohoho.

[Buster's Uncle]

Or, y'know, this.

[Buster's Uncle]

...

[Unorthodox]

Let's start with Thanksgiving...

Like a lot of families, we've been doing the 'every other year' thing alternating which family to visit. 

This year, that falls to hEt's family. 

Now, hEt's family has traditionally done a second turkey dinner the Sunday following Thanksgiving as well, but this year decided that will be the ONLY dinner (which is going to be uncomfortable as well for other reasons that are hEt's to go into if she wants) so that everyone can visit their living parents/in-laws on Thanksgiving. 

Well.  Uno's parents don't cook on the off years.  And especially not this year with my mom just out of hip surgery and my dad in radiation. 

So, on my second favorite holiday, we have nowhere to go and no kitchen to cook our own.  We looked at a local grocer that provides thanksgiving meals, but it's atrociously expensive and you'd need an oven to heat it up. 

This leaves us looking for a restaurant. 

[Unorthodox]

Plan: Wed, meet with builders, hit the online sales that start anywhere from Midnight to 2AM local time, get a little sleep, wake up and get to Thanksgiving "dinner" (at 10 AM) with hEt and the family before hEt has to go to work.  Nap.  Do black friday sales Thursday.  Sleep.  Wake up Friday morning for shopping with hEt.  nap. 


Meeting with the builders goes fairly well.  The first online sales Wed go off without too much hassle.  Get to bed around 2AM. 

Thursday morning, Talia and I go out early (6 AM) to pick up the newspaper and get a doughnut.  Come back and start making the battle plan for Thursday afternoon, get lists from the kids, etc. 

Talia's list is problematic, with 2 items that are on doorbuster deals at competing stores. 

Dinner, we got to a local buffet.  Timed it perfect before the rush.  It was ok, not great. 

Get home and start setting the plan to paper.  Get online, those problematic items are available online, so order them both.  Get most the other shopping done online as well.  Looking like I won't need to head out into crowds after all.  Plan movie night with the kids. 

Heading for nap...the phone starts up. 

We've had fraud protection on our account since hEt's info was stolen a while ago.  This particular account, we mostly use at Christmas.  Well, it triggered fraud prevention and put a hold on purchases when it saw me racking up purchases so quick.  Most the stuff I thought I had settled were cancelled. 

Called the bank and cleared that up, I go to reorder most of it.  Looks good.  Go to lay down.  Phone starts going again.

Talia's #1 item cancelled.  Not back ordered, just cancelled.  Here's a $5 gift card for trying.  We don't normally shop here, that's worthless.  But the purchase was PER brick and mortar address STORE.  So, I ordered from another store.  Cancelled.  3 stores later, we got one to stick, now with $20 in gift cards towards the purchase as well. 

hEt lets me know she's having a miserable night and wont be up to going out in the morning. 

Nap shot, migraine set in.  I send the kids out to pick up the redbox videos and prep my car in case I need to get out to any sales in the morning. 

Send the boys off to the dollar theater to watch something, Talia and I stay home, she wants to watch the latest Alice in Wonderland.  Notice she's not acting right.  Fever.  Great. 

Alice wasn't as terrible as advertised.  That said, it certainly wasn't the Tim Burton film it was advertised as either.  He produced...not directed. 

Migraine prevents adequate sleep. 

Chill in a medicated fog most of Friday.  hEt and I go out that afternoon for clothes.  Find stuff for the kids, but Black Friday is traditionally my shopping day for all clothes for the year, and mine are sold out online and in store. 

Add in attempting to do every scrap of laundry in the house for the weekend as the laundry room is getting torn apart today as part of the construction schedule and you wind up with a rather manic holiday break. 

Crashed around 8PM last night.  More or less slept through till 4AM today. 

[Unorthodox]

Most the christmas decor is packed away, and out power situation at home is pretty dismal with half the house not even wired right now, so the traditional christmas lights were out of the question.  We did set up a few things on the low power alternatives I had around. 

"The Lovers" get a return engagement for Christmas.  I might put Santa hats on them.  That's a red/green "fire and ice" light.  They are an animated kaleidoscope light.  It was clearance after Halloween purchase.  I don't really have a plan for that one. 



Kevin makes a showing as well.  THIS light is a blue/purple version I purchased a couple years back for a planned ghost of christmas yet to come build I haven't got to yet.  These older model versions are a lot brighter and more 'muddy' with their kaleidoscope.  Like them much better. 

[Unorthodox]

Uno's online experience thus far this season: 

Amazon:  No problems order and ship
Gamestop: No problems order and ship
Kohls: cancelled several orders (location sold out), before finding one.  It shipped immediately. 
Walmart: Cancelled order (sold out) after purchase
Target: "Order delayed" (backorder) no detail on ETA
Shopko: "Order processing" (backorder) no detail on ETA
Best Buy:  "Preparing to ship" (backorder) no detail on ETA 

[Misanthrope]

Don't forget the OBNOXIOUSLY LIMITED playlists everywhere you go trying to pressure shoppers to spend more..err.. I mean music meant to INSPIRE Holiday CHEER and remind you of your loved ones.

If I have to listen to Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennet Xmas carols EVER again, it'll be too soon.
...aunt may or may not be coming in December, and if she plays ANY of those, I'm gonna SCREAM!!!
...and I mean that literally.
...and then put on MY (super annoying) Music with a kick'in sound setup! :K
We're talking eletro-swing and Hamster Dance Remixes at 100+ decibles!

[Unorthodox]

Don't forget the OBNOXIOUSLY LIMITED playlists everywhere you go trying to pressure shoppers to spend more..err.. I mean music meant to INSPIRE Holiday CHEER and remind you of your loved ones.

You don't realize the intense hatred I have of Christmas Carols.  We was pretty poor, and the only music I had to learn for years was the big ole book of Christmas [poop]. 

If I have to listen to Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennet Xmas carols EVER again, it'll be too soon.
...aunt may or may not be coming in December, and if she plays ANY of those, I'm gonna SCREAM!!!
...and I mean that literally.
...and then put on MY (super annoying) Music with a kick'in sound setup! :K
We're talking eletro-swing and Hamster Dance Remixes at 100+ decibles!

Why just annoy when you can make them think you're totally unhinged?

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[Unorthodox]

Why just annoy when you can make them think you're totally unhinged?

Or you can do both...an hour of this is enough to make most folks climb the walls. 

! No longer available

[Misanthrope]

Try putting the opening theme to Fight Club by the Dust Brothers on repeat. 

 

My playlist sounds like off-balanced machines set to a bassline anyhow..well.. that interspersed with classical and bluegrass nonsense. 



Besides, TALKING about being crazy usually means someone isn't REALLY Crazy.  Also, dun wanna threaten anyone... not overtly... do that and you either have to back up said threats, in which case you given them warning, or you look like a fool for making empty threats.
I play SMAC(x) the same way... do NOT Threaten me.  EVER. 

[Unorthodox]

Nothing wrong with being OVERT though. 

! No longer available

[Unorthodox]

So, most the stuff looks like it's coming together. 

Just the one item from Shopko is not even getting any info back on.  It's one of the things Talia had high on her list.  Debating whether to go secure a second one in case this one gets cancelled/delayed too much. 

[Unorthodox]

Christmas Horror Story

Shatner slumming it in a rather pedestrian anthology horror film.