Uno's winter holiday rant: 2016 edition

[Unorthodox]

choir.  I'm not sure if the have Kyle at baritone or bass this year.  The problem with these concerts is the OTHER choirs we have to sit through.

Talia's kids choir doesn't really get into that.

[Unorthodox]

Survived the concert week just fine.  Now entering the party week. 

This is a subject of dread. 

If you've followed me long at all, you know I'm not opposed to big parties.  We have 100-200 at the house for a party the night before Halloween, followed by 1000 ish on Halloween night. 

Thing is, those are on my terms.  Lots of time to prepare ahead, followed by nothing.  Christmas brings this rapid fire crap. 

hEt family party LAST night.  Too crowded in too tight a space.  hEt not there, I managed to avoid most of it, but put in an appearance. 

hEt family party TONIGHT.  VERY many people.  Better space.  hEt is 50/50 whether she'll have to work or not. 

Festivus TOMORROW.  This is my own doing.  Work thing.  Started some 10 years ago, and brought it to this program.  Full on airing of grievances and all.  Last year I'd just started, and we had all of 5 people on the task across 5 organizations.  This year, there's 25 people representing a dozen organizations.  However, the one that had the biggest problems with how I like to run things last year is gone.  I don't really anticipate many issues, more letting everyone meet all the players.  Work is even given me a budget for it this year, and not just everyone going dutch.  Various execs are threatening to crash the party, though.  The whole point is for no politics to get involved. 

4th office party of the season Wed.  Really.  Why 4? 
 
**Kyles bday Friday** small affair, no issue. 

**Christmas Eve Breakfast** Saturday.  My attempt to get my family together...

**Christmas Eve Dinner** Saturday.  hEt's family tradition. 

Christmas Breakfast:  hEt's family again. 

Christmas Dinner:  UnO's family  party I do not control...

**presuming we have a room completed enough to host**

[Buster's Uncle]

[Unorthodox]

45 minutes to Christmas break and I don't know if we'll even be having Christmas at the house yet. 

[Unorthodox]

Well. 

They finished installing appliances ~5 pm on the 23rd which left us little time to clean up and throw a few decorations out.  There's still a whole list of things that need fixing in the main room, but it was workable for the parties. 

Christmas Eve Breakfast:  Uno's family shindig I started god knows how long ago.  Reasons were noble at the time.  I am not going to even pretend there was not an ulterior motive this year.  My older brother has been bitching and whining about money and struggling with the store, and this and that and the other for over 10 years, eventually declaring bankruptcy and it's all so unfair to them.  Over this time period, they've also taken European trips, he's on vacation more than anyone I've ever known, etc.  Now they are locked in a house they don't love, because their money is more or less frozen from the bankruptcy.  We didn't help enough and this and that and the other.  Because we were planning this remodel.  So, yes, there was a little bit of nose rubbing involved on our end, and a little bit of contempt on theirs. 


Christmas Eve Dinner:  hEt's family dinner.  In honor of her parents.  For me, there was a bit of 'i told you so' here.  They didn't think we should remodel.  We should move.  And this wasn't the way we should spend money left from her parents (which we weren't even, her parent's death just delayed this project a year, not financed it), and etc.  Well, they never had really seen anyone remodel the way dOx's do.  There ARE other options to moving. 

Started filling cupboards.  Having a kitchen sink for the first time in months is awesome. 

Still a ways to go before it's "OUR" space though.  Things to fix, builders moving about. 

Sorry, I was real bad about getting pictures of it completed apparently.  I'll either raid hEt's camera or go snap some soon. 

[E_T]

Talk about in the (St) Nick of time....

[Unorthodox]

Kitchen in present state. 

Need blinds, they're coming next week sometime.  Yes, I rock an earth-o-lantern jacket through the winter months.  Table needs to be refinished. 

[Unorthodox]

Setting up the tree on the 23rd, and putting up the new couches.  Of course the cat gets first sit on the couches. 



In fact for 2 days, he more or less systematically sat on every square inch of those couches. 

[E_T]

Yeah, he has to break them in and find the sweet spot...  Has the other cat started to explore the new digs?

[Unorthodox]

She doesn't come out any MORE than she used to.  Mostly at night.  If I'm REALLLY slow and inch over to her, she'll let me pet her upstairs.