Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Buck Up! It's Christmas Time!
I promised myself I'd be more positive about the whole Christmas thing. I've been a Grinch lately and thought I'd better get some heart before it's too late!
So I'm trying to look at things in a different way. Instead of whining about gift giving, I'm going to shut up and be grateful. Instead of thinking about being miserable on Christmas, I'm going to make the most of my day off. Instead of worrying about people not getting their gifts in time, I'll just let it go.
Just let it go.
What a concept.
So I'm trying to look at things in a different way. Instead of whining about gift giving, I'm going to shut up and be grateful. Instead of thinking about being miserable on Christmas, I'm going to make the most of my day off. Instead of worrying about people not getting their gifts in time, I'll just let it go.
Just let it go.
What a concept.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Don't give me anything expensive
Christmas is approaching and I keep getting the same ol' question: What do you want for Christmas. At first I say, "I don't know" or "I really don't want anything." But later I think of all this stuff I should've said that I really could use. But Christmas is such a racket. It's become the holiday of obligation. I love giving people things, but mostly because I like putting thought into it. I try to think if that person would really like this or that thing. Instead, though, we wind up giving out certificates some of the time because 1. The person we're buying for is a relative, but one we don't know, and are forced to buy something for because of "family grab bag." 2. It's cheaper to mail 3. We don't know what to buy them. In my opinion if you don't know what to buy someone, don't buy anything. Why should you be forced?
This Saturday I had all of our boxes sealed up and ready to mail. The gifts were wrapped, labeled, and waiting for me to brave the cold weather to get to the post office and UPS. Then the phone rings. It's Sport-o's mom. Guess what. The names we were told we had for the family grab bag were WRONG. We have Aunt Sharon and Heather, not Steve and Erik Z. WTF!!!! We bought these digital ornaments and movies for these guys, had them wrapped, and I was about to send them! Again, WTF! Now- I know how this whole thing could have been avoided:
DON'T DRAW THE NAMES ONE YEAR IN ADVANCE! It's the most retarded thing ever! Why would you draw the name for the next Christmas on Christmas Day? What if something happens?! How do you remember it? It's just silly.
After Sport-o pretty much raised his voice at his mother for the stupidity behind the whole thing (I can't say he yelled- he just got really upset- you never should yell at your mother.) I grabbed the scissors and ripped open the boxes. What could we do?! There was no time- if we didn't send them today they'd never make it before Christmas. So we put a new gift tag on the presents meant for Steve and Erik Z. So now Aunt Sharon, who probably doesn't know a thing about computers, is going to get a digital ornament, not to mention a copy of 40 Year Old Virgin, And Heather, whom we think doesn't even own a computer or a digital camera is getting one too, along with a copy of Knocked- Up. Go figure.
So we told Sport-o's mom we don't want to do grab bag anymore. It's just gotten too ridiculous. Last year another cousin, Mike, had me and didn't even have the decency to mail it. Instead he gave the gift to Sport-os mom to mail here. Can you say cheap? Can you say lazy? And you know what the gift was? Lotion and slippy socks. Is that really worth mailing?
I know I sound very bitter right now, but like I said I like putting thought into gift giving but lately it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO not worth it. Not when other people can give a rat's booty and give you junk. It would've been better if I didn't get anything.
So I told my mom about this whole fiasco, dropping a big hint about my unwanted participation in my side of the family Grab bag. All she said was that she understood how things would be hard and that the fun is gone when things happen like that. She went into this big explanation about how the person who has me doesn't see my face when I open the gift and vice versa. The fun of it is gone. Yes. Bingo. But, we're still stuck in it.
Now that I've had a few days to think about this grab bag problem and have gained some distance from it, I still have the same conclusion:
I have really come to hate it. So what do I want for Christmas? No more obligations to buy gifts. I want to enjoy Christmas for what it is.
This Saturday I had all of our boxes sealed up and ready to mail. The gifts were wrapped, labeled, and waiting for me to brave the cold weather to get to the post office and UPS. Then the phone rings. It's Sport-o's mom. Guess what. The names we were told we had for the family grab bag were WRONG. We have Aunt Sharon and Heather, not Steve and Erik Z. WTF!!!! We bought these digital ornaments and movies for these guys, had them wrapped, and I was about to send them! Again, WTF! Now- I know how this whole thing could have been avoided:
DON'T DRAW THE NAMES ONE YEAR IN ADVANCE! It's the most retarded thing ever! Why would you draw the name for the next Christmas on Christmas Day? What if something happens?! How do you remember it? It's just silly.
After Sport-o pretty much raised his voice at his mother for the stupidity behind the whole thing (I can't say he yelled- he just got really upset- you never should yell at your mother.) I grabbed the scissors and ripped open the boxes. What could we do?! There was no time- if we didn't send them today they'd never make it before Christmas. So we put a new gift tag on the presents meant for Steve and Erik Z. So now Aunt Sharon, who probably doesn't know a thing about computers, is going to get a digital ornament, not to mention a copy of 40 Year Old Virgin, And Heather, whom we think doesn't even own a computer or a digital camera is getting one too, along with a copy of Knocked- Up. Go figure.
So we told Sport-o's mom we don't want to do grab bag anymore. It's just gotten too ridiculous. Last year another cousin, Mike, had me and didn't even have the decency to mail it. Instead he gave the gift to Sport-os mom to mail here. Can you say cheap? Can you say lazy? And you know what the gift was? Lotion and slippy socks. Is that really worth mailing?
I know I sound very bitter right now, but like I said I like putting thought into gift giving but lately it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO not worth it. Not when other people can give a rat's booty and give you junk. It would've been better if I didn't get anything.
So I told my mom about this whole fiasco, dropping a big hint about my unwanted participation in my side of the family Grab bag. All she said was that she understood how things would be hard and that the fun is gone when things happen like that. She went into this big explanation about how the person who has me doesn't see my face when I open the gift and vice versa. The fun of it is gone. Yes. Bingo. But, we're still stuck in it.
Now that I've had a few days to think about this grab bag problem and have gained some distance from it, I still have the same conclusion:
I have really come to hate it. So what do I want for Christmas? No more obligations to buy gifts. I want to enjoy Christmas for what it is.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Surrender
There's a Cheap Trick song called Surrender that has the lyric
"Surrender but don't give yourself away."
So deep, man. So deep.
Yesterday I found myself in a very strange situation. A rather demeaning one too. I was in a meeting at work with my boss when this dude- who I have no idea who he is but obviously some big shot- barges in and kicks me out of it to talk to my boss. Bastard. I found out later that all he wanted to do is talk crap to my boss about another co-worker of ours and he just didn't want me to hear it. At first when he said for me to leave I thought it was a joke. Nope. So I left everything there I brought and walked back to my office with my tail between my legs and not knowing why I was being punished. It was so rude. I just sat in my chair for a few seconds trying to figure out what just happened. As it set in the angrier I got. If I was more witty I should've came up with something good to say. Or at least said screw you, I don't care who you are. But I didn't. Never do. What if I did though? The next time someone treats me like shit I call them on it.... what would happen?
But I could never "surrender" myself to do that. I have too much integrity (for lack of a better word) in me to treat someone like that. I'd feel bad instead of relieved.
Wouldn't "surrendering" and letting myself be the bitch I want to be "give myself away"? So how do you give up but don't give a piece of yourself? Do You let them win? --Say "go ahead, treat me like crap." Or are you losing because you surrendered to those impulses? ---Say "you jerk, you could be nice, I'd be happy to leave if you ask properly." Or do you win because you didn't win or lose? (Insert punished puppy whine here) But you didn't create more problems. I'm going in circles.
Cheap Trick philosophy is way beyond their time.
As Wayne and Garth would say: "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"
Party on
"Surrender but don't give yourself away."
So deep, man. So deep.
Yesterday I found myself in a very strange situation. A rather demeaning one too. I was in a meeting at work with my boss when this dude- who I have no idea who he is but obviously some big shot- barges in and kicks me out of it to talk to my boss. Bastard. I found out later that all he wanted to do is talk crap to my boss about another co-worker of ours and he just didn't want me to hear it. At first when he said for me to leave I thought it was a joke. Nope. So I left everything there I brought and walked back to my office with my tail between my legs and not knowing why I was being punished. It was so rude. I just sat in my chair for a few seconds trying to figure out what just happened. As it set in the angrier I got. If I was more witty I should've came up with something good to say. Or at least said screw you, I don't care who you are. But I didn't. Never do. What if I did though? The next time someone treats me like shit I call them on it.... what would happen?
But I could never "surrender" myself to do that. I have too much integrity (for lack of a better word) in me to treat someone like that. I'd feel bad instead of relieved.
Wouldn't "surrendering" and letting myself be the bitch I want to be "give myself away"? So how do you give up but don't give a piece of yourself? Do You let them win? --Say "go ahead, treat me like crap." Or are you losing because you surrendered to those impulses? ---Say "you jerk, you could be nice, I'd be happy to leave if you ask properly." Or do you win because you didn't win or lose? (Insert punished puppy whine here) But you didn't create more problems. I'm going in circles.
Cheap Trick philosophy is way beyond their time.
As Wayne and Garth would say: "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"
Party on
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