Pre-Holiday Crap

As usual, the holidays at the wife's house have built in drama. The original plan that everyone agreed to was to head over there around lunch, hang out with cold cuts and martinis (I like that new twist), pop a roast in the oven and open presents while it's cooking. Then, my wife's oldest sister lets everyone know that she has to be about 20 min down the road by 5pm, so can we do things earlier. No problem, as they (my wife and her sisters) decide that an earlier start is fine.

Yesterday, the older s-i-l then announces that she needs to be further down the road even earlier on the 25th and can we move the whole shebang to today at 11am. Fine, whatever, except I know that this means we'll be hanging out with the wife's family two days in a row, after she spent the whole day with them yesterday. More on that in a minute.

I gotta be open with y'all. I hate xmas. It's one of the few things where I agree with the christianists. It should be religious (not commercial) and if christians want to greet each other with "Merry Christmas" they shouldn't be scolded by the PC police. Of course, since all religious fundamentalists are fanatics, they can't help but shoving Merry Christmas down everyone's throats, but that's a different story.

I don't mind having a particular time of the year to remind us to be happy about what we have and the people in our lives, thought Thanksgiving seems to be the best time for that. And I don't mind that our economy is shut down for a day or two while the dominant religion in our country celebrates one of the two holiest days on their calendar. But that it drives our lives from the day after Thanksgiving to New Year's is just absurd. My wife's not a big shopper, so going around (or online) finding her family and the HB just the right thing is nuts (I do all of my shopping in about 45 min online with one trip to the jewelery store with the HB).

When someone asks me what I want for christmas (a not-so-bright question to an atheist), I always answer, "Nothing. I have more than enough money to buy what I want and need." It's not meant to be boorish, but if you want to get me something, purchase something that speaks to you about me. As with all signs of affection, the price has nothing to do with its value.

So, after I finish this post, I'm off to the doctor for my annual physical. The only mystery is whether my age (44), weight (probably around 165-170), cholesterol (high 200s, I predict from last week's test) combines for my HMOs magic number for me to start a lifetime of anti-statin medication. After that, my wife wants me to go look at a sectional sofa for our living room that she found with her sisters yesterday. I don't think that'll work in that it will make us late for our first christmas martini.

To my christian friends and readers, Merry Christmas. I hope that tonite and tomorrow you find joy in the birth of your savior and use his teachings to bring peace and joy to the world.

For the rest of us, enjoy the day off from work and tie on a good one.