Uno's winter holiday rant: 2015 edition.

[Unorthodox]

If anyone's new in town, I despise the winter holidays with all my heart.  It's been a long slow spiral into absolute hatred of them, but here we've arrived. 


I see news today, Amazon is just stopping all pretenses and starting black Friday sales THIS Friday.  Of course, though there's crap we might want, you need to get the app and sit by your phone waiting for the push notification to try to buy anything.  Bite me. 


Overall, commercials this year are really grinding my nerves.  "Win" the Holidays.  WTF.  Since when was it a competition?  One local jeweler's ads in particular "interview" a husband on what he's thinking of getting his wife, and have her respond that basically only diamonds count.  More to the point, they declare it their "toy sale".

These whole "it better be insert brand/store here or you're a loser" ads just really grind away at my patience. 

As for us, most shopping is already done.  There's a bit left to do, but not a terrible amount. 

Our plans for Black Friday include one or two items we're looking for, probably just online those, but while everyone's out at the stores, we're going to catch the Hunger Games finale Thursday night.  Maybe shop after if the crowds are died down, or Friday morning at local mom and pops that actually close for Thanksgiving. 

[Unorthodox]

Netflix has decent version of a Christmas Carol on, but not my favorite.  

[Unorthodox]

Snow due this week, so spent the day getting yard ready and the lights working and up.  Refuse to turn them on till after Thanksgiving still.  3 wise monsters display this year.


I was sensitive enough not to put Fred in a coffin/manger with Father and Mother watching over, though I still find the thought funny. 

[ColdWizard]

As long as there's enough red and green and Christmas lights...

[Unorthodox]

More by comedy than by design, we've had the most Christmas Decorations in the yard than anyone in the neighborhood for years.  I haven't even been TRYING, just putting lights on our monsters since 2011.  Prior to that, we'd do a Jack Skellington.  (He had to go and become mainstream though...)  Maybe a light up animal or two. 

Still, it was more than anyone else, where we were lucky to see lights on anyone's house. 

This year, though, 2 neighbors seem to be having an contest amongst themselves.  Opposing corner properties on the street, one yard is absolutely covered in inflatables.  The other is bedecked with stringed light décor all set to motion (maybe working out music coordination). 

Was surprised to see folks with stuff out last night.  ALREADY.  And working. 

[Unorthodox]

It's 1:30....should have been 2 clicks and back to bed...Black Friday sucks online....figured they'd prepare websites for the traffic....

[Unorthodox]

on the plus, Army of Darkness is on.

[Rusty Edge]

Long Explanation -

Got home from a family trip Tuesday night.

It all started... well, a long time ago. Not having kids of our own, my wife and I would sometimes take a niece or nephew along on a 4 day visit to Disney World. Over time our stays got longer and the kids had to get "good grades" to qualify for a trip that would miss more than a couple days of school. It was a motivator. As they got older, sometimes it was an arrangement that they got to come along, but they had to push Grandma's wheelchair and fetch for her.

Anyway, one of the kids is rather a  standout- taking honors courses, getting named 2nd team-All State in soccer, and still getting straight As. When we were talking about graduation gifts, she asked to come along on a cruise sometime. She appreciates everything we do for her and always says thank you, etc. , volunteers to take care of Grandma, etc.  Me and the Mrs. had travel opportunities when we were teens, ( we think they were very educational) and decided she was more deserving than we were.

Somewhere in the planning stages, the rest of the family got interested, some of the proceeds of an estate and some stockpiles of air miles got committed, Grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, a couple graduated from higher education, one got engaged, etc. It was going to be the best shot to get the entire family on the same vacation for many years, before they scattered or got tied down.

Great trip, surprisingly it pleased everyone, and not a day too soon with regard to Grandma's condition.
***********

Thanksgiving
 will be an anti-climax. The out of state members can't make it. It's raining today, which would make it miserable to smoke the turkey breast, it's not as if we had planned ahead to buy one before we left. Still unpacking, laundering, running errands. After the cruise ship fare, we don't need another feast.

We're just going to relax, having home-made pizzas and pumpkin pie. Fortunately, nobody is a retail worker this year, so we won't have interruptions/ separations. Go Pack, Go!

How many Bears fans does it take to change a light bulb?

About a million. One to change the bulb, the rest to tell you how great they were back in 1986!


 

[Buster's Uncle]

I grilled Chicken Racku for my wimminz.

[Unorthodox]

lucky guy, Rusty.


Rather uneventful so far from my parents for a change.  I've had about 4 hours sleep in the form of hour naps over the last 36 hours or so.

[Unorthodox]

Mother/Father giving a big middle finger to the 60 mph gusts.  (mother better than anticipated)

[Valka]

I have a miniature Christmas tree (less than 20" tall) and I've been thinking about putting it up and decorating it.

Problem is where to put it that my younger cat wouldn't feel free to knock it over. The only really safe place would be to lock it in the closet (the tree, not the cat).

[Unorthodox]

So, weekend roundup:

Light snow pretty much from Thursday through today.  Thursday and Friday had constant 60 MPH winds at home.

Mother and Father held up tremendously.  The Chimera not so much (he was built before I started the hidden tie downs). 


My weekend started Thursday at 1 AM.  "Black Friday"

See, hEt is an Uncharted addict, and the new one coming out needs the PS4.  Given they were pushing the Uncharted bundle this year anyway, we knew we wanted one.  Everyone pretty much had the same price on them, but we were NOT going to 6PM sales in stores, and the Friday openings would have left us with only one store: Gamestop.  So, we figured we'd try to get one online.  With both Amazon, Walmart, and Gamestop online sales starting at midnight Pacific, that left me waking at 1 AM. 

Walmart's Website sucked royal crap.  However, given the choices, they were the one that offered Ship to Store.  (and since people have no qualms stealing luggage out of my car, they won't had any problem taking packages off steps.  I HAVE SINCE LEARNED UPS offers free ship to UPS store on anything coming my way ANYWAY, so in the future, I won't have to worry about the ship to store.)  So, it took me 3 hours to get that order placed.  Finally with the PS4, Kyle wants that Star Wars game and Walmart had the best deal, what the hell, I ordered it too...

Meanwhile, I was able to get accessories and a DS from Gamestop with no problems in about 20 minutes. 

Now 4 am (my normal wakeup time), I try to get back to sleep, but give up around 5.  Get up, eat some breakfast, and putter around till I'm finally tired again at 6:30.  The kids wake me at 7:30. 

Dinner was crappy (taste), but uneventful at my parents.  We dropped off the kids, and decided since we had an hour to kill before our movie, we'd swing by Target and see what was left. 

It was busy, but not crowded at that point (8PM), and most every "door buster" was still available.  We could have just picked up that Uncharted bundle here, and the Star Wars game here.  Oh well.  We got a couple DVDs and headed out to see the Hunger Games finale. 

Friday Morning, we went back out to get Talia some clothes at a local store, and the kids some ski stuff at a local outdoor outfitter.  All told, one of the more relaxing and pleasant Black Fridays (Thursday included) in recent memory. 

Saturday, I got an email from Walmart my order of the Star Wars game was cancelled.  WTF?  Oh well. Have to pick it up at a store somewhere.  And Gamestop had already shipped the DS, but not the rest yet.  This is when I learned about the UPS ship to store. 

[Rusty Edge]

lucky guy, Rusty.

Come to think of it, that's VERY TRUE, for better and worse. Being reminded of that when things were going my way made me truly thankful. It's important to appreciate the health and happiness while I have it.

Thank you, Uno.

[Unorthodox]