Holy Crap the holidays suck

[Dottleshead ★]

I managed to escape the insanity and dysfunction (an understatement) of my own family this Christmas and thought I was safe spending it with my wife's family.  God, they are offed up too.  My wife insisted on hosting it this year and wow, is she paying the price.  She's got a big thing going on with her sister and seems sister has expectations of what should be done -- and big sister is trying to dictate what the hell is going to go down on Monday.  Little sister (my wife) is coming unglued.  Personally, I think it's all rot and I could care-a-less if I'm here or not.  So who the hell wants to meet me in Vegas for Christmas Eve?  I could use some cash though.

[Square Wheels]

The holidays are never fun.  Now that we don't don't allow my alcoholic, pedophile, uncle to come to events any longer, I usually enjoy family gatherings.  We're a small bunch and all get along well.

Sorry your family isn't so much fun.

[jsharr ★]

9 minutes ago, Dottles said:

I managed to escape the insanity and dysfunction (an understatement) of my own family this Christmas and thought I was safe spending it with my wife's family.  God, they are offed up too.  My wife insisted on hosting it this year and wow, is she paying the price.  She's got a big thing going on with her sister and seems sister has expectations of what should be done -- and big sister is trying to dictate what the hell is going to go down on Monday.  Little sister (my wife) is coming unglued.  Personally, I think it's all rot and I could care-a-less if I'm here or not.  So who the hell wants to meet me in Vegas for Christmas Eve?  I could use some cash though.

You should take them out to eat but only pay for one of them.

[Kzoo]

Christmas as a kid was always a great time.  Christmas with WoKzoo's family was always a great time and ended with the death of her mom.  We do Christmas with my adult kids and the grand kids and it's aways a great time.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

 

[Dottleshead ★]

11 minutes ago, Square Wheels said:

The holidays are never fun.  Now that we don't don't allow my alcoholic, pedophile, uncle to come to events any longer, I usually enjoy family gatherings.  We're a small bunch and all get along well.

Sorry your family isn't so much fun.

Yeah, ever since my mom died and my alcoholic father puts up his other druggie kids and their children in his house, it's complete crap.  I try to go down for 1 of the 2 big holidays but that's it.  I can't do both. OMG.  You're a good person SW.  Hang in there.  All you can do is move forward and continue to be a good person. And nothing is ever too late to show you kids how much you love them.

[Dottleshead ★]

3 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

... and ended with the death of her mom.

Yeah, with the death of my mother, it's never been the same... not even remotely.

[Kzoo]

Just now, Dottles said:

Yeah, with the death of my mother, it's never been the same... not even remotely.

We stopped gathering at their house for Christmas - Wkzoo's siblings and their kids.  My kids have very fond memories of holidays with their cousins.

When MIL died it didn't make the holiday bad, just different.

Can't we all just get along.

[Dottleshead ★]

2 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Can't we all just get along.

It would seem to be so easy.  The house my father lives in is a toxic, chemical dump. He drinks and my siblings and their kids are all involved in drugs to some extent.

[Randomguy]

18 minutes ago, Dottles said:

I managed to escape the insanity and dysfunction (an understatement) of my own family this Christmas and thought I was safe spending it with my wife's family.  God, they are offed up too.  My wife insisted on hosting it this year and wow, is she paying the price.  She's got a big thing going on with her sister and seems sister has expectations of what should be done -- and big sister is trying to dictate what the hell is going to go down on Monday.  Little sister (my wife) is coming unglued.  Personally, I think it's all rot and I could care-a-less if I'm here or not.  So who the hell wants to meet me in Vegas for Christmas Eve?  I could use some cash though.

I will go to Vegas with you!  You have to stake me, though.  I am lots of fun, so there is that to consider.

Holidays aren't as fun as they could be, I seem to be lacking in cheer.  I didn't decorate, not going to see my parents, and am really stressed.  Plus, I don't like Christmas music.

[Kzoo]

1 minute ago, Randomguy said:

Plus, I don't like Christmas music.

Why don't you like 'merica?

[Wilbur ★]

We moved 1800 miles away.  I miss my family daily but not at Christmas.

 

[Dottleshead ★]

1 minute ago, Wilbur said:

We moved 1800 miles away.  I miss my family daily but not at Christmas.

 

Did you settle on Toronto because of work?  Or...?

[Randomguy]

3 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Why don't you like 'merica?

It is just European Christmas music I don't like.

[Wilbur ★]

9 minutes ago, Dottles said:

Did you settle on Toronto because of work?  Or...?

Yes.  

[Dottleshead ★]

I would like to state that even with all it's dysfunction, I have had some very nice holidays with my family. And this Monday could turn out to be quite nice. It's these two days leading up to it.

[petitepedal ★]

My family had the typical or maybe not so typical share of holiday meltdowns and crap..but overall it was home...After my mom died I was the friend who had no family..who got invited to other peoples dysfunctional holidays..After a couple of years like that...I started saying "no thank you...I have plans"...actually I made someone invite me just so I could say no..and then told others "thank you, but I have been invited"...

We have holiday expectations..and most families have there share of issues..put the two together and you can have a shitstorm...or make sure you volunteer to run to the store..or take a walk or hide in the attic or basement with a book.

Merry Christmas peeps

[Page Turner]

...Christmas is supposed to be fucked up. That's why we have it when the days are the shortest and the nights are longest. This is not hard to understand unless you fall for all those Christmas movies on TV.

 

[Kirby]

I generally get along well with my sisters and enjoy their company. I like my niece and nephew too, although they're older now (the youngest just finished his masters), so they've got their own lives and are around less.   For the first time we're not having a big Christmas dinner on the 25th.  My Mom is older and really shouldn't go through the effort.  My sister will host, but her daughter isn't coming home till the night of the 25th, so we're celebrating on the 26th.  She's having a nice meal (and she cooks the big Thanksgiving dinner), but it's not the traditional meal.

But my wild sister and I think we need to do something for my Mom on Christmas day, so we need to come up with something.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Wilbur said:

We moved 1800 miles away.  I miss my family daily but not at Christmas.

 

I didn’t move far enough? still expected to show up at dysfunction junction.

[MickinMD ★]

When it comes to Christmas, I've become like Clive Swift's character "Richard Bucket" on the BBC show "Keeping Up Appearances." When asked why he married his bitch of a wife Hyacinth he answered, "It's like the army, you're told what to do buy you don't have to worry you forgot anything."

That's me during The Holidays.

[Ralphie ★]

All that really bothers me aboot Christmas is the excessive spending. 

- signed, Scrooged

[Longjohn ★]

I guess not growing up in a dysfunctional family I didn’t miss much. I had really cool in-laws, father-in-law died three years ago and MIL is in assisted living but my wife and I get along well with her two brothers and two sisters. Her elder brother has the best house to host the family so we get together there and we plan the meal together. I’m making desert again. My mom and dad and my sister are gone so all I have left is my brother. We get along well. 

My son that lives local will be joining us on Christmas at BIL’s with his amazing family. After dinner we will go to his house for the kids to open their presents. At 69 years of age Christmas doesn’t feel as exciting as when I was a kid or when my kids were little but it’s still a special time.

[Airehead]

_{I am really struggling this year}

[Dottleshead ★]

1 hour ago, MickinMD said:

When it comes to Christmas, I've become like Clive Swift's character "Richard Bucket" on the BBC show "Keeping Up Appearances." When asked why he married his bitch of a wife Hyacinth he answered, "It's like the army, you're told what to do buy you don't have to worry you forgot anything."

That's me during The Holidays.

OMG. This is funny. And accurate.

[Dottleshead ★]

20 minutes ago, Airehead said:

_{I am really struggling this year}

Excellent use of font size.

[BR46]

We have the normal family Christmas but I aways felt like the oddball that didn't fit in. After a few hours I'm ready to quietly slip away and do my own thing. 

[Page Turner]

2 hours ago, Kirby said:

I generally get along well with my sisters and enjoy their company. I like my niece and nephew too, although they're older now (the youngest just finished his masters), so they've got their own lives and are around less.   For the first time we're not having a big Christmas dinner on the 25th.  My Mom is older and really shouldn't go through the effort.  My sister will host, but her daughter isn't coming home till the night of the 25th, so we're celebrating on the 26th.  She's having a nice meal (and she cooks the big Thanksgiving dinner), but it's not the traditional meal.

But my wild sister and I think we need to do something for my Mom on Christmas day, so we need to come up with something.

...two words : road trip. Two more words: Las Vegas. 

[Page Turner]

1 hour ago, Airehead said:

_{I am really struggling this year}

...

[shootingstar]

I'm pretty certain myself, dearie or other family members wouldn't dream of escaping to ...Las Vegas for Christmas.

We've become so used to some sort of white Christmas or being in an environment where that MIGHT happen. Seriously none of us have escaped to tropical/hot /warm vacation spot for Christmas  --yet.

[team scooter]

My family borders on being intolerantly boring. But dont get me started on my wife's family. Alcohol plus her clan equals breaking up fights before someone gets hurt. A few of my wife's siblings I haven't even seen in 20 years, for good reason. One of which was her 4th brother who's an angry drunk always trying to start fist fights with everyone. My wifes pleading eyes has always saved him from being tossed in the sticker bush more than once. Any way, my son and my wife didn't tell me he was invited to my son and DIL's ten year wedding vow renewal last week until he showed up.  I told my son that I couldn't promise I won't drag him outside and beat him under the shade of the monorail if he got mouthy. He winked and said he understood and would gladly hold my drink and tux jacket.  

But long story not as long as it could be, 4th brother caught me down by the pier trying to amuse our grandson, and apologized for being so "abrasive" back in the day and has always regretted it. I guess everyone gets older and a little wiser. When we shook hands and turned back to the banquet room, there was a small crowd watching from the windows. Including my son waving a clothes hanger for my jacket, just in case. Turns out there's something to be said about all that happiest place on earth malarkey. 

[Ralphie ★]

3 hours ago, team scooter said:

My family borders on being intolerantly boring.

That is my fambly!