Ok you grumpy aholes...how about we lighten things up, and let's hear about your xmas plans, favorite xmas story, best present, etc.
I love xmas. I had a "meh" relationship with xmas in my 20's but now with my young kids, it's just my favorite time of the year. I've become the Clark Griswold type that not only enjoys decorating my house, but having the most decorated house on the block. I never thought I would be that guy. We do the inside too, and I even got the wife to embrace the elf on the shelf. In case you're curious, his name is Rudolph (as named by the kids) J. Elfington, ESQ. I added the surname, and the ESQ...it just seemed more official that way.
Anyway...I'm particularly excited about this xmas. We're getting a dog. A little Samoyed puppy that I'm picking up on Thursday. We'll put the cute little bow on him and everything. I always wanted to do this for my kids, and it's almost surreal that we're able to do it this year.
My favorite or at least most memorable xmas moment came in 1984. I was 7 yo, and we had just moved to Austin, TX. It was just my Mom, myself, and my 2 older brothers. My Father isn't/wasn't a very good man. My Mother had left with us boys in the middle of the night earlier that year. We were living in Rock Springs, Wyoming at the time. (A quick aside...if you ever have just a short period to live, go to Rock Springs because everyday feels like a f&cking eternity!) Having nowhere else to go we drove back to New Orleans (where we had moved from) and stayed with friends until my Mom could figure out a plan. A few months later we moved to Austin. Needless to say, we had nothing. We literally had a couple of milk crates for my Mom's important papers, and one of those old cushions you could lean against. Oh...and a Datsun hatchback. We were sitting around talking about what we would ask for xmas. My Mom just wanted a coffee pot. Of course us boys wanted a tv. Shortly thereafter the doorbell rang, with 2 presents. I'm sure you can guess what they were. A coffee maker for my mom, and a tiny black and white TV for the boys. My Mom still contends to this day she doesn't know where those gifts came from. All I remember is the name tags were typed instead of handwritten. "To: Dana, Kyle, and Justin/ From: Santa"
I kept that TV well into the 90's when the antenna had broken off, and it had outlived it's usefulness.
Side note...I also remember that it snowed that year...in Austin of all places.
That's my story for the day. What ya' got?
I love xmas. I had a "meh" relationship with xmas in my 20's but now with my young kids, it's just my favorite time of the year. I've become the Clark Griswold type that not only enjoys decorating my house, but having the most decorated house on the block. I never thought I would be that guy. We do the inside too, and I even got the wife to embrace the elf on the shelf. In case you're curious, his name is Rudolph (as named by the kids) J. Elfington, ESQ. I added the surname, and the ESQ...it just seemed more official that way.
Anyway...I'm particularly excited about this xmas. We're getting a dog. A little Samoyed puppy that I'm picking up on Thursday. We'll put the cute little bow on him and everything. I always wanted to do this for my kids, and it's almost surreal that we're able to do it this year.
My favorite or at least most memorable xmas moment came in 1984. I was 7 yo, and we had just moved to Austin, TX. It was just my Mom, myself, and my 2 older brothers. My Father isn't/wasn't a very good man. My Mother had left with us boys in the middle of the night earlier that year. We were living in Rock Springs, Wyoming at the time. (A quick aside...if you ever have just a short period to live, go to Rock Springs because everyday feels like a f&cking eternity!) Having nowhere else to go we drove back to New Orleans (where we had moved from) and stayed with friends until my Mom could figure out a plan. A few months later we moved to Austin. Needless to say, we had nothing. We literally had a couple of milk crates for my Mom's important papers, and one of those old cushions you could lean against. Oh...and a Datsun hatchback. We were sitting around talking about what we would ask for xmas. My Mom just wanted a coffee pot. Of course us boys wanted a tv. Shortly thereafter the doorbell rang, with 2 presents. I'm sure you can guess what they were. A coffee maker for my mom, and a tiny black and white TV for the boys. My Mom still contends to this day she doesn't know where those gifts came from. All I remember is the name tags were typed instead of handwritten. "To: Dana, Kyle, and Justin/ From: Santa"
I kept that TV well into the 90's when the antenna had broken off, and it had outlived it's usefulness.
Side note...I also remember that it snowed that year...in Austin of all places.
That's my story for the day. What ya' got?
