Christmas 2024 -- thoughts

DAA said:

I'm a Christmasey Mother Effer. Myself.

Been shopping for the huge feast I'm going to prepare for my family, my in-laws and two sets of future in-laws, and wrapping presents all day so far today and just find myself alone and smiling for no particular reason. I'm especially looking forward to serving my dogs prime rib on Christmas day.

Get with the Holiday Spirit sad sacs!

- DAA

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Pile of parts said:

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mbryson said:

I live in a cul-de-sac... tempting

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DAA said:

I'm a Christmasey Mother Effer. Myself.

Been shopping for the huge feast I'm going to prepare for my family, my in-laws and two sets of future in-laws, and wrapping presents all day so far today and just find myself alone and smiling for no particular reason. I'm especially looking forward to serving my dogs prime rib on Christmas day.

Get with the Holiday Spirit sad sacs!

- DAA

Click to expand...

Pile of parts said:

I'm just trying to help your mood from your original post. 🎅

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Pike2350 said:

I went a step further and connected with Brian to get my neighbors a dumpster (idea from MBryson's post) to throw away their wrapping and boxes and whatever else they need.

Thanks @jeeper For delivering this today. We've been thanked by a lot of neighbors and have thrown shootouts online for you.

Added some meagar decorations to "wrap it" for the neighbors

View attachment 178701

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glockman said:

I would never have pegged you as a Christmas type.

Sidenote: don't Google pegging 🤣

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Pike2350 said:

I went a step further and connected with Brian to get my neighbors a dumpster (idea from MBryson's post) to throw away their wrapping and boxes and whatever else they need.

Thanks @jeeper For delivering this today. We've been thanked by a lot of neighbors and have thrown shootouts online for you.

Added some meagar decorations to "wrap it" for the neighbors

View attachment 178701

Click to expand...

jeeper said:

Absolutely love it! I had hoped to grab a wreath or something to put on it… But I didn’t. You made it look amazing.

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DAA said:

Thank you for the warning on pegging. I actually know what that is though. I've always, since I was a teenager, self identified as an atheist lesbian trapped in a Mormon mans body. I knew what pegging was before pegging was a thing. Still haven't ever done it though... I'm in a mans body, I don't need to.

I haven't always been the real Christmas type. Never really been a curmudgeon about it, but haven't always been into it, either. The last ten years or so though, Thanksgiving and Christmas have become my two favorite days of the year. I am not at all into the decorations or any of that bullcrap. That's just thankless work. I have always done the bare minimum of holiday decoration forced upon me of by my Wife and Children. When we had our house built, I had the Christmas light receptacles on the eves deleted. And the women have let up on it in recent years. Not much Christmas looking stuff in the house.

But it's one of two days a year I get to gather as many of the people I love, and the people they love, all together, at my house. For amazing meals and super laid back do whatever makes you feel good fun. I've been cooking most of the day today and will be again most of the day tomorrow. I spent over $500 on groceries for the meal I'll serve tomorrow. I enjoyed it all. A lot of the in-laws have told me many, many times that Thanksgiving and Christmas at my house are the best meals they have ever eaten in their lives. A now 19 year old niece and a now 32 year old niece both tell me that my mac and cheese is the single best thing they have ever eaten. The 32 year old niece lived with us for a couple years between 8 and 10 years old and is almost more like a daughter than a niece and is now an attorney practicing in Michigan, but she is flying in for Christmas day at my house. She flew in for Thanksgiving too. It's the only two days a year I get to see her anymore. My Son and his gay partner live in Massachusetts, but they are flying in for Christmas day at my house. I don't get to see them much anymore, but they come here for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My Wife's siblings hardly talk to each other all year. But they all come together for Thanksgiving and Christmas, at my house. They say it's for the food, and I think there is a lot of truth to that - I can cook like a mother effer and go all out for the holidays. But I think it's because it's the only two days a year they all get together anymore.

My Sisters and their kids and their kids, kids, won't miss Thanksgiving or Christmas, at my house if they can possibly help it.

My Son's, gay partner's, Mom, Sister and Brother, come to my house for the holidays. The Brother is quite Autistic. They tell me he has a real problem with touching people or being touched. Every time he walks into my house, or is about to leave, he gives me a huge bear hug. His Mom, Sister and Brother are mystified by it. They say they have never seen him do that before. It makes me almost tear up.

This year, we are adding my Daughters, boyfriends (small B), Mom and Dad. My Daughter is super stoked for them to experience what a real home cooked holiday meal is all about - she says their stuff is dry and cold, hahahaha!

And then there is the dogs. Besides my two, we always end up with Cindy's, Brother's Rottweiler and usually a nieces Blue Heeler and a nephews English Bulldog. I treat them all to the best meal any of them are going to get all year and when they run in through the front door it's joyous bedlam. It's a running joke with everyone, Cindy is constantly making the three big dogs go outside and I'm constantly letting them back in to run around and raise hell and everyone shouts "Uncle Dave let the dogs in!!" and everyone laughs about it. Even Cindy, most of the time...

We have strict LDS people, gay people, people of color, drinkers, smokers, pot smokers. And they are all absolutely welcome and free to chill and do whatever they want. I have areas for the smokers and drinkers and an area for the ones who are going to have to tell their Bishop what they did over the holidays.

Everyone has come to really appreciate that they are ALL WELCOME. And that they are ALL going to be FED like some of them never get fed any other time in their lives. And, the fact is, it's the only time they all get together. Based around my food, at my house. I take a lot of pride in that and it just makes me feel really good.

We have a full size ping pong table setup in the front room and the young people along with a couple of the not so young have a blast with that. We have a quiet area for anyone that just wants to get away from the hubbub. We have board games, card games, video games, football on TV.

The whole disparate but connected group ALWAYS leaves grateful and glad they came. And it only happens twice a year. I love it.

- DAA

Click to expand...

DAA said:

Thank you for the warning on pegging. I actually know what that is though. I've always, since I was a teenager, self identified as an atheist lesbian trapped in a Mormon mans body. I knew what pegging was before pegging was a thing. Still haven't ever done it though... I'm in a mans body, I don't need to.

I haven't always been the real Christmas type. Never really been a curmudgeon about it, but haven't always been into it, either. The last ten years or so though, Thanksgiving and Christmas have become my two favorite days of the year. I am not at all into the decorations or any of that bullcrap. That's just thankless work. I have always done the bare minimum of holiday decoration forced upon me of by my Wife and Children. When we had our house built, I had the Christmas light receptacles on the eves deleted. And the women have let up on it in recent years. Not much Christmas looking stuff in the house.

But it's one of two days a year I get to gather as many of the people I love, and the people they love, all together, at my house. For amazing meals and super laid back do whatever makes you feel good fun. I've been cooking most of the day today and will be again most of the day tomorrow. I spent over $500 on groceries for the meal I'll serve tomorrow. I enjoyed it all. A lot of the in-laws have told me many, many times that Thanksgiving and Christmas at my house are the best meals they have ever eaten in their lives. A now 19 year old niece and a now 32 year old niece both tell me that my mac and cheese is the single best thing they have ever eaten. The 32 year old niece lived with us for a couple years between 8 and 10 years old and is almost more like a daughter than a niece and is now an attorney practicing in Michigan, but she is flying in for Christmas day at my house. She flew in for Thanksgiving too. It's the only two days a year I get to see her anymore. My Son and his gay partner live in Massachusetts, but they are flying in for Christmas day at my house. I don't get to see them much anymore, but they come here for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My Wife's siblings hardly talk to each other all year. But they all come together for Thanksgiving and Christmas, at my house. They say it's for the food, and I think there is a lot of truth to that - I can cook like a mother effer and go all out for the holidays. But I think it's because it's the only two days a year they all get together anymore.

My Sisters and their kids and their kids, kids, won't miss Thanksgiving or Christmas, at my house if they can possibly help it.

My Son's, gay partner's, Mom, Sister and Brother, come to my house for the holidays. The Brother is quite Autistic. They tell me he has a real problem with touching people or being touched. Every time he walks into my house, or is about to leave, he gives me a huge bear hug. His Mom, Sister and Brother are mystified by it. They say they have never seen him do that before. It makes me almost tear up.

This year, we are adding my Daughters, boyfriends (small B), Mom and Dad. My Daughter is super stoked for them to experience what a real home cooked holiday meal is all about - she says their stuff is dry and cold, hahahaha!

And then there is the dogs. Besides my two, we always end up with Cindy's, Brother's Rottweiler and usually a nieces Blue Heeler and a nephews English Bulldog. I treat them all to the best meal any of them are going to get all year and when they run in through the front door it's joyous bedlam. It's a running joke with everyone, Cindy is constantly making the three big dogs go outside and I'm constantly letting them back in to run around and raise hell and everyone shouts "Uncle Dave let the dogs in!!" and everyone laughs about it. Even Cindy, most of the time...

We have strict LDS people, gay people, people of color, drinkers, smokers, pot smokers. And they are all absolutely welcome and free to chill and do whatever they want. I have areas for the smokers and drinkers and an area for the ones who are going to have to tell their Bishop what they did over the holidays.

Everyone has come to really appreciate that they are ALL WELCOME. And that they are ALL going to be FED like some of them never get fed any other time in their lives. And, the fact is, it's the only time they all get together. Based around my food, at my house. I take a lot of pride in that and it just makes me feel really good.

We have a full size ping pong table setup in the front room and the young people along with a couple of the not so young have a blast with that. We have a quiet area for anyone that just wants to get away from the hubbub. We have board games, card games, video games, football on TV.

The whole disparate but connected group ALWAYS leaves grateful and glad they came. And it only happens twice a year. I love it.

- DAA

Click to expand...