Anybody not in the mood for christmas?

[Evo]

I can't do this though. Everyone in my family says it's a selfish thing to do without realizing the irony in their statements. So I'm pretty much forced into celebrating it because I'll hurt everyones precious feelings if I don't.

Being an atheist is a hard life to live.

That's too bad. I think that is one of the biggest mistakes some families make is to "force" everyone into being together if they'd rather not. I know many of my friends pretend to be out of town and hide from their families just to avoid them. It comes from years of being forced to spend "quality" time together as a family. If time together has to be forced, it's not healthy.

 

[LightbulbSun]

That's too bad. I think that is one of the biggest mistakes some families make is to "force" everyone into being together if they'd rather not. I know many of my friends pretend to be out of town and hide from their families just to avoid them. It comes from years of being forced to spend "quality" time together as a family. If time together has to be forced, it's not healthy.

Most of my family doesn't even bother to travel for Christmas anymore either so it's pretty much the same people I see every day of the year.

 

[Moonbear]

I can't do this though. Everyone in my family says it's a selfish thing to do without realizing the irony in their statements. So I'm pretty much forced into celebrating it because I'll hurt everyones precious feelings if I don't.

Being an atheist is a hard life to live.

Sorry they force you into doing something you don't want to do. I don't join my family for any of the religious parts (i.e., if they go to church, I stay home), but I still enjoy the non-religious parts...spoiling the nephew with presents, singing Christmas carols, baking cookies, etc. Then again, since none of them will travel in winter and expect me to always visit them, I just put my foot down eventually and one year told them I wasn't visiting. So, now I visit every other year and tell them if they want to see me the alternating years, they can do the traveling, otherwise, I'll enjoy the holiday with local friends, which is usually what I do. It's even better now that I have a cat...she's a great excuse, "Oh, yeah, I really want to come out, but I can't find a cat sitter, and she's so scared of the dogs, it would be cruel to take her with me."

When I do visit, I find other people to visit in the area while there so I only have to spend a day or two with the relatives. It keeps me sane enough to enjoy the holiday.

So, you might want to try borrowing a few tricks from my book to get through the holidays with your sanity intact. If you just look at it as a mostly secular festival, it's a lot easier to enjoy.

 

[rewebster]

I think my 'cold' settled into an inner ear/Eustachian tube/throat infection--which I haven't had since a kid, and what I remember it lasts for a long time. I think this it where the headaches are coming from. I really don't like taking meds, so hot soups, hot drinks, hot showers,--I going for hot ---including curling up in a fetal position under the blankets.---

 

[Evo]

I think my 'cold' settled into an inner ear/Eustachian tube/throat infection--which I haven't had since a kid, and what I remember it lasts for a long time. I think this it where the headaches are coming from. I really don't like taking meds, so hot soups, hot drinks, hot showers,--I going for hot ---including curling up in a fetal position under the blankets.---

Did you go to the doctor? You should get something if it's bacterial.

 

[Moonbear]

Did you go to the doctor? You should get something if it's bacterial.

And if it's moving into your ear, that's very possible. Maybe not the flu at all.

 

[Astronuc]

I think my 'cold' settled into an inner ear/Eustachian tube/throat infection--which I haven't had since a kid, and what I remember it lasts for a long time. I think this it where the headaches are coming from. I really don't like taking meds, so hot soups, hot drinks, hot showers,--I going for hot ---including curling up in a fetal position under the blankets.---

If it's gone on for more than a few days, then go see a doctor as Evo and Moonbear recommended. It could be a secondary infection, e.g. streptococcal infection. Sounds like it's already moved into the ear.

One needs to take aspirin or ibuprofen to keep fever down.

 

[G01]

Christmas is at my house this year and I'm dreading it. Usually I like to escape back to my house when I get sick of all the people. What am I supposed to do now?

Ehh. I'm not the Holiday person this year anyway. My friends and I have this project. We are building an Scanning-Tunneling Microscope, and I much rather be in the lab doing that than be at a christmas party. I know I'm going to turn into a Scrooge...o well.

 

[Evo]

Christmas is at my house this year and I'm dreading it. Usually I like to escape back to my house when I get sick of all the people. What am I supposed to do now?

Get the flu? Have an emergency during the party and get called away, once everyone leaves, wait a bit then go back home.

 

[G01]

Get the flu? Have an emergency during the party and get called away, once everyone leaves, wait a bit then go back home.

You don't think that purposely getting an illness to get out of a party isn't a sign of some mental problem?

 

[Evo]

You don't think that purposely getting an illness to get out of a party isn't a sign of some mental problem?

You don't actually want to get sick, just pretend.

I'm going to have to get sick in a few days to avoid going to another "work" Christmas party. It's going to be way up north of the city, and it's what amounts to an upscale Chuck E Cheese (not that it takes much to be upscale to the Chuck). It's a family food and fun place, which means mediocre food and screaming kids running around. I've been there before and I'd rather shove bamboo under my fingernails.

 

[G01]

You don't actually want to get sick, just pretend.

*cough* *cough* I think I'm actually coming down with something here Evo. I don't need to pretend. *cough* *cough*

*cough* O no... I think it's that Plague that's been going around. I'm not going to be able to make it to the Christmas party. Darn...

 

[Evo]

*cough* *cough* I think I'm actually coming down with something here Evo. I don't need to pretend. *cough* *cough*

*cough* O no... I think it's that Plague that's been going around. I'm not going to be able to make it to the Christmas party. Darn...

See, I knew it!

 

[G01]

I'm going to have to get sick in a few days to avoid going to another "work" Christmas party. It's going to be way up north of the city, and it's what amounts to an upscale Chuck E Cheese (not that it takes much to be upscale to the Chuck). It's a family food and fun place, which means mediocre food and screaming kids running around. I've been there before and I'd rather shove bamboo under my fingernails.

*cough* cough*

O crap Evo. I just coughed near you. Looks like you have the Plague now as well. O well. Your going to have to miss that wonderful work christmas party...o darn...

 

[Evo]

*cough* cough*

O crap Evo. I just coughed near you. Looks like you have the Plague now as well. O well. Your going to have to miss that wonderful work christmas party...o darn...

*cough* *cough* Oh no! *cough*

 

[scorpa]

I'm not usually a christmas party person...or christmas person in general really but my class had a christmas party and to liven things up the person hosting it rented dance dance revolution for playstation! Now that was fun. First christmas party I've been to that hasn't sucked. It was the greatest party ever.

 

[J77]

I bought a tree today, it's resting on the balcony...

 

[jim mcnamara]

- Christmas is the season where most people spend the most money. In Europe and The United States, we are talking maybe thousands of billion of dollars.
- Suicide rates and depression increase manifold during the Christmas.
- Christmas makes people get more loans to pay for it.
- Business loose income and productivity over Christmas.

Is it really worth it?

Gee, are you one of those people who hate holidays? Even so-called "primitive people" are smart enough to have several fun festivals every year. It's largely Americans that make a profession of hating this stuff. IMO.

 

[LightbulbSun]

Gee, are you one of those people who hate holidays? Even so-called "primitive people" are smart enough to have several fun festivals every year. It's largely Americans that make a profession of hating this stuff. IMO.

There's only a few festive holidays: christmas, thanksgiving, easter and labor day. Should we love all the holidays? What about Columbus Day? Would I be a big old grump if I hated that day?

 

[Huckleberry]

I'm surprised I got two cards this year. I wish people would stop sending these things and just call and say what's up. I don't want any cards or gifts, and I don't want to send them. I only tolerate it because I'm sure they get some sense of relief for including me. Why won't they let me eat my ramen in peace!

Bah Humbug!

 

[Mk]

I don't really like festivities, and don't really like getting cards. Jeez. It seems silly and immature to me, and every year I am astounded to the fact that we, after thousands of years, the most developed humans still have an annual winter rituals and celebrations to the sun god.

 

[Moridin]

Gee, are you one of those people who hate holidays? Even so-called "primitive people" are smart enough to have several fun festivals every year. It's largely Americans that make a profession of hating this stuff. IMO.

If you are prepared for the sacrifice of human lives, productivity, accumulation of debt and so on then I see no problem with it. Happy holidays.

 

[G01]

Well I'm slowly getting into the Christmas spirit, at least a tiny bit:

<-----------------------

Still not looking forward to the party though!

 

[arunma]

I think this holiday is over-the-top and hyped up by the media way too much. To me , christmas is just another excused to waste money on useless items that you will probably replaced the next time christmas comes around! To me christmas is no more different than Valentine's day : There all just another excuse to boost the economy. Not that I'm against practicing capitalism. But please see this holiday for what it is and its certainly not magical . There isn't anything magical about it capitalism at its peak. I The only people who will enjoy christmas the most are people under twelve. College students will also enjoy christmas the most because they get a month off to stray away from school for awhile to relax. I don't understand why people over 25 who don't have any children enjoy this holiday so much. You can be around family anytime of the year . In fact, I don't think I want to be around a lot of people in the winter; I want to stay in bed for awhile and not talk to anybody until their isn't an inch of snow left on the ground.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Christmas has more or less been an orgy of capitalism for the past fifty or so years, hasn't it? If it makes you feel better, I don't do much for Christmas either. I only observe the religious aspects of Christmas, but as someone who is already pretty active in the church, this isn't much of a departure from the norm for me. The upside: I didn't have to get up early on Black Friday!

I think I'm one of those danged Puritan that Jim Mcnamara alluded to.

I thought the "Festival of Lights" was a Jewish tradition.

I think you may be thinking about Diwali, the Indian Festival of Light.

 

[J77]

Overnight, it's turned into a winter wonderland in Amsterdam.

Frost on all the trees, small canals frozen over... proper brass monkeys weather

Will decorate the tree later. Have the feeling it will snow...

 

[kewlpseudonym]

I think this holiday is over-the-top and hyped up by the media way too much. To me , christmas is just another excused to waste money on useless items that you will probably replaced the next time christmas comes around! To me christmas is no more different than Valentine's day : There all just another excuse to boost the economy. Not that I'm against practicing capitalism. But please see this holiday for what it is and its certainly not magical . There isn't anything magical about it capitalism at its peak. I The only people who will enjoy christmas the most are people under twelve. College students will also enjoy christmas the most because they get a month off to stray away from school for awhile to relax. I don't understand why people over 25 who don't have any children enjoy this holiday so much. You can be around family anytime of the year . In fact, I don't think I want to be around a lot of people in the winter; I want to stay in bed for awhile and not talk to anybody until their isn't an inch of snow left on the ground.

i NEVER used to like christmas, because people hustle and bustle around getting useless ornate objects and my under-privileged family couldn't afford much... but i liked the blinky lights on the christmas tree and i loved sneaking in the gifts or trying to find where my mom might have hid them... i joined the military reluctantly [still hating it] and now I am clear across the country longing to be home just for the taste of yummy cookies and putting the angel on the tip of the tree. I am working christmas, just like i work thanksgiving and they want me slaving away on new years too. i would kill for the holiday spirit. enjoy what you got, even if its a phoney christmas card with no money inside and signed "love somebody" inside because its better than being away from anyone and everyone and working on a day people normally have off.