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Bleh.

The bad news is that I miss being around to write more than just what I've promised, and that I've been too busy to take advantage of a very Christmas-heavy television schedule. The good news is that I have next week off and you'll be hearing a lot more from me than you have. I hope you think that's good news, at least.

Use this space to talk about some of the highlights and lowlights of your 2005 holiday season, because God knows I could sure use some people to live through vicariously this year. Advent's updated, Advert's not. You'll get two of those tomorrow.

Posted by Matt on 12/15/2005. E-mail me!

Discussion Thread: 126 comments

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The highlight–I’m graduating on Sunday from The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (I dare anyone to say they’ve heard of it–I went for an internship interview in March, and the interviewer told me he never heard of it–Bleh!) with my Communications degree. Another highlight–I’m going for a second job interview tomorrow since last week. I also gave my notice at my secretarial job, and my last day–I’m the master of convenience–is December 23rd.

The lowlight–I’m still waiting for my boyfriend’s Christmas present to arrive from Amazon.com. According to their damn website’s tracking number, its in transit, last seen in Jersey City, NJ on December 8th. Amazon.com’s customer service told me to wait until the end of the business day 12/15 (today) to email them so they can track it down. I just want a refund or a credit at this time–I’ll find the damn DVD somewhere else!! It’s not even a movie I liked–The Dukes of Hazzard. Bleh!

I’ve been using that word alot in this post-Bleh!

I was watching an SNL Christmas ep from 1986 last night–host William Shatner. Yuck–I hate Shatner. They didn’t even have a Christmas tree on the stage like they usually do! Blame Shatner! The Lost Ending of "It’s A Wonderful Life" cracks me up. Where else can you see people putting wrestling moves on a dummy that’s supposed to be Jon Lovitz? I swear, Dana Carvey, Dennis Miller, and Jan Hooks couldn’t have had better timing when they were hitting Lovitz’s dummy with bats. "Hark the herald angels sing…"

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 12/15/2005 8:25 AM

I really like where the advent calendar is going.

Highlight: As I mentioned in the thread about what I want for Christmas, my highlight is that my family’s traditional Christmas Eve party is going on in some manner.

Lowlights: My fiance’s mother jumped out of bed because in her dream someone pulled a gun on her and told her to get behind the couch, and in reality she broke her rib. Super-high on lovely narcotic painkillers the doctors gave her for the broken rib before sending her home to where she lives alone, she fell again once home, and broke her elbow and fractured part of her spine. She gets to spend Christmas either in the hospital, or if she’s recovered enough by then, the nursing home.

As if that’s not bad enough, this situation has brought a few things to light, one that she has been spending a lot of time with my fiance’s ex-wife and lying to him about it (ok, she "didn’t mention" that the wife of a man she introduced us to, a woman who she spends time with and who was going to take care of her while she recovered from the rib ALSO happens to be my fiance’s ex-wife, until AFTER my fiance offered to give the woman some money for her help with my fiance’s mother). Anyway, for obvious reasons, after finding this out, he has been trying to make sure he doesn’t have to see his ex, which makes him avoid his mother, which makes her make a tearful call from the hospital about how he doesn’t love her for not rushing to the emergency room once she broke her arm.

Because his mother is going to be in the hospital or nursing home for at least a month, we decided to take in her cat. We knew it had some problems, due to his mother really being a total fuck-up when it comes to taking care of anything (he fortunately had his father to do most of the taking care of him as a kid, not that his dad is a whole lot better). We had no idea how extensive the problems with the cat were, mostly due to her tendancy to go hide whenever anyone goes in the house. We assumed that like her previous cat, she would have a weight problem due to being fed all kinds of crap food (I swear that cat had been at least 50 pounds), and have the kidney problems, etc, associated with that. Last night in my home was the first I’ve gotten a real look at the cat, and it’s bad. She’s got something going on with her skin, which you can see because she doesn’t have any undercoat, she’s nearly bald. She walks as though there might be something wrong with her back or back legs. She isn’t particularly reactive or responsive, she just huddles and cries like a brain damaged child. We’re going to take her to a vet to see if there’s anything we can do for her. I will have the poor thing put down before I will ever let his mother take care of another living thing again, tho.

I’m finding it exceedingly hard to give a crap about his mother having to spend Christmas in the hospital, let me tell you, and I’m wrestling with my inability to be charitable to the old bat. I mean, after all, his ex-wife manages to be her "friend" (for money, which I wouldn’t take from her even if I needed it). I’m trying to suck it up about all my issues with the whole situation, my budding actual hatred of his mother (before it was simple dislike) and my feelings about his ex-wife and other issues about his past and our present and future that drags up, and just be there for him, and do as much as I can for him to make this whole thing a little better for him at least.

So, hospitals, ex-wives, upset soon-to-be-husbands, and neglected cats. Merry Christmas!

(and to think, in the "worst christmas" thread, I didn’t really have one that bad before! All I need to do is come down with some sort of evil cold/pneumonia like I did last month after I went to see my grandpa in the hospital- he’s doing a lot better!- from seeing that old bitch yesterday, and my Christmas will be complete!

Chestnuts roasted by mags @ 12/15/2005 8:29 AM

Just had a lovely evening last night – since I don’t see my dad, his wife and my half brother on Christmas we kind of had our own version of Christmas dinner last night. Burritos, guacamole and whatever you call it when you upturn a shot of tequila in beer, as well as watching A Christmas Story. It’s not very Christmassy or festive but it’s one of our traditions and I love it. Esp when my half brother cried at the department store santa in the movie, haha.
Lowlight = This weekend I go back home and stay at my sister’s, where there is no computer. I honestly don’t know how I’ll live without my adventy goodness.

Chestnuts roasted by Lizzy @ 12/15/2005 8:49 AM

Highlights- First, it’s a winter wonderland outside and I love it. Also, I get to go home to Seattle for Christmas, and to see my sister in Madison for New Years

Lowlights- I have to fly on a plane. I’m a bit of a control freak and flying scares me like nothing else. Also, I have yet to go to the Hollidazzle Parade in Minneapolis, which is pretty mech a tradition that I am slacking on.

Chestnuts roasted by kb @ 12/15/2005 8:52 AM

Highlights:
1. I spent yesterday strapped to the front of a firetruck attempting to stop a grass fire in 40 MPH wind, in waist-high bone-dry grass. Volunteer fire department FTW!

2. Since coming home, I’ve gotten to hang out with a couple of my friends that I haven’t seen since graduation, and at least four more are slated to show up before Christmas.

3. The local radio station, which previously played the worst kinds of sheepfucker country music, has switched to a new format that includes decent music. Also, it no longer signs off at 7 PM.

Lowlights:
1. My firetruck was being driven by Roy, who is both incompetent and insane. Also, I only had half my turnout gear, so most of my clothing was not, in fact, fireproof. Boo.

2. Two of my cousins are getting married (not to each other) and we get to drive between four and six hundred miles to each of the weddings. Weddings suck.

3. The weddings some more. Because I like symmetry and really, really deplore weddings.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 12/15/2005 8:54 AM

Highlights: Besides all the advent/advert fun… being done with finals today. Having friends I haven’t seen in year(s) come into Tulsa for the holidays. Getting my house to myself for the break (roommate is going home). The Bing Crosby/Perry Como 2-disc holiday CD I got for $7 yesterday. I know Wal-Mart is evil, but it’s just so damn cheap.

Lowlights: Working too many damn hours at my second job (retail sucks during the holidays). Having a final in 2 hours that I should be studying for now…

P.S. Erik–Hope things get better soon!

Chestnuts roasted by Rosella @ 12/15/2005 9:05 AM

Highlights and lowlights? I got some good ones so far.

Highlight – After shoveling snow for over an hour I decided to go stomping through the snow and make snow angels and the likes. Then I took pictures of myself completely covered in snow and ice. I went inside and on the news they asked the viewers to send in snow photos. So I e-mailed the one of myself covered in snow and they actually put it up on the news saying my name and city. I just about peed myself laughing.

Lowlights – I was Christmas shopping all afternoon and on the way home I stopped at the porn shop to pick up a new DVD. Next thing I know some guy is creeping next to me and I can hear him messing with his zipper. I didn’t dare look over. Then he waits for me in the parking lot and starts propositioning me. Even AFTER I told him I had a boyfriend.

Chestnuts roasted by Mystie @ 12/15/2005 9:14 AM

Highlights: Many holiday parties to attend and DJ with lots of new Christmas remixes, people digging on it and a little extra cash, plus a feeling of satisfaction that I have earned it when things finally settle down after this weekend.

Lowlights: Too many Xmas parties to attend and to DJ in snowy downtown hotels where they make you load in at an icey loading dock, through the kitchen, down ridiculously long and narrow hallways, to a tiny, slow service elevator, and there is no parking, and the speakers barely fit through the goddam door.

Chestnuts roasted by dj BC @ 12/15/2005 9:30 AM

OLLYOLLYOXENFREE = Gold

Highlights – All the snow falling from the sky. Having the most money I’ve ever had and buying lots of gifts for peoples. Shopping online.

Lowlights – losing my bumble. Real quick, since I was 6 or 7, each year my family buys a christmas related stuffed animal and we put them on display, we have amassed a rather large collection. 2 or 3 years ago I bougth a bumble that roars. This year he is missing, I have no idea why. Maybe Jesus got jealous.

I posted this in another blog, but if you click my name a nice christmas surprise is waiting for all. Donald and snowballs, thats all i’m saying.

Chestnuts roasted by Geoffinsanity @ 12/15/2005 9:31 AM

Matt, never fear. You know that we appreciate whatever you can do for us, and that we all understand. I hope you get to really relax on your vacation, because you deserve and need it. And today’s Advent is hands-down the best one so far. Love!

mags, man, that’s awful. My sympathies. I know what it’s like to have a "mother-in-law" (I say that in quotes because thankfully, I wasn’t dumb enough to marry the guy) who’s a heinous bitch. I hope things get better for you!

Lesse…
Highlights: Hm. Well, I was able to actually buy presents for my family this year, due to finally having a real job. I’m finally moving out of my parents’ house in January and moving in with my boyfriend. I finally got my dad to drag out the decorations from storage, so the house is starting to look Christmassy. Going to a Christmas party that my editor is having on Friday, should be fun. Looking forward to a nice Christmas bonus. My brother’s coming home from college this Friday, it’ll be nice to have him around again. And of course, having X-E around once again to keep me in Christmas cheer.

Lowlights: My damn computer blowing its motherboard. My parents having next to no money, making Christmas pretty uncertain– I don’t even know if I’ll be getting anything this year. My grandfather not being around for the holidays. Not being able to spend Christmas with my boyfriend. Work picking up and making me exhausted. Having to pack up everything I own in the span of about 3 weeks and not even being started yet. But really, nothing too terrible…yet.

Chestnuts roasted by Nicole @ 12/15/2005 9:36 AM

Highlights: School is over starting today for 3 weeks, Get to head back to Upstate New York in a 7 hour car ride with the bitchinest, most flabtabulous Christmas mp3 disc…. EVER.

Lowlights: The new 50th anniversary version of the Muppet Christmas Carol is Missing the song "When Love is Gone"… But only from the amazingly remastered widescreen version. Luckily the fullscreen is also on there, with the song.. but no remastering, and no widescreen. Ugggh… why can’t they do something right?! Also, I’m allergic to my house so going back there starts a sneezefest I could do without… But It’s Christmas! Merriness to all.

Chestnuts roasted by Mattman @ 12/15/2005 9:55 AM

Great day for the advent calandar. Mare is back!

Lowlights – I am working until the 23rd so I have almost no free time to bum and enjoy Christmas in all it’s gleaming glory. Also, I got married in May so this is the first year I will be forced to stay at the in-laws on Christmas day and will miss my family’s feast and the thrill of Santa delivering to my parents house.

Highlights – My Christmas bonus this year should cover the cost of a new i-pod and part of a digital cam I want.

Chestnuts roasted by Tigerfan @ 12/15/2005 10:01 AM

Rosella-

Another Tulsa reader!! I will be in Tulsa for Christmas this year also! Pretty cool that someone besides me in my old home town reads XE. Thought it was all New Jersey folks

Chestnuts roasted by Terror Claws Cole @ 12/15/2005 10:09 AM

Umm, did anyone notice the green tint to the home page pic of the latest Advent entry? AND the fact that Mare is winking?! Ha! Cute.

Chestnuts roasted by Ryane @ 12/15/2005 10:10 AM

mattman: I was hoping, now that the rights have reverted to Disney, that the days of oddly edited and incomplete Muppet releases was over…it’s unfortunate to see that’s not the case.

Chestnuts roasted by mtrox @ 12/15/2005 10:17 AM

I’m in Tulsa, too!

Chestnuts roasted by Amanda @ 12/15/2005 10:36 AM

I’ll do the bad stuff first so I can end on a high note:

Lowlights

1) I received the wrong order twice and all of my attempts to contact those people/companies has been futile. Add to that the fact that the Mr. and I are down to one income this Christmas and we just don’t have the money to lose on wrong presents. On that note…

2) A couple of months ago, I fried the firewire port on my camcorder and my friend’s camcorder (I won’t bore you with the long story.) So, we put their camera in the shop (run by incompetents) in October and my husband finally demanded it back (unfixed, though we’d paid $160 on it already for parts and labor when they told us it was fixed.) Now it’s on its way to Canon for repair. This is their son’s first Christmas, so they’re taking my camera and I’ll have nothing. I’m such a home video girl that thinking of not taping Christmas makes me want to cry.

3) Too much MIL. My sister-in-law had a baby that she gave up for adoption in October (also a downer for me this Christmas.) I generally try not to spend too much time with my mother-in-law, but she was here three times in October for things related to that. Then, we had to go see her in November because I’d been given tickets to a show in DC (where she lives) for my birthday. Then we were back for Thanksgiving. I can’t abide the thought of another visit with her so soon and I’ll be glad when January comes and I can be free for a while. She’s not a horrible person, but our personalities conflict and she thinks I’m weird for not being exactly like her (and has no problem telling me.)

4) We got overcharged for a tree that ended up being crooked. That’s another long story.

5)I ordered an electric hedge trimmer for my husband for Christmas, which Home Depot shipped in its shelf packaging (which got obliterated by the way). Then, UPS didn’t even ring the bell to let me know it was there, so when he got home it was just sitting there on the porch. Surprise ruined.

I think it’s definitely time for The Highlights

1) I got some good deals on eBay for my husband for Christmas. (The best? Unopened CSI Season 4 for $29.99)

2) I made our own Christmas cards this year with a collage of family Christmas pictures (old and new) on the front. I got some nice responses of how much that meant to some people to see those.

3) Lights on the house! My parents never did that when I was a kid.

4) The living room smells like pine and apple cinnamon candles. It’s so Christmasy.

5) THE BIGGEST! I get to spend Christmas day with my family (parents/grandparents/extended) for the first time since 2001. I’m so psyched I can’t even tell you!

6)Thanks to ABC’s 25 Days of Christmas, I have (or will end up having) 12 hours of Rankin-Bass specials on tape to warm every Christmas from here on out.

If anyone managed to make it through this whole list, thanks for reading.

Chestnuts roasted by Lori @ 12/15/2005 11:04 AM

Highlights for me:

I’ve got a job, so I can actually buy people Christmas presents! Which makes me happy. And I’m going to my boyfriend’s family’s house for winter break, and I get along with them a lot better than I do my own family. I forsee a very Merry Christmas heading my way.

Chestnuts roasted by Beth @ 12/15/2005 11:40 AM

Nice reunion in today (12/14)’s Advent calendar.

Dare we hope that Megamare will show up too?

Chestnuts roasted by Plainsman @ 12/15/2005 12:04 PM

I LOVE the Advent Calendars! I’ve been a fan since Mare first came into existance from the very first Advent Calendar. It’s something I look forward to, it’s a new tradition and I love it.

Your abilities as a writer really shine during it. What started as just a clever way to tell what you got each day from the Advent Calendar has become a story, with characters, humor, suspense and history. Sure the entire idea and concept is absurd, but I’m right there with Knacks and Kuse waiting for the next present and hoping they survive another year.

Chestnuts roasted by Tenchichan @ 12/15/2005 12:14 PM

highlights:

i haven’t read the calendar in a week so i have something to do this morning.

Chestnuts roasted by mongoose @ 12/15/2005 12:15 PM

A Chance to see my sister for the first time in two years. Worth more than anything

Chestnuts roasted by Zerohandle @ 12/15/2005 12:39 PM

Low: I’ve only had time to do a little bit of shopping so far.
High: http://www.rr.org/gallery/audio/rr/Linus_Lucy.mp3

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 12/15/2005 1:32 PM

Highlight: Definitely the advent calendar.

Lowlight: Everything that’s not the advent calendar. I’m just not feelin’ it this year. My mom died right before Halloween so all my favorite holidays have sucked this year. Next year, though, it will be better. I mean, it has to be. Right?

Ooh, another highlight I almost forgot: Artichokes for Christmas dinner! Yum!

Chestnuts roasted by violetdied @ 12/15/2005 2:14 PM

Hey Terror Claws Cole and Amanda–nice to know there are others stuck in Oklahoma here on X-E!

Chestnuts roasted by Rosella @ 12/15/2005 3:30 PM

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