Welcome to my happily ever after...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
good times
I haven't been very good about keeping up my diary. It just seems so futile when I don't ever have anything to write about. Here goes:
Although I am not a big fan of the holidays, I must admit that things are flying by due to number of vacation days and early release days because of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, etc. I usually begin to dread the holidays sometime around September, and this year I finally began to analyze why exactly that is. I have come up with the following conclusions, starting with the most minor and moving up to the biggies.
1) Having worked in retail for so many years, I came to expect bitchy customers, extremely long hours, and the large crowds. This year when you are doing your Christmas shopping, take a little time to be nice to your salesclerk. They've probably been working 12 hour shifts. When you work in retail at the holidays, you spend so much time making sure that everyone else has a good holiday that you somewhat foresake your own. And don't even get me started about putting up those stupid Christmas trees in the store starting in August....
2) My birthday is smack in the middle of December. Growing up, it sucked whenever I wanted something and was told either "Wait for your birthday" or "Wait for Christmas" because no matter what, you were still waiting until December. That didn't do me much good when I wanted something in say, June....
In more current times, I dread my birthdays and do everything I can to make sure that no one around me makes a big deal of mine. This year, to make extra special effort to not be around for my birthday, I have taken my vacation time from work to ensure no one does anything for me. I just don't like it.
You know people who go out of their way to make sure people recognize their birthdays? Carlos is that way....heck, he even made me throw him a birthday party. On the flip side, when he asked what I want to do for my birthday this weekend, I told him I wanted to rent DVDs, order Chinese takeout, and lie around the house. Viva la difference!
3) The holidays just don't bring back fuzzy memories of roaring fires, hot chocolate, and good times. Instead, I remember fighting amongst family members, pouting, and being dragged under duress to my grandmother's house. My grandmother remarried when I was 12, and unfortunately she moved into her new husband's house. Well, after that, my sister and I weren't allowed to touch anything, watch TV, or do anything else for fear we might break something. So cut to 18 years later and even now at 30, I hate every single moment that I am there.
4) Finally, the last reason I don't like the holidays is because of my sister. She has always been a bit off center, and one of the worst holidays ever was when she threw the phone at my dad and we had to rush him to the emergency room to stitch up his head. Lovely, huh?
The cherry on top was in 1998 when she completely disassociated herself from my family because my mom and dad wouldn't pay for her to have a $75,000 wedding. So she got married without inviting any of us, and she never spoke to us again. Personally, I think it's a blessing that she doesn't talk to us, but I know that it absolutely kills my parents around this time of the year. And did I mention that her birthday was yesterday?
So there you go... a few reasons why it's not "the most wonderful time of the year" for me.
Good times. Good times.
9:04 a.m. - 2002-12-10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------