The Ghosts of Christmas Past

We're in the Holiday season and frankly I'm a bit blue because of it. Since I don't anticipate a lot of posting in the coming weeks other than my Picture Of The Day posts, I thought I'd go into a bit of explanation for those who might wonder why I may seem a bit distant and why I'm not online a lot these days.

Christmas Eve 2000

Growing up we were in the lower middle class bracket. We lived on the second worse street of a pretty affluent town. While we did not want for for simple good food or clothes, though I often wore hand-me-downs, there were not a lot of luxuries because money was always tight. My Dad took a second full time job around the holidays, I found out years later, just so my parents could afford Christmas presents for my brother and I. Christmas as kid, then growing up before and after having my own kids, it was always something special, magical, and just the best of times.

Danielle, Scott, and Chris on Christmas Morning 2000

We started our own tradition with the kids for Christmas. Christmas Eve the three of them would get new pajamas and a Christmas book which we would read a story out of after they we in there new Jammie's before they went to bed.

Starting in 2000 for four years each Christmas I would make and give away on the internet a Christmas Screen Saver for the PC. These took months to create in my spare time. I watched Christmas specials in the middle of July off of video tape and in later years DVDs. I just really loved Christmas.

In fact I truly loved the Holiday season starting with Halloween and stretching through New Years. Since the divorce, it's just not been the same. I don't have the creative spark to do the Screen Savers. Thinking about doing it seems like such a massive effort and before it was effortless. The first holiday season was a real struggle to get through but that year and subsequent years I did my best to try and make the kids holidays happy and I found joy in their happiness. It really refined in me the spirit of giving, and I truly believe it is better to give than to receive. So, most years I've hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the kids, the X, and her parents, I give money to charities around the holidays as well which brings the holiday to others. This does make me feel good for those I am helping.

For me though this year, now that the kids are older and have less child-like joy with it, and even my daughter is distancing herself from us, there's not that much magic to be had as I really loved their love of it. Sometimes I think nowadays for them it's an occasion to get some gifts and not much else. January can't come soon enough.

Yes, I know, I'm like Charlie Brown; the only person who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Wow, A Charlie Brown Christmas! I love that cartoon! I used to watch that special every year with my brother since it first aired until we moved to Michigan. I watch it every year though.

Anyway, thanks for listening.

A Wallmart Moment! and this past weekend

Danielle came home from school sick Friday with a nasty cough, sneezing, headache, etc. I medicated her her with OTC medicine and by Sunday she was feeling much better.

We awoke yesterday morning to half a foot of snow, the first real snow of the season. As Scott's girlfriend was picking him up at noon, I went out to start the snow blower. That sucker just did not want to start, and it has never given me a bit of trouble before, even the first start of previous 2 winters has just been "add gas, prime, pull starter maximum of two times". After the third yank of the cord with nary a sound of engine catching at all, I got my long extension cord out and plugged in the electric starter. It took many primes and many applications of the starter before the snow blower roared into life, and it ran very smoothly after a few seconds. HOWEVER the drive refused to engage and the wheels would not turn at all as they normal do if you have not engaged the drive. Engaging the drive caused the engine to rev down a bit as it normally did but no wheels moving. After fidgeting around for a few minutes and doing nothing to really remedy the problem it started working and I was able to do the whole property without a mishap! Go figure!

I am having a rare good Monday as I have it off under GE's vacation "USE IT OR LOSE IT" policy. In the past before we were bought by GE at Smiths, you could roll unused vacation days over for a year, but not with GE. So, I have today off, half a day Thursday PM, and Friday off this week, though I have to work Christmas eve on Monday since too many of my people took it off already. As I had today off, I drove Scott and Danielle to school which they really enjoy. I plan on doing that Friday as well. After I dropped them off I headed to Walmart figuring to beat the holiday crowds which I did.

I had a really good Walmart moment! To me shopping at Walmart is a bit on the trailer park type shopping, there's always lots of stuff, and good deals, yet it all seems to be very disorganized and the folks int he store don't seem to waste time on any pleasantries with you. They are not rude, but they do not go out of their way being overly friendly, at least not at the Walmart by me. The cashier this morning though was a delightful exception, being very pleasant and giving me a very nice smile. I digress though....

My brother and I grew up watching A Charlie Brown Christmas ever since I was released. When we moved out of our parents house we then got into the habit of watching it together. This of course stopped when I moved my family to Michigan. I misplaced my DVD of this classic and really wanted to get a replacement.

Well, on Amazon, the DVD 23 bucks, and the collection of the three holiday episodes is 45! Imagine my surprise when I found the 3 DVD collection at Walmart brand new for 19 bucks! Needless to say I snagged it right up! I also picked up some Christmas wrapping paper, bows, boxes, etc. I stopped at Forest Hills Foods on the way home for a few necessary supplies, such as more food for Tails.

So, that was the high point of my day. I came home, did some work email, rode the exercise bike, got cleaned up, and after lunch I think I will head to Lowes and get one of those plastic sheet things for the bathroom window which is the oldest window in my house, you can literally feel the cold air coming in many places around it.