Spouse was bitchy all day.

When grandbabies came over for dessert, spouse went to bed. No loss. As soon as they were out the door, I kind of melted. No energy left. And every body part I have, aches.

If this is what age does to you, my New Year's resolution will be to head for Outer Darkness (yes, I have my admission letter, thank you) as soon as possible.

Thank GAWD Christmas won't be here for another year. Maybe I can work up some enthusiasm by then.

Happy Boxing Day for those who box.

I'm in S. California but Boxing Day seems important to continue the giving & sharing.

I plan to gift my neighbors some tangerines....

My Christmas motivated me.
I'm aging.........I have to plan my energy vs naps but I hope to have another 15 years left in me.

Hang in there
Don't let one bad day/one grouchy spouse keep you down.
KJ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/25/2014 10:52PM by kj.

I love Satsuma tangerines! Got any of those? I live in the Inland Empire. That wind so was damn cold yesterday. :( I want to get out in the yard today!

Christmas seems to create family proximity problems. Fortunately, the Santa Claustrophobia is temporary. Happy new Years.

LOL at "Santa Claustrophobia!!"

We really need to engrave your best lines on gold plates so they don't get lost and forgotten.

Yes! I suffered Santa Claustrophobia this year... nestled up with a bunch of family mormons for about 8 hours. I got to hear how mormons are so special, and the rest of humanity sucks. And watch the latest tabernacle choir Christmas church video.

Boxing Day is the day to recover from Christmas. I can't imagine trying to work the day after Christmas. It must mean that everyone has to head out the door fairly early, so that they can get to bed at a decent hour. And you clean up the mess left behind from the day before on Boxing Day. Working on Boxing Day. I just can't imagine it.

My Christmas was part good and part sucky. The bakery closed, so I had to run around town trying to find the gingerbread that I promised my friend.

We went out to see the Christmas lights, which was fun, but it was pouring rain and was crazy windy. But we did alright. I definitely didn't get enough sleep last night. I'm totally zonked out. I think I'll go to bed early tonight, which I rarely ever do. Like maybe right after I type this.

I had the yummiest banana pancakes for breakfast with my friend. She's my one remaining TBM friend. We had a really nice time.

My brother didn't come today, which upset my mother. We went out of our way to cook everything without flour, so that my celiac sister-in-law could enjoy her dinner. Instead, she'd begun drinking early in the morning, was yelling at my brother, calling him names and threatening him.

He called at the end of the night, sounding really depressed. She's passed out now. He says he'll leave her, but he never does. I'd love it if he meant it this time. She's destroying him and it's difficult to watch.

I concur. I'm so happy that it's done and over with for another year.

We had a wonderfully peaceful Christmas this year.

My wife and me and the dog.

No visitors.
No tree.
No gifts
No full credit cards
No radio blaring carols
Stayed home
Had steak for dinner
Watched an old movie about a horse

No hassle.
Ready to go to bed at 9.

Our Christmas was pleasant. Just 3 family members and I didn't have to do much. It doesn't seem like Christmas to me this year. Nice dinner, congenial conversations, decent movie.

I'm sorry the OP's went poorly. I've been there too with my family. It royally sucks when disfunctional families are virtually forced to be together out of protocol.

Do something fun tomorrow, even if you have to do it alone to be happy. Get enough rest too. That can make all the difference in one's attitude during the holidays.

PEACE.

I started my X-mas morning by watching this awesome documentary on Netflix - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-XfBb1Wn28 while eating some tasty egg nog french toast w/ sausage. Did a little yard work, watched a couple NBA games, had some great leftover lasagna for dinner, then went and saw "Unbroken".

No tree, no decorations to take down, no presents, nobody bothering me. Just me and my sweetie hanging out. I called my daughter in Utah to see how her and the grandkids were doing. On Saturday I am heading to San Diego with my two sons to root for USC (FIGHT ON!!) in the Holiday Bowl.

Not a bad holiday.

I played hide and seek and other games with my great-grandson.

MIL told teenage son that she'd wanted to get him his dream present, his dad said yes and I'd said no.

His face.

Wasn't true and don't know why she said it. 4 hours sleep and lots of tears.

Bah humbug.

Gee, I really hope that you confronted her. Publicly.

One Christmas, my husband called me on the phone, from another state, to tell me he was leaving me and the children, would not pay child support or alimony, didn't want to hear from us, didn't care what happened to the children. The children and I were up in a mountain cabin, waiting for him to join us, but he just left us there, snowed in, with power going on and off. I was from California, and I thought we all were going to freeze to death. It was very dramatic. My children were very young, and I didn't ruin their Christmas--and I never did tell them their father was leaving THEM, and not just me. They found out after 4 years of not hearing one word from him. I lived in the moment. We had paper, scissors, crayons, glue, tape, and made decorations. I had a few gifts and some canned food purchased before the storm. We hiked down the road to a Christmas tree farm, and bought a tree, and dragged it back up the hill. I got some firewood, and we had to snuggle in front of the fireplace a few nights. The kids remember that as a beautiful, old-fashioned picture-book Christmas.

Another bad Christmas was when my ex decided to fly our children to Las Vegas to spend Christmas with him and his nasty girlfriend. The children didn't want to go, because they were strangers, and the littlest one was afraid to go on the airplane. They were brave, and took care of each other. Dad and girlfriend dropped them off at the airport to come home, around noon, 3 hours before their flight was scheduled. Their flight was delayed because of snow in SLC, and they were alone at the airport until 3:00 am. The flight was bumpy, stormy, and most of the passengers were air sick. I had turned down invitations, thinking my children would be home, so I spent Christmas alone with my cats, worrying about my kids.

Only two bad Christmases, in a lifetime, is pretty good. This Christmas my children came over in the morning, having to travel less than a mile in 6 inches of beautiful fresh snow. One son and his wife skied over. We unwrapped presents, played with the toys and games, played in the show, shoveled the walkways, ate goodies, cheese, sausages, roast beef, shrimp, California oranges, ice cream snowballs, and chocolate all day--no bothering with a big dinner. The grandchildren who could walk got skis, and I sang Christmas carols to the baby, who liked that better than any of the toys. If I could have foreseen such a happy future for us all, the bad times wouldn't have been so upsetting.

Thanks for the great story!

Thanks for posting it.

P.S. Bah Humbug to the ex.

Hey. Please take a cyber hug from me.

And take a peek at this... http://thatschristmas.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/a-white-christmas-in-plymouth.html

They never have snow in Plymouth, Devon, so resorted to making their own!

Happy New Year, here's hoping better things are in store for you. ;o))

The part that I forgot to mention was that my sister is on life support in a distant state, and every time the phone rang, I nearly had a heart attack, thinking that my nephew was calling to give me The Bad News.

I mean, I know it's coming, and I will be grateful when it's over (her life has been Hell, and going downhill from there) but still - to get that news on a particularly horrible Christmas Day??

I slept for a good part of the day today. And boy, did I need it.

Worked all day yesterday... Got home around 3. Had to take a gift to my daughters house, hour over there and hour back. Stayed about 45 mins or so. Went to bed at 930 last night. Just another day for me

I've had several bad Christmases, but the worst was the one with my best friend's funeral on Christmas Eve, a few weeks after we'd also buried my Nana. I was 16.

Every Christmas I have now, I pause to think of that Christmas.

I do most of the work caring for my aging mum. Mum decided this year she wanted to host Xmas dinner in her small apartment. I was totally on board as we would be having the meal brought in by local restaurant and there would be only four of us dining. Still, I did all prep and clean-up. At 8pm on Xmas eve mum had half a dozen "special" requests to make the holiday extra special which would have required me going out shopping. I put my foot down and told her dinner was special enough and I was not about to go out at that time for last minute shopping especially since I'd been asking ALL WEEK if she had any special requests for the party !!!

Xmas was great but it was my nephew who saved my sanity by jumping in and helping with the clean-up. He's a real treasure.

My ex is over snow removal and decided to give his workers the day off and was gone most of the day. My boyfriend went to Colorado to spend the last day of Hanukkah with his kids and ski Christmas. My kids are 29 and did their own thing after opening gifts. I had worked very hard for at least a month before Christmas to cover all the bases and I just crashed.

I couldn't drive to Brigham to see my two brothers, which I usually do as there was too much snow through the canyon.

I hear you on the aches and pains. My body was protesting mightily after a stint of pre-Christmas cleaning and decorating.

My holiday was quiet and pleasant. Good meals with my family, pretty decorations, and lots of time reading in front of a roaring fire.

I'm sorry, that sucks! This year I told my parents we weren't coming because it would cost way too much. We live on the East Coast and flights are ridiculous. Not to mention getting work off, traveling with a 3 year old, etc, etc. We stayed home and slept in, made breakfast and relaxed. It was so nice and relaxing and was the first time we've been able to really spend our vacation together without all the chaos. Anyway, sorry yours was bad, hopefully you recover before next year!

Man, I'm glad you didn't get the call on Christmas Day. I just found out that a dear friend's brother passed on Christmas Day. There's never a good time to lose someone, but for some reason, Christmas Day always makes it even worse.

I'm sorry that you're on that watch. That's always a very stressful time.

Ten people. One was in the military too far from home. 3 were inlaws that just moved here from across the country. Everyone pitched and brought more food than we could possibly eat.

The best part was watching the 5 month old baby grand daughter eat christmas paper and try to sing with us. IMO Christmas is all about the little ones.

Me, the wife and dog in a Wyoming snowstorm. Prime Rib, Yorkshire Pudding, Gravy and sweet peas. Both fighting off a nasty flu that's going around. But we worked together and enjoyed it. We were in bed by 8:00.

Christmas didn't quite suck for me but I feel bad for my folks who both have bad colds. I don't think I have ever seen my dad this bad. He has been very confused and Mom and I think it is because the cold medicine he is taking is not mixing well with his medications that he is on for his Parkinson disease.

The only unwanted Christmas gift I got was the cold that my parents gave me.

No Mo daughter visited from college. Ex Mo wife's husband agreed to transport my younger Mo children to Mid West city 13 days before Christmas (started seeking commitment for visitation in October). Bought more expensive <14 day advance airline ticket for Mo grandparents that wanted to see grandchildren 'as Christmas present this year'. Notified 20 minutes before 10:00 am arrival time that penispriesthood holder step-father could not drive due to malignant hypertension (there are two other potential drivers in home, both women). No Mo daughter sent a scathing email regaring their lack of 'being honest in all your dealings' to step-father. I have joint legal custody. They never follow the divorce decree. Anytime I seek a legal modification, they make the other 6 kids suffer. It's a house of mind control and #3 ex Mo daughter was kicked out (3 months before High School graduation). She's a thinking Pre Med Junior now. Her apartment was robbed. We're heading back tomorrow to file a police report. On the way, we'll drop off gifts to the other 6 kids that didn't visit for court mandated visitation. It's such a cluster F__K. Again, they'll tell us both we've lost that light (C U L T mediated glassy, mind controlled look) in our eyes. Grandparents suffer, we're blocked again, and presents will arrive three days late, thanks to Smithmass. Oh, did I mention, that 24 yo daughter #1 changed her Surmane to step-father's name of 'Semon'? And there's more...