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Christmas Rant


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I missed all of the 'excitement' on Thanksgiving Day. Remember when the moderators were pulled from their feast to rein in the troublemakers?

 

For those that don't know: Apparantly, several forum regulars decided they would insult everyone else and derail threads and such to the point where several mods were left wondering 'why do I volunteer for this?'

 

Alas, I was not part of this happy day of horrors. I was a good little smurf. :mad:

 

Now that the next holiday is here and the moderators are away, is it time for forum heck II? (That heck is just for you Keystone)

 

I think not.

 

It's already 3:45 MST, and I haven't even seen the hint of such atrocities. For that, I would like to thank you all for your restraint. Even Mtn-Man was kind enough to suspend the Meter of Shame thread on this wonderful day.

 

Instead, I'd like to ask you all: What didn't you get for Christmas?

 

I didn't get a new GPSr. My old one is falling apart and the wife seems like she needs her own now anyway. I was going to buy one myself, but Oshman's didn't get any in even to cover their newpaper ad.

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I didn't get the winning lottery ticket. I didn't get the 400 horsepower turbocherged engine to drop into my car. I didn't get a brand new laptop computer, or the new Garmin everyone's been talking about. I didn't get a real kiss under the mistletoe from a beautiful girl. :D But otherwise, I had a great time with my family and friends, and have three more days off to enjoy. All together, a fantastic time. :mad: And, I might get a couple of finds before the weekend is over. :D

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The one thing I missed most, but knew I wouldn't get, is the thing that hurts the worst. For the first Christmas in all my life, I didn't get to spend time with my dad. He passed away in March from cancer. For as long as I can remember, I always got my dad one gift every year that he counted on. A box of chocolate covered cherries. Now that he's gone, and I have no one to replace him, I sigh a deep sigh, and perhaps even cry a little every time I think of him. He was the most influential person in my life, and my very best friend. Christmas has been very hard for me this year, as dad was very fond of continuing traditions. I carry a lot of the traditions he started, but will never be the same person I was a year ago.

 

My dad taught me respect, manners, chivalry, and confidence in myself. He was, by profession, a teacher, yet taught my siblings and I the knowledge we'd need for life. He did not teach as if we were students in a classroom, rather by example. I learned my work ethic from my dad. I learned woodworking from my dad. I learned what I know about mechanics from my dad. I got my sense of humor from my dad. I learned everything I need to know about life from my dad.

 

I taught my father what I could, when I could. We would have long discussions about our opinions of the world as a whole, or of our lives as individuals. Dad would have loved geocaching. He was a biology teacher and could tell you the scientific names of every plant, insect, animal, or piece of rock you could find. And, he could even tell you most of what you wanted to know about the stars and planets. His range and depth of knowledge far surpassed anyone I have ever known, and anyone I will ever know.

 

My mother, brothers, sister, friends, and wife have all noticed the change that has overcome me this holiday season. My dad is gone, and I will never be the same again.

 

That is what I didn't get for Christmas, and will never get again. But I carry my father's love and teaching and spirit with me in all things I do, everywhere I go, everything I say.

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My dad is gone, and I will never be the same again.

 

I hear you Sparky. My father passed away twenty years ago on Holloween. It took me ten years to start to participate in Holloween again. In some ways, my father had some Christmas traditions that passed with him as well.

 

I know your pain and loss, and it gets better with time. Thanks for sharing.

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Sparky, don't know if this will help, but it worked for me.

 

Every year I always got my father a small kitchen gadget. An egg slicer, cheese grater, something small. Just a gag gift but it meant something to him. My Father passed away in 94. Every year since then I send my mother the gift and on Christmas morning she leaves in on his headstone. The next time she goes there it is, of course, gone. I like to think that dad is using it to cook with where ever he is. I know it silly but it really helped me.

 

Michael

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For as long as I can remember, I always got my dad one gift every year that he counted on. A box of chocolate covered cherries.

Your dad sounds like he was a great guy.

 

Now you have me crying sitting here reading your story. dadgum you. :mad:

 

Go get that box of chocolate covered cherries and sit down with a nice glass of brandy. Enjoy a little of both. think about all the great times with your dad. Maybe that would be the best way to remember and honor someone that was so important to you. He is not really gone if you carry on his memory and the lessons he taught.

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Ani lost her grandfather this past Thanksgiving. It also happened to be her fathers birthday. I cannot imagine losing my father on my birthday. The entire family is having a tough time with it. We are all together and trying to make the best of it we can. I only knew pops for about 4 years, but he was without a doubt what your (Sparky) father was to you. A teacher and a mentor. One of those people that fills a room, whose presence you can't help but feel and appreciate. My deepest sympathies to you Sparky. Hope that you can have a Merry christmas and remember the great things about a great man.

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I didn't get any crappy presents this year! :D

All in all a remarkably happy day was had by all. We had a great meal with our family, I got to see my nieces from the coast. My youngest is entertaining developing his talent for cooking into becoming a professional chef, and made a turkey and an orange cheese cake both of which rocked. Church services were full of good music (including most of the old chestnut carols and lots of candles.) Overall, in the Court of Queen Mikki I, all were happy this year. A remarkable event indeed. I am going to set up a cache today and may well launch a travel bug in honor of yesterday.

 

My sympathies for El Diablo and all who couldn't be home. Been there and that sucks. Hope you all have a better New Year's.

 

Off to caching!

:D:D:mad:

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Well, I didnt' get to spend Christmas with Brittney and Jeffrey, my last two children. As a single dad with full custody I normally would have them here as it was my turn this Christmas to have them on Christmas day, then they go to their mom's the day after.

 

But, as fate would have it, their mother got very ill and had to be put in the hospital for about a week and got out a few days before Christmas. Being the softy that I am, I told her the kids could come see her for Christmas as they had been very worried about here and all. So, they are gone till January 5th. It has been a very unusual Christmas to say the least.

 

I didn't get to see my dad either, he passed away two years ago. I didn't get to spend time with my little brother, he passed away just over three years ago. My sister lives in Odessa, which is like, a million miles away from Houston, so didn't get to see her either. My two oldest sons, James and Marshall, are halfway around the world, one on a cruiser out of Pearl Harbor, the other on a submarine out of Guam. And my middle son, Joseph, who lives in Dallas with his mother wants nothing to do with me so I didn't see him either......

 

So I worked on Christmas Eve and had dinner with my mom on Christmas day. I took a long ride on my motorcycle yesterday morning just to relax and get out some.

 

It was just a very unusual Christmas....... :unsure:B)B)

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Christmas Eve OR Christmas Day off with my family. The morning of the 24th, we did the extended family thing, and had our personal family Christmas on the 25th, but having to rush in, take a shower and head off to work both days was tough. Added to the fact that on the 24th there were 2 fatal accidents, one being late enough in the evening (10PM) that by the time NOK was made it was going to be very early on the 25th. There was one on Christmas Day, but fortunately none on the consoles I was working.

 

I guess you could say I didn't get my Christmas Wish of not having any deaths on either of those 2 days. After my discovery on December 1st, I really wanted that to happen (or not, as the case may be).

 

I did have my family with me this year, since last year I let them fly out to visit family in Montana for the holidays (her parents and entire extended family), but I couldn't go due to work and the whole low-man-on-the-totem-pole thing.

 

All things considered, the greatest thing that happened on Christmas was total surprise for my wife and I with our gifts for one another.

 

[edit]

I also didn't get my H2 with the 26" chrome wheels and the Boomin' System, but hey. You can't have everything, right?

Edited by Brian - Team A.I.
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