Good nonexistent God how I hate holidays

[LeftyMom]

Does my sister have to cry every Thanksgiving, every Christmas, every last fucking Birthday? I'm sorry things aren't perfect and Mom's a flake and Dad would rather give her cash than go into a store and buy something she won't like anyhow, since she'll complain either way. This isn't TV. We're imperfect. Crying everytime somebody's late or her present isn't wrapped isn't going to make us be perfect. She's had 22 years to get used to the idea, but she's throwing yet another fucking temper tantrum.

I only spent $8 on her this year. I'm broke and she'll complain anyhow so I'm not taking food from my kid's mouth. Besides, this way I can afford enough beer to get me through her next two hours of pouting before she and her friends go to dinner.

Does anybody else have a relative who is beyond pleasing or did I really luck out on the sibling lottery?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. My grandmother is a vicious old bitch.

I'm serious. She is probably the nastiest, most bitter woman on the planet. My mom's brother threatened to sue me once and to have me arrested another time (both times for things I DID NOT DO).

My siblings are all okay though. Although, having a 13-year-old über fag for a stepbrother can be pretty damn annoying.

Holidays are pretty fun though, as I get to hang out with people like Porno Jim, and they even out the assholes.

[LeftyMom]

5. I meant to thank you a while back for linking his podcast

He's great!

In addition to my spoiled sister, have an aunt who thinks all AR people are terrorists. Luckily she lives an hour away and I still manage to see her about once a decade. Last time I was at her house she told me I'd get scoliosis if I didn't eat some meat. :eyes:

Oh, and my Mom's Mormon in-laws... I don't even know where to start with them. :rofl:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

10. A (rare) funny grandma & eating meat story.

Once I heard about how calves are raised for veal, I stopped eating it. I was about 10. Then, when I was about 14 (before I gave up other forms of meat), my grandmother tried to insist that the veal she made wasn't the veal I was thinking of. It actually came from "a special veal animal."

:rofl:

Anyway, it didn't work, but my HS friends and I still joke about the majestic veal animal that comes out of the Canadian wilderness once every ten years.

Edited to add:

You're welcome. :thumbsup:

[mainegreen]

2. Your post makes your sister cry!

My mom and her boyfriend Joop like to argue non stop. In dutch (a glottle language). Over stupid shit. Like exchange rates. For hours. While drinking.

x(

Everybody looses the family lotto.

:grouphug:

[LeftyMom]

6. You're probably right.

I had one really great relative. Okay, she was a chain smoking alcoholic with enough bitterness for a swiming pool of cheap beer, but bitterness and attidute are some of my favorite things. I can't handle the emoness though.

[jpgray]

3. I have no relative issues

I really lucked out, I guess. Everyone in my family is sane and gets along with one another. Ever since my parents divorced anyway. :D

[LeftyMom]

7. Well lucky you!

I haven't got any real parent issues. They quit speaking directly to each other almost 20 years ago. Best thing that ever happened to this family.

[chaska]

4. I really think that gift giving is an anachronism....

In the days when we didn't have access to almost literally tons of junk at our fingertips, when luxuries were rare and hard to come by, gifts meant something. Now they're more a burden than anything else. They just add to the mountains of crap we have to haul around, and they make us act all phony, pretending that we like something. I guess in that sense you should be grateful, at least your sister is honest about it.

We need better gifting strategies if we insist on maintaining this tradition/ritual. I think your dad's on the right track. Maybe giving a service or something consumable like food is a possibility ... not for you specifically LM, just trying to broaden the discussion a bit.

[bridgit]

8. well that sounds funky...

x(

[flvegan]

9. Knowing altogether too much of the backstory

I won't add to the posts here from these good folks. I'll simply say that I'm sorry shit is the way it is. Then, I'll add a pretty good quote from a pretty righteous dude (thanks, Bill & Ted):

"Life is suffering."
-buddha

It's a good damn thing that I wasn't chosen to be buddha or the Dalai frikkin Lama. I'd edit that little bit of insight...
"Life is suffering...deal with it, selfish human. Compare and contrast your WANT v. the NEEDs of others, then, you go ahead and get the fuck back to me. That's right, I said 'fuck' and as the most enlightened one, I can do so without caring about how you read into it. Yeah, fuck fuck fuckity fuck fuck."
-His Holiness flvegan

[LeftyMom]

11. Yeah, I know you've heard entirely too much of this story.

Don't worry, no new holidays until Thanksgiving, then it'll be the usual "are you sure you don't want some turkey?" crap. Yay me. Maybe I'll go eat someplace else this year. Like my car. :rofl: