Posts tagged holiday

My cousin Gerard posted on my Facebook, “If all you hypocrite Atheists would quit celebrating Christmas, it wouldn’t be so crazy out there at this time of the year. ” in response to a comment I made about the trampling and shoot-outs during Black Friday Christmas shopping.

First I laughed, and then I kinda got a little peeved. Just because sometime in past history various groups appended this day (or series of days) for their own cause it doesn’t mean that the current meaning is only theirs.

Christmas means family and giving and sharing and taking the time to show other people how you feel about them. It’s become the acceptable mass-birthday/Valentines Day/Thanksgiving rolled into one and everyone celebrates at the same time and you get time off work. My little family has managed to celebrate each other without having any religious influence at all.

I have an 8ft inflatable penguin and a 4ft inflatable reindeer outside my apartment and I have lights on the bushes. Because they’re pretty and because it’s the acceptable time of the year to do so. If I felt like doing my tree this year, I’d have that too because it’s a central place to hang memorabilia from my kids’ childhood and a convenient place to gather gifts. And it’s pretty. Santa has become or at least can be secular. Gift-giving is secular.

I don’t feel hypocritical at all. I’m pretty sure every religion has a claim to every part of Christmas decorations and celebrations, but as far as I’m concerned those quaint little stories are past history. Just like Halloween is about dressing up and getting candy, Christmas can be unreligified and available to everyone.

I had such a good time last year – except for the tense hour-long almost argument about abortion rights – that we’re all going back this year. Should be fun. Derek doesn’t want anyone to bring anything, but I’m bring pie. And Strongbow.

I like (almost) everyone in that family as long as it’s in short doses. They’re fun and funny and have a good time, but it’s chaos. Chaos upon chaos and a free-for-all with the kids. And I can only take so much tongue biting before I bite it off. The food is excellent, the music is my kind of music and Sherri usually spends most of the time hiding in her room so we get along okay.

Soory, I just don’t like that woman. Serious entitlement issues and a whiny voice. ‘Nuff said.

But it also means I don’t have to do anything for Thanksgiving. If you haven’t realized it by now I’m naturally lazy and I don’t like to cook. I’d go through the motions when the kids were younger and the family intact, but now I’d much rather let someone else do it. I’ll do the dishes.

Everything else is moving along normally. I’ve heard from Max, but the conversations are short and garbled so I don’t know anything specific.

After #evfn (East Valley Friday Night get-together in various places) CJ and her MIL and Crystal and I went to the ComedySpot and had a great time. One of the guys was nasty – as in Roto-Rooter nasty – but CJ’s friend Brian Bradley was hilarious. Excellent day.

Took Kira to a Sarah and Fletcher’s birthday party at BounceU and just about killed myself. Sarah and Fletcher are my friends CJ and Dan’s kids. They’re other podcasters that do a Star Trek couple cast and CJ is the MightyMommy on the Quick and Dirty Network.