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donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

Just not feeling it this year

I just do not have that usual Christmas feeling yet. We have been to two parades, put up out outdoor lights, put up our tree and it still is not there. The girls are very excited, of course, and that really helps and I feel good for them.

I think I am done shopping, and I have only gone to one store. That was weeks ago. There is something about the busy stores that helps, I have not had that. Though, I am stopping at WalMart tonight to pick up a photo mug that I ordered online this morning (1ish hour pick up, $10!). It is just something missing.

In other news, my mother in law has been sick. They were on a cruise and trip for 3 weeks in November and she came back exhausted. She had a stroke 6 years ago before the girls were born so she gets tired much more easily now. She spent a week in bed. She also skipped a lot of her meds. They are certain now that she had another small stroke as a result. She has been on hospital and is now at Toronto Rehab recovering. She comes home on the weekend and will be coming to the girls Christmas Concert tomorrow night. My wife has been very busy with this for a few reasons:

1. She is a control freak and if she is not there is does not get done right

2. Her Dad is not good keeping track of things and is awaiting new hearing aids so cannot hear anyway. It is amazing how he is so brilliant at work (stock broker) but so disorganized in life.

3. Her brother is too shook up about it and not sure what he should do.

So, she had been there every day, many days all day, to take care of things. She did do a schedule this week and she did not go yesterday. Her mom is improving quite a bit, they have to determine what is different now compared to before this small stroke.

My wife is not currently working. If you recall she was laid off from Bell in 2011 and has only had a couple of contract positions since then. This is the second "austere" Christmas in a row for us.

So, all of this has put a damper on things. I have not put up our indoor lights yet. We normally do every window on two floors that face the street. I just have not felt like it.

I am also still at a job I took last year at this time as a temporary job. It is not as bad now as I thought, but still not what I want to be doing. Some days I come home and I need to go lay down for 15 minutes or so to just get more normal again.

One thing that is good, watching the Christmas specials with the girls. That helps to keep things moving.

Devanchya
Smile
Premium Member
join:2003-12-09
Ajax, ON

Devanchya

Premium Member

If it makes you feel better, I don't feel hugely "Christmasy" this year either, but to be honest ever since our son was born in December, the focus has moved to that instead of Christmas.

I am in much better Spirits mentally than I have been for years... the weather outside is just making me feel like I did back in California... "Is it really Christmas".

I'm hoping it gets better this week, but I'm starting to realize more and more it's about the family and the time with them when possible that's the important part of my life.

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

DKS to donoreo

to donoreo
When Christmas doesn't come, it feels weird. I know the feeling well. I have a bunch of family issues (mostly health related) bubbling away. It is not easy. I have found that if I take things as they come, it seems to go a lot better. I cut my wife slack. She does the same for me. Enjoying the kids is a good strategy. This year, all our kids are gone, for the first time, but our son and his wife will be joining us on Christmas Day.

LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

LazMan to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
I hear you - don't know if it's the weather, the 'odd' timing of Christmas this year, or what; but you're not alone in not feeling very Christmas-ey...

Same as you, outside lights are up, tree is up (did it last week because my wife's family came up for a very early Christmas dinner) - but just not feeling it. Haven't wrapped anything, although I think the shopping's pretty much done.

I've done my usual tradtions (I drive one of the trucks in the Santa Claus parade, and organized a breafast for the local fire fighter's association)...

Sorry to hear about your mother-in-law - it's a tough time of year to be ill... Like there's a good time, but you know what I mean.

It's the time of year where SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) can start to kick in, and the non-stop grey day's certainly aren't helping with that...

Enjoy the girls, try and see it through their eyes - I know the raw joy my little one has is enough to lift my spirts... That's what Christmas is really about anyways, not the lights, trees, gifts, whatever...

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

I know a good snowfall would certainly help. I may get the girls "helping" me on some inside lights tonight.

This week is worse too, I am bored silly at work so that does not help.

Juggernaut
Irreverent or irrelevant?
Premium Member
join:2006-09-05
Kelowna, BC

Juggernaut to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
I can't blame you, I'm in full "Bah! Humbug!" mode as well. I'm tired of the commercialism, and the greedy, pushy people. It honestly sounds like you've hit the post-Christmas blues early. Add to that the family things going on, and it become stressful very quickly.

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

HiVolt to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
said by donoreo:

I know a good snowfall would certainly help.

Indeed. I always enjoy fresh snow on Christmas, and it looks like its gonna be a few days of rain and not much else... Sure makes it all gloomy and gray and not fun at all.

ZZZZZZZ
Premium Member
join:2001-05-27
PARADISE

ZZZZZZZ to Juggernaut

Premium Member

to Juggernaut
quote:
I can't blame you, I'm in full "Bah! Humbug!" mode as well. I'm tired of the commercialism, and the greedy, pushy people.
At least you have snow and more on the way today..........happy shovelling.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

Crap, they cancelled our lunch today! We were going to have pizza today at work, they rescheduled it this morning, after I was already here. I would have brought my lunch. Grr.

Juggernaut
Irreverent or irrelevant?
Premium Member
join:2006-09-05
Kelowna, BC

Juggernaut to ZZZZZZZ

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to ZZZZZZZ
Just a few flakes falling right now, and maybe 1 mm on the truck. But, it's light snow because of the temp not the heavy, wet stuff like the other day.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

1 recommendation

Gone to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
The is the first Christmas I've "felt" in years, and I chalk it up to the fact that I now have a child to share it with.

Rifleman
Premium Member
join:2004-02-09
p1a

Rifleman to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
Not into it this year either. Sent the kid some cash and emailed everyone else a Merry Christmas.
It's 80 degrees here and planning to head to have dinner with my parents and friends about an hour and a half away.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo to Gone

Premium Member

to Gone
said by Gone:

The is the first Christmas I've "felt" in years, and I chalk it up to the fact that I now have a child to share it with.

That makes a big difference. It was just a couple of days before Christmas that we found out my wife was pregnant. For me, that brought back all sorts of memories from when I was young and what Christmas was like. I was so excited about those memories that were going to happen. Of course we had no idea that we were having twins.

They make Christmas different, that is for sure. The one year, they were 2 I think, the big hit was a last minute gift my mom picked up from the dollar store: snow shovels. The girls ran around all day with the shovels in one hand and a jingle bell ornament in the other.
Warez_Zealot
join:2006-04-19
Vancouver

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to donoreo
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said by donoreo:

I know a good snowfall would certainly help. I may get the girls "helping" me on some inside lights tonight.

This week is worse too, I am bored silly at work so that does not help.

Maybe these picks will help. I've woken up the past two days only to get a surprise. I had no idea it snowed like this in Vancouver.

On a side note, Google thinks you guys are depressed and have substance abuse!!!
said by google ads :
Treatment
ChopraTreatmentCenter.com
Addiction Recovery: Alcohol,Cocaine Program created by Deepak Chopra

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

Snow in Vancouver. That's so silly.
Warez_Zealot
join:2006-04-19
Vancouver

Warez_Zealot

Member

Funny thing is that the normally busy intrsection in front of my place is devoid of cars. No one has winter tires out here! lol

Juggernaut
Irreverent or irrelevant?
Premium Member
join:2006-09-05
Kelowna, BC

Juggernaut

Premium Member

Yea, I heard you guys got some snow, but am surprised you got that much. Cool!

That looks like the Kingsway in Burnaby?

I_H8_Spam
join:2004-03-10
St Catharines, ON

I_H8_Spam to Warez_Zealot

Member

to Warez_Zealot
said by Warez_Zealot:

Maybe these picks will help. I've woken up the past two days only to get a surprise. I had no idea it snowed like this in Vancouver.

On a side note, Google thinks you guys are depressed and have substance abuse!!!

Crazy small world, I lived 1/2 a block from that intersection years ago when I was attending BCIT.

creed3020
Premium Member
join:2006-04-26
Kitchener, ON

creed3020 to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
I agree with the OP. I was reflecting on my lunch walk that it doesn't feel like Christmas season what-so-ever to me.

I've done some things to prepare like others (lights, trees, gifts). I don't think it will really hit until we get some cold weather and snow. I'm just getting so tired of all this warm weather bs. Bring on the cold already. No wonder everyone is so sick with all these warmer days we keep having and not dressing properly.
vue666 (banned)
Let's make Canchat better!!!
join:2007-12-07

vue666 (banned) to DKS

Member

to DKS
said by DKS:

When Christmas doesn't come, it feels weird. I know the feeling well. I have a bunch of family issues (mostly health related) bubbling away. It is not easy. I have found that if I take things as they come, it seems to go a lot better. I cut my wife slack. She does the same for me. Enjoying the kids is a good strategy. This year, all our kids are gone, for the first time, but our son and his wife will be joining us on Christmas Day.

Sorry to hear about the health issues in your family... Two weeks ago my Uncle in Saint John, NB had a malignant tumour removed from his pancreas, they also removed his spleen and gall bladder. A week later his incision started to itch and became inflamed... He found out he now has cellulitis which can turn to flesh eating disease...

My cousin Kathy, named after my Mom is 36 year old school teacher. Last week she was having chest pains and was admitted into the hospital because she has a blood clot in her heart. She had invited my family to her place for Christmas supper...

Life sucks...

ZZZZZZZ
Premium Member
join:2001-05-27
PARADISE

ZZZZZZZ to Warez_Zealot

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to Warez_Zealot
Click for full size
quote:
I had no idea it snowed like this in Vancouver.
Ya it's pretty rare,my neighbor who's working out there can't believe it either....he's driving back tomorrow in this crap.

This just started an hour ago here.....supposed to get 5 cm.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
said by donoreo:

Snow in Vancouver. That's so silly.

I was gonna say. Snow in Vancouver? Well things are changing, it's late December and it's still warm outside.
Robrr
join:2008-04-19

Robrr to Warez_Zealot

Member

to Warez_Zealot
said by Warez_Zealot:

On a side note, Google thinks you guys are depressed...

said by google ads :
Treatment
ChopraTreatmentCenter.com
Addiction Recovery: Alcohol,Cocaine Program created by Deepak Chopra

Sadly all these pictures of snow are making me depressed. Snow has forever seemed to me to be a part of being Canadian but the absolute lack of snow here in Ontario makes me sad.

Toastertech
Premium Member
join:2003-01-05
Canada

Toastertech

Premium Member

Just a reminder that the lack of snow in Mississauga does not describe all of Ontario, , it snowed here at the end of October and has continued to do so. We are under another winter storm warning and expect upwards of 15 cm by sometime tomorrow. As for it not feeling like Christmas we are suffering that here also, can't seem to shake the dulls, just happy we had completed our shopping before the layoffs.
Warez_Zealot
join:2006-04-19
Vancouver

Warez_Zealot to I_H8_Spam

Member

to I_H8_Spam
said by I_H8_Spam:

said by Warez_Zealot:

Maybe these picks will help. I've woken up the past two days only to get a surprise. I had no idea it snowed like this in Vancouver.

On a side note, Google thinks you guys are depressed and have substance abuse!!!

Crazy small world, I lived 1/2 a block from that intersection years ago when I was attending BCIT.

Haha, nice. I think my bulding is like 90% BCIT students. To be honest, this is probably the most convenient area to live in.

LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

LazMan to Robrr

Premium Member

to Robrr
said by Robrr:

Sadly all these pictures of snow are making me depressed. Snow has forever seemed to me to be a part of being Canadian but the absolute lack of snow here in Ontario makes me sad.

Just got to pick your spots...

»www.theweathernetwork.co ··· ies/787/

Sadly, here in Ski country; there's not much skiing going on... Although, possibly some coming tomorrow and over the weekend... A White Christmas is possible, but not certain.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

Well, I felt better after the girls Christmas Concert last night. They were so excited about. My mother in law came and enjoyed it. The girls had so much fun.

My wife was sick over night, the kind that gives you lots of time to read in the small room in the house. That kept me up. I am glad I am off work today.

This morning we found out her great aunt (a very nice old lady, ends her day with a cosmo as she has for years) had a stroke last night. We do not have any more details.

Awww man. Timing on everything sucks. I was really looking forward to the end of the world today (Toronto may get 2 cm of snow, that is like the end of the world here).
zod5000
join:2003-10-21
Victoria, BC

zod5000 to donoreo

Member

to donoreo
I'm not feeling it either. It's mostly because I work in an industry where there are many year end time sensitive issues. Business picks up, everything slogs down, and people freak out.

You end up working full tilt then one day its xmas. It doesn't really let you feel the build up for Christmas

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

So late yesterday afternoon I went to get a few groceries. For some stupid reason I felt festive in the store. Maybe because I had got a lot of things done and cleaned up during the day. Maybe that allowed me to feel like it was Christmas

We are still not ready for Christmas, it takes so much effort to get things ready in the house. It takes a lot just to get ready to have anyone over! As you know we have been looking for a new house for almost 3 years now. Our current one has no storage space left so that makes cleaning up well hard to do. The idea of everything has a place and everything in that place gets halted at "has a place". We need more room.

Anyway, back to Christmas. I think the girls are going to bake cookies with grandma today. She is home until the night of the 26th. They do blood work and stuff in the early morning and they want to check her out. She usually makes about 5 or 6 different types of cookies for Christmas. There will not be as many.

Right now my wife is talking to her father on the phone. I just heard the "everything bad your children learn they learn from their fathers and grandfathers" line. We have to be good for something

FaxCap
join:2002-05-25
Surrey, BC

FaxCap to donoreo

Member

to donoreo
said by donoreo:

Snow in Vancouver.

Don't kid yourselves....it snows here! In my 65 years in this city I
have seen the snow 3 feet deep at least 4 times.

That storm the other day was weird. Areas like New Westminster had
8 inches....White Rock had zero....nada.....zip....yet New West is
maybe 8-10km away.

Warez_Zealot....what area was that picture taken?

FaxCap