The Fly-By Happy Holidays Thread

[February]

Stop in, give an update on where you've been and how you're doing and share seasonal best wishes...

I'm still working on getting better. Several setbacks, taking forever to heal, still waiting to see another specialist at the U in mid January.

Holidays are blue here this year- those of you who know me will understand why when I say that my teenage daughter has decided this year not to celebrate them any more. Her birthday is this month too- so it's very hard. Trying to adjust and trying to just remind her that I love her no matter what path she chooses.

Trying not to think about the fact that in a few years if she continues on this one, she won't be 'allowed' to talk to me anymore...

So, tell me about your holidays. Happy times, visiting relatives making you glad/making you crazy? I want to know.

Hope 2011 brings much health, happiness and joy to all my SGT buddies.

xoxo
bru

PS GaTechGal, I just realized I STILL owe you a painting file...so sorry! I'm still trying to get to doing the one of Main Street on the same scale. Hopefully this week.

[hobie16]

Ho ho ho, yo yo yo!

The holiday season has been busy with parties, part time neighbors coming back for a few months, and more visitors (tourists) arriving than the last few years.

My wife is taking me out to I'O for dinner tonight for my birthday. She gave me two pencil drawings of the wild doggie below. One is a life like drawing. The other is a caricature. Both are pretty cool.

A friend from the Army and his wife are stopping by for the day on the 28th. We haven't seen them in over ten years. We'll give them the grand tour starting with breakfast at the Plantation Course club house. It's got 100 mile views. Hopefully it won't be raining.

How old is your daughter Feb? Do you think this is a phase or is she really locked in?

[Zazu]

Not much celebration at Chez Zazu.

Learning Lilo at one job. On the other, trying to get out a magazine, hire a new web site, and plan next summer's convention during the week that nobody answers their phone (sober). Oh, and cleaning up after my incontinent 20-year-old cat Oliver. <sigh> After four years without, we again have room for a tree, but no time. At least I should have time to prepare my famous roast duck this year. (No, not Donald. He deserves a different sort of roasting.)

Lots of grand plans for next year though!

[February]

Hey, happy birthday hobie! *huge hugs* Many, many more...

Sounds like you've been entertained and entertaining, and that's awesome. Love to hear this stuff. Have fun and stay safe!

I bet the drawings are amazing- I just recently tried my hand at painting dogs for the first time (am getting better...at least now they look something like dogs) and painted a portrait of our cat this week that I actually didn't hate (and he seemed to really love...)will have to put up some pics.

My daughter is turning fifteen, and she's been in the process of 'converting' for about a year now but this is the belief system she's been exposed to all of her life at her father's house so this has pretty much been what I've been worried about her whole lifetime.

I wish I could say I thought it was a phase but I was raised in the same environment- and I don't think it is. So I'm just taking it a day at a time, but I knew the holidays would be really tough (especially the first time).

Zazu, sounds like you need an extinguisher to put out all those fires! Big hugs to you and SWMBO. Came across my map of AK lodge the other day, and always smile thinking of you two!

hugs
bru

[Lasolimu]

Holy wall of text Batman!!

Hmm, where to start...there's so much and most of it this month has been hell...

Well, on top of the standard winter blues I have a tendency to get I was informed a couple of weeks ago that I'm going to be laid off...at the end of March(I know, being told 4 months in advance is odd and I still can't figure it out). This is because they are, apparently, cutting part time test positions and don't want to give me a full time position even though I've been trying to get one for a year and a half now. I'm trying to use this as an opportunity to figure out what I really want to do with my life, but I'm not sure that this is enough time. It's a good thing I'm still living with my parents, that's a little less I have to worry about.

This leads into point two, I'm contemplating going back to school. There are a lot of people going into Computer Science making the job market over saturated with employees with not nearly enough jobs for all of them being created. I'm thinking of getting my Masters in Electrical Engineering which would give me a much wider selection of job prospects. I was hoping to have my student loans paid off in 2011 and move out of Utah in 2012, but I will have to put these plans on hold for now and see where I go.

I also have a boyfriend now, it's kind of had a bumpy start; not with friends or family, but there may be an issue with his family in the future as they don't know about him yet, but mine hasn't had any problems. When we first hooked up I wasn't really ready for this kind of relationship which is what lead to the bumps. He's from Oregon and came to Utah for school, he's currently back home for the holidays though.

For those that are interested, I finally have my wold/dragon hybrid costume ordered and have made the down payment. I was just about to go pay it off before I started typing this, now I will do it after. The scheduled completion date is the end of July 2011, but I'm hoping that if I get it paid off now, that if someone can't follow through with their payments I may get bumped up and get it earlier.

As for Christmas itself, I'm just spending it with my family. I ordered everyone's Christmas presents on December 5th and was really happy to be done with it, but then I got the package from the Disney store where I got several Tinkerbell ornaments for my Mom. One of them was limited edition and was sold out when they went to pack up my order so I got to try and find something to replace it. She always asks for lists from everyone but never provides one herself so I got to spend the weekend thinking of something to get her with nothing to go in. She just so happened to point at something random that was the right price to my Dad and he told me about it so she is getting that. I'm still waiting on my Dad's present, but I have a back up plan. I got him a silver membership for D23 and the stuff hasn't arrived yet, I was sent an email about that specifically shipping yesterday so it's still possible to get here. If it doesn't I have printed up the information on it so I can put that in a card for him.

Well, I suppose that's the major stuff, it's been a long month and I'm really ready for it to be over.

[dazyhill]

Well I just came back last Friday from a fantastic cruise through New Zealand and Australia. Those two countries are beautiful and I hope someday to go back and see both countries in depth.
Unfortunately my mom came down with a bad strep throat infection and has been sick ever since. She's pretty miserable now.
We normally have the house decorated, but it hasn't happened and doesn't look like it will. This will be the first Christmas our family hasn't decorated.
Still, at least we have a house and each other. The rain in CA has been bad, but we don't live in a flood prone area.
I might try to drag out a few decorations, but a tree is probably more than I can handle. My dad is no help and neither is my brother. :mad:
The only decoration I have out is Hal and Holly Moose from Build A Bear. They are so cute. I love how Hal's antlers light up.

[GaTechGal]

Bru, I hear you about the kids. My DD just turned 18 this month and it's a bit of a shock to me. How is it possible that I could have an 18 month old?!! But she's a good kid so I'm really thankful for that. Work is busy which is a blessing and a curse. I'm hoping to get a little bit of down time between Christmas and New Years.

Hope you're mending nicely and relaxing. And MERRY MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and St. March. :D:

[hobie16]

I bet the drawings are amazing- I just recently tried my hand at painting dogs for the first time (am getting better...at least now they look something like dogs) and painted a portrait of our cat this week that I actually didn't hate (and he seemed to really love...)will have to put up some pics.

My daughter is turning fifteen, and she's been in the process of 'converting' for about a year now but this is the belief system she's been exposed to all of her life at her father's house so this has pretty much been what I've been worried about her whole lifetime.

I wish I could say I thought it was a phase but I was raised in the same environment- and I don't think it is. So I'm just taking it a day at a time, but I knew the holidays would be really tough (especially the first time).

Thanks for the birthday wishes Bru!

Here's the drawings.



The one on the left captured her smirk perfectly. The one on the right shows that she really is all mustache, eyebrows, and ears with her flag tail flying high. She gets us laughing every day.

It doesn't look like there's much you can do about your daughter except continue to love her and show her what life is like outside of that particular church.

Ask your ex if he's picked out his house yet and watch him get red in the face.

[darph nader]

Ups and downs at the nader household this year.
Mom passed away in Nov. (we were expecting it) Then our pig died. (I wanted to take out to the desert and let the coyotes have him. The baker said 'no') Then my son's dog got out some how. (gotta get another dog to keep the cats outta the backyard)
Now for the GOOD news. My youngest son turned 21 this year,so I got me a new drinkin buddy. :D: The 'bestest' news was that my oldest son won his 2yr battle with CPS and got FULL custody of his son and his son's half brother. Now we can plan some campin/fishin trips.
My oldest son also asked his girl friends hand in marriage. So if anyone is in town on the 22nd of May 2012,stop on by. ;)

[ktulu]

Rough year, mom passed in May. Mrs. Ktulu lost her grandfather a couple of weeks ago. She still hasn't found a new job, yet somehow this is going to be an awesome Christmas for the girls. Oh, thanks to my traveling for work (and the new credit card giving me miles on those trips), we've planned a vacation, so that's good.