Need a Refresher on "the Reason for the Season"......

I cannot get excited this Xmas.

No matter what, it just seems more of a necessary irritating inconvenience than a joyful and happy celebration of life and family... I absolutely hate feeling like this.

We actually just put our tree up yesterday and it was just more work than fun. Our outside lights have been out for about two weeks (thanks only to Husband) but I haven't done anything to the inside of my house. No wreaths, nativity sets, etc... I'm such a blob.

I have always been one to get into the holiday season. I liked to decorate my house. I loved shopping for my kids and others. I've always been one of the those early bird shoppers... putting very sincere thought and effort into finding things for people that they would really be excited about. This year not only can I not come up with anything for people, but I just have no motivation to be original and thoughtful.(Holy crap, I'm just like my mother in law!!) I still got up and shopped at the crack of dawn on the day after Thanksgiving, but this year it was just such a chore.

Girly and I went to the mall yesterday but after an hour or so, I just had to get out of there. Too hot, too crowded and too nerve racking.... Sunday afternoon the week before Xmas is a bad time to go anyway, but I'm panicky and desperate. I'm probably going to take a vacation day Wed. or Thur. of this week to finish up...

The other side of the coin is that Xmas Day is usually the day I have my side of the family in for dinner, etc. I haven't planned or done a thing yet. My house needs a thorough cleaning, decorations need to be finished, wrapping done, menus planned and all that stuff. I would rather be on Survivors' Cook Islands. Let me crack open some slimy shellfish, hammer at a coconut, and fight the mosquitos. I need to lose 20 lbs anyway. Anything is preferential to tackling these Holiday responisbilities.

So what's wrong with me? This situation is worrisome... Have I just turned into an old crab? Am I clinically depressed? I need something to inspire me to get into the season.. I could probably enjoy myself if I could just hire someone to do all this stuff for me.

I just need to find my reason for the season...Right now it's elusive... Anybody got some inspiration to share??? As it stands now, Bah Humbug.....

Goodbye Old Paint.......

Husband and I are not what you would call "Vehicle Snobs". We're not one of those couples whose mode of transportation depicts their social stature. I know people like that and more power to them... My priorities are different... Food, shelter, a satisfactory debt ratio and my children's education come first.

For us, vehicles are practical, functional, quickly depreciating assets which serve a prime purpose in our daily professional and personal life. Once fully depreciated all you have left is practical and functional so we make damn sure we get a lot of bang for our bucks.

As a sales rep for a wholesale distributor, Husband's vehicle is his business vehicle. His mobile office, so to speak.. He gets mileage and expense reimbursement and we get a decent, much needed tax write off. Company literally pays for the car and then some. So, once a car is paid for, the longer he drives it, the better off we are.

Thus, our recent predicament.

Husband's car was a 1994 Corolla with 300,000 miles. (Yes, really 300,000 miles). He bought it new in '94 and it's had a long, productive but rough life. The air conditioning is out, the heat is out, most of the power windows don't work along with a multitude of minor mechanical and major cosmetic issues (the paint is gone). But like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going.... I quit driving it a long time ago. Girly refuses to be transported to any friend's home or social function in it. We tried to give it to Son at one point when he was having car troubles, but he respectfully declined. It is a neighborhood eyesore.

At one time, husband swore his head contained a rock magnet....because rocks were forever flying up from various highways and dinging the windshield, headlights, paint etc. He never had them fixed.

Later, he claimed that he had an old folk magnet planted in his head as senior citizens kept bashing him. One old woman literally backed right over him with her farm size diesel pick up. Another old guy nailed him because he was disoriented from not taking his morning medication. Bless their hearts, we really felt sorry for them....but we cashed their insurance checks anyway. Once again, at the time due to the car's age, Husband chose not to have the body work done. (I think this is about the time I quit driving it). He just went out to the car with a rubber mallet, pounded out the dents as best he could and continued on his soft drink sellin' way.

This past summer, as he was performing his religious oil change and quarterly cleanup, Son walked up and examined the car.


"Hey Dad, is that a new dent in that door?"


Dad walks over and examines the dent for familiarity....


"No Son, it's the same dent....It just shows up more when the car is clean."


We had been discussing replacing the old car for several months, but he kept putting it off. I think after all these years, he had formed a deep emotional bond. But finally, the prospect of spending an unpredictable Kentucky winter in it got the best of him....

After much discussion, it was decided that he would take my paid off '03 Camry and we would buy a new "family" car.

Whooooheeee!!! What this means is that I get a new car!!! I don't drive much... my route to my office is barely a five mile trip... I toodle around town but don't do a lot of serious road travel. In fact, my Camry barely has 36,000 miles.

For him, taking the Camry was like hitting the lottery. He was totally unaccustomed to such luxury. The day before his first day driving it, he went thru his CD collection, packing several cases with favorites and lovingly placed them in his new mobile office. He sat in the driver's seat, playing with all the windows.....up....down....up....down...He opened the sunroof and let the light shine in..

I felt a little guilty.....But then I got over it...Went and climbed into my brand new Highlander (yes, we are a poster family for Toyota) and sped off to the Kroger. Couldn't wait to open that hatch and load in my groceries. I can't help but feel twinges of materialism creep up when I drive it. I feel like the epitome of upscale middle class.....

Remember that scene at the end of "Cats" where the old cat female cat (can't remember her name) is lifted up into kitty-cat heaven? I feel that should happen with the poor old Corolla. But alas, it's not to be...Some poor schmuck is actually going to buy it from us.....For $400.....We should pay him $400 to haul it away...

So....goodbye Old Paint......it's been nice knowin' ya, but Mom and Dad have "pimped their rides"....