i have NO "Xmas spirit" this year....

[nostamj]

zero. nada. zilch.

i was going to make a bitter comment on JohnKleeb's thread... i WISH my biggest problem was missing a quiz... but that would have been totally unfair and mean-spirited.

not being a practicing christian, this entire 'holiday' has irritated me for years. it's just expensive and annoying and totally devoid of any 'spirit' that I do remember... guilt-generated consumerism.

for me, it's distraction (and expense). i'm losing my job (after 10 YEARS) and i don't dare mention it to family for fear of dampening their holiday spirit.

I am TRYING so hard to remain positive. to focus on the opportunities this 'dismissal' could mean for me.

i've also been SICK for almost a week and i am SICK of being SICK. i have things to do. i have a business to develop and define if i'm going to survive next year.

and what do I worry about... OMG, the gifts for my nieces are in my office and won't get there in time. did I spend too much on nephew A and will nephew B realize it. should I get out and buy MORE???

ahhhh... ignore this. all my DU threads and posts die too...

[commander bunnypants]

1. Hang in there my friend

I am in the same boat too...

DDQM

[wryter2000]

2. I know what you mean, sorta

I'm very lucky in my life. Happily married. Enough money to pay my bills.

But my take is that my life is fabulous just the way it is. I hardly have a spare moment between work and all the things I love doing (including DU). Why in *^)*() do I have to spend six weeks on holidays that I don't enjoy one little bit?

I can't wait to take the tree back outside and say good-bye to the whole mess.

[pmbryant]

3. Certainly understandable

The consumerism gets to me more and more every year. And while I still have my job, a month from now that could be a different story.

Best of luck to you.

:grouphug:

--Peter

[lotteandollie]

4. just about everyone has been in your shoes

I'm a pessimist, so I hang out with optimists, they have it right.
I'll pray for you.

[plcdude]

5. hey

it will get better rent a copy of the Christmas Carol and see that the true meaning of Christmas is to get outside of yourself and make a difference with others.

[soleft]

6. I wish life were a movie Nostamj

I'd get 3 really cool old ghosts to come visit you, and a funny fat little angel, and somehow your family would find out about your misfortune and they'd rally around you and at the very, very very least you'd hear some old song on the radio that reminds you of when you were the most happiest when you were a kid and a smile would come on your lips and the snow would start falling and the lady the feeds the pigeons in the park would be reunited with her long lost kids and Steve Martin would get home to his wife, and MacCauley Culkin would have a career again and bumbles would always bounce.

Or maybe I wish life were an opera.

Hang in there.

[nostamj]

7. and then a meteor would hit manhattan...

and the fat lady would STILL sing something!

[soleft]

9. Now that's an opera I'd want to see!

What language would it be in?

[nostamj]

10. klingon n/t

[LuLu550]

20. I have a picture of me getting "strangled" by a klingon!

taken a few years ago at the Canada Day parade in Montreal, I think....they had every possible ethnic group marching and at the end, there was a group of klingons...I gave them a hearty "KREPLAH!" and the guy came over and gave me a klingon handshake....it was cool!
Feel better yet, nostamj?

[nostamj]

24. "Feel better yet, nostamj?"

a little???

thanks

but, WHERE IS THE PIC??? ;-)

[LuLu550]

25. jeeze..first, I'd have to FIND it

then, I'd have to find a way to scan it because I don't have a scanner...

[nostamj]

26. waiting...

tap tap tap tap tap tap tap......

;-)

[prolesunited]

8. Don't know what to say

:-(

Would a :hug: help? Let me know if there's anything I can do. You'll get through this and we're always here to support you.

[nostamj]

17. thanks sharon...

i've just been house-bound and SICK for almost a week and i'm getting crazed. can't really work, read, sleep.... got a *little* work done on graphics for my DU candidates but...

appreciate the words of support from you (and OTHERS)

i CAN turn these lemons into lemonade but this Xmas shit... leave me alone already. it is not a priority.

among my blessing (despite the shit):

my graphic work is featured prominently in Bev Harris' book (how COOL is that?)

I have also had the pleasure (and honor) to work on designs for the campaigns for our DU candidates (AWD, god_bush_n_cheney, and vince whitacre)

a number of DUers have also contacted me about graphic design work for next year

[schultzee]

11. I wish I knew what to say to you. I am sorry that you are having

to go through this. Hang in there.

[Booberdawg]

12. I hear ya, dude

This has been the worst EVER x-mas spirit year for me that I can ever remember. It just sucks ass. I think the holidays just exacerbated a phenomenally fucked up year in which there was just nothing left to go wrong. Up until about 5 days ago I was having crying spells too and that has NEVER happened before. I made some major changes in my routine so that is getting much better.

I lost my job in January when the company went belly up because of a crooked CEO. Enron style. Crop Insurance – FCIC, so the Federal Gov’t bailed out the payroll, severance, and the liabilities, including the golden parachute for the CEO, whose contract runs to next month still while most of us STILL are unemployed. I’m over that ..

Losing my house. It’s in foreclosure proceedings now. I just bought it and renovated it 6 months prior to getting laid off. Due to red tape and who-the-fuck-knows-what, I have 4 or 5 months yet before I have to move out of the house.

Bankruptcy is over with. Waiting period over and dismissed now.

My unemployment runs out at the end of January. I send out approximately 5 to 6 resumes a week and have had about a dozen interviews in the last year. But! Job openings have increased significantly since Thanksgiving. I mailed or emailed out about 20 resumes last week.

I can’t stand being without structure. I need to have a job and be busy and be useful. Half the time I don’t know the difference between night and day anymore. Arrrrgh! And I used to be a workaholic!

Somebody shoot me!

[TEXASYANKEE]

13. You can at least be grateful

for DU. I'm with you on the consummerism -- I find it a big old turn off. Sorry about your job. If it's consolation or help, know that your fellow DUers are here for you. Somehow we'll muddle through.

[NicoleM]

14. That sucks.

But it's almost over! (the holiday season, I mean)

[Zomby Woof]

15. I embrace its pagan roots

To me, this is the time to celebrate the winter solstice and Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival. All of the traditional christian symbols ripped off them and more. Evergreens, feasts, gifts... all of it. They just own the current copyright.

As for the consumerism? I turn it on itself. I am one of those corny people who loves to give, and I don't get excited about the whole mess until I wrap the presents I am giving others, and anticipating THEIR enjoyment of it. It may be trite, but the cliché that it is "better to give than receive" is apt, which is what separates us from the Republicans. ;-)

Another upside to the consumerist part (which I am none too fond of, but here we are), is that in this economy, it may provide the only job a person has for many more months.

[Lars39]

16. I understand.

Don't forget that losing a job(esp. at holiday-time) is one of life's major stressors; it takes time to get over it. You sound like you're ready to move on, though.

Your business is your survival and you have to do what it takes to get it off the ground or you don't eat. Who's got time or the money to revel in social things like Christmas(even though that sounds scrooge-like)? Being self-employed is a whole other ball-game that the hourly worker and even the salaried employee won't ever totally understand. It's really something you have to experience to understand the feast and famine, "if it's to be it's up to me" mindset.

We tried to explain to my husband's family that we're broke and his mother just refused to believe. According to her we're just being mean, 'cause "we've got the money", not even understanding that what money we have is earmarked for bills and taxes. Argh. She is totally out of touch.

I've minimally shopped for all the little guys(6 boys,1 girl) on both sides of the family and I've felt so bad that I couldn't spend much on them. Dang near cried in the Dollar General Store. :(

[Nicholas_J]

18. Well try reading some of these new stories coming out:

RE: Bedtime Stories by Washington Leaders

To be read by administration officials. On December 17 , Secretary Paige read Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

I understand the following stories will be presented later this month:


President Bush: The Very Hungry Budget Deficit Caterpillar

Secretary Rumsfeld: Dude, Where's My Weapons of Mass Destruction?

John Ashcroft: I Know What You Read Last Summer

Colin Powell: Kick it Up a Notch: The Protracted War Cookbook


( someone just sent me thins by email, dont know who it originated with)

[LuLu550]

19. I'm sorry to hear about the job

It's so depressing, expecially at this time of year...maybe you should confide in a family memeber he or she might want to help support you. I clicked on this thread because I feel the same way...I've been ill for weeks, behind at work (superintendent keeps loading on the work, which means I'll have to come in over the Christmas break) and my ex is suing me for $10,000...BAH HUMBUG!
Wait that's it...a BAH HUMBUG thread...I feel better already!
Hang in there and remember you can vent here...

[dweller]

21. How about a nice story about Christmas spirits?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=111&topic_id=14191

dp

[nostamj]

27. MO PAUL is back ??????????????????????????

well, THAT's something good!

:bounce::wow::bounce:

[dweller]

28. Maybe he has a cartoon

or two for you...
:bounce:
dp

[rbnyc]

22. Sorry, that sucks.

Sometimes I wish I could just excuse myself from holidays, but my in-laws make such a big deal out of them. Sounds like your family does too. I like the idea of everyone getting together and celebrating each other (not a Christian either) but it always ends up being so expensive and bad timing every year.

I'm so sorry about your job and that you feel you can't tell your family. It must be pretty hard. At least the things that are worrying me I can talk about.

Best of luck to you.

[nostamj]

23. thanks rene....

everything and nothing, ya know?

it's the distraction that pisses me off. (and being SICK)
i have THINGS TO DO

hell, if Bev Harris is using my work... i've got chance.

but the phoney 'holiday' ??? leave me alone! i spent the requisite amount on my parents and nieces and nephews... (we have STRICT family guidelines on who buys for who)

i'll get a flannel shirt and a wallet, (i need both, btw)

i want a good night's sleep and a good DAY working on the website.

TWO days in CT is TOO much

[havocmom]

29. Hard to enjoy being in a circus you really don't enjoy

I banned any Christmas 'have-to' things a number of years ago. Everyone around me grumbled and got snarly, but all survived. I have since only done what I want to and feel like doing and generally like the season more again. When the real point of it gets lost in all the 'requirements' it does tend to cause resentment.

Sorry about the job situation. especially hard to be jolly at a time you have reason not to be. Be gentle with yourself. You are well thought of around here.

When Christmas gets too heavy for me, I walk alone at night and just let the cool air clear my head a bit. I celebrate the winter solstice, drink a toast to the health of our apple trees, light a bunch of nice candles and listen to some music I really enjoy but seldom take the time to listen to. It pours something vital back into my soul and I find it helps me give to others, but still on my terms.

Give yourself a gift of quiet moments to just be and feel what comes.

Sending you good energy. Having a blue one myself this year, but grateful to be with two people who love me enough to accept it. That is a great blessing. I wish it for you also.

P.S. I always read your posts when I am at DU. You probably touch more of us than you know.

[nostamj]

31. thank you for this

i'm not quite as dark and bitter this morning (but still far from 'jolly')

[Valerie5555]

30. Starting to think it was too commercial and stuff and that it should

be like the American elections or every 4 years