Originally Posted by
gneiss 
I have never enjoyed winter holidays since I was a teenager. Doesn't matter if I was drunk or sober or stoned or whatever. I just don't like them. Too much stress, pressure to buy stuff I can't afford for people I don't really even know; the weather usually sucks; I get stuck in the kitchen cooking (which I HATE) with all the other women in my family while my dad, uncles, and cousins watch football or argue religion and politics and wait to be waited on. Are you kidding me? Ridiculous. Why would anyone like that?
LMAO!
My immediate family is really small, and your version of the holidays actually sounds appealing compared to what I feel like i have to endure. I do have 2 small kids though and they still believe in Santa, so I'm trying to just make this next month as fun for them as possible. So far, so good...but there are certain days (like xmas day itself, or holiday parties) where it feels like something is missing. Truthfully, I don't even feel it that much around my friends even if they are drinking....it's my family that somehow being around makes me want to pour a whole bottle of vodka down my throat.