Hey mac,
I am looking forward to the holidays, mainly because of a two week break from work
I don't celebrate Christmas per se, but some of my family does, so we all gather. Even though my son is 18, he is severely developmentally delayed, which means he still believes in Santa so that's fun for all of us.
On a sad note, there has been a big hole in our family gatherings for years. My sister has steadily declined these last 6 years. Now she has cirrhosis and is currently under hospice care. She is at home and although she can barely function (cannot drive, work, often doesn't know what day it is) she is still managing to drink. The whole thing is surreal. Her physical appearance is shocking. I barely recognize her as the strong, proud, able woman I always looked up to. Words can't convey what this is doing to our family. There is nothing more helpless than watching someone kill herself slowly right before your eyes.
Glad to hear you've got the old AV sighted in. Poor thing gonna miss gettin' its drunk on this holiday season. Oh well, tough sh*t for it. I'm glad YOU get to enjoy your holiday season on your own terms