Rant

Can I just tell you that I really don't like Christmas anymore? Maybe its because I'm cross country and it requires pretty solid planning to ensure everything gets back East or to the Midwest in time without it costing $1,000. Or maybe its my office where every supervisor and manager has their hand out expecting a gift from me. I tried to make this easier this year when I took them all out to a nice dinner and then the women went to go see Wicked and the men went to the Laugh Factory for a show. But even with this I had one supervisor sort of ask me where my present was for them today. Umm, the $3,000 in dinner and tickets wasn't enough for you? Unbelievable.

So I guess I'm a little bit jaded. Over the years I have become to like sending out Christmas Cards and I've gotten better and better in sending these out timely. I usually go with a traditional card and keep it simple, but this year Carol wanted to make her own cards and so that is what was sent out. So this entire process of sending out cards really isn't a downer for me.

But what is are the cards that I receive from my friends. I have two pet peeves on Christmas Cards. I absolutely hate the "Pictures of My Kids Christmas Cards" and I hate the year in review summary I get from others. Here's what upsets me:

1. These cards were obviously massed produced either by Target or on their home computer. It probably took the couple 5 minutes to send out 100 of these cards. Where is the time and effort in signing each one and possibly writing something nice and sweat.

2. I don't want to see a forced close up picture of your kids from Sears in their holiday best. Rarely do the kids seem happy in the pictures. Now I have to have these pictures stare at me while I watch TV for a month.

3. What ever happened to the old Far Side Christmas cards with a picture of Santa yelling up the chimney "Where are the presents? Do I have to come up there and knock some heads together" with a little kid watching from behind the couch with the caption "Billy realizes that Santa is a jerk." I love these things and now they are in danger of permanently disappearing because everyone is printing out picture cards.

4. If you must send out pictures of the kids, then include the parents as well, since they are the ones I'm friends with. I hate the guessing game of whose kids they are.

5. Puts added pressure on me to have kids. Its bad enough that Carol's best friend is pregnant, but now I have 10 Christmas cards with kids on it staring at Carol every evening. Makes for a great time at home right now. Thanks a lot guys.

6. Year in Review Summary- Really only one thing to say about this. Why? Do you really not talk to anyone frequent enough that you feel like you need to give us a summary of everything going on in life. For Christ sake, you are just not that important and most of us don't care.

So I know that this will result in me getting either zero Christmas Cards next year or 1,000 photos of everyone's kids for Easter, Thanksgiving, or 4th of July.