/hijack You may have figured this out already, but The Dark Side of the Moon is a Pink Floyd album. It has been said that if you start the album and movie at the same time they match up, the most notable being a bell ringing on the album at the same time that Mrs. Gulch rings the bell on her bike. You have to play the album twice. I, personally, was not convinced that it was intentional as some have said. As mentioned above, drugs apparently help convince the watcher of this obvious and amazing plan of Pink Floyd’s to script their album to match the sounds and sometimes action of a movie that was 50 years old at the time. /end hijack
Paul, sorry to hear about your problems in finding a job.
Dude. Sounds like a bit of selective reality is in order here.
“But everyone is coming.”
“Oh, gee, thanks but I can’t make it.”
“Why not?”
“I have a date.”
(… with a computer, to play shoot 'em up…)
“With who?”
“I’d rather not say right now, until I see how things work out.”
(…if I can beat my last high score…)
The beauty part is, a woman cannot rest until she hears every little detail of any potentially romantic encounter. So later, when she grills you about it, just give her your best innocent face and act like a clueless male. Eventually you admit that it just didn’t work out. Then smile blissfully while she goes mildly insane trying to guess. I know it’s mean, but hey she started it!
Well, I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling better. I wanted to bitch and moan with you some more about families that pull shit like that.
You have my full support and sympathy for not enjoying the antics your family pulled on you. I know exactly what you’re talking about - we have both our families in town, so we do two Christmas Eves and two Christmas Days each and every year. We get people bitching because we leave too early, people bitching because we show up too late, people bitching because we want to spend some time together as a couple - it just makes me want to yell at them at some point - "YES WE KNOW YOU WANT US HERE EARLIER! TOO BAD WE HAVE TWO FAMILIES TO RUN AROUND TO EACH DAY OF THE HOLIDAY! CAN YOU PULL YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES AND REMEMBER WHAT OUR SITUATION IS?!?
And this summer, we all went to my sister’s house in BC, which was very nice, except they were all falling-down obnoxiously drunk the whole time, and we don’t drink like that. They want to do it again this year, except with MORE obnoxious drunks! I’ll tell them “no” politely once, and after that it’s going to be, “We’re not coming this year because we had a lousy time last year with everyone drunk and being obnoxious.” I’m getting too old to let people get in my face.
But you do have real problems. Life isn’t a contest won by whomever gets the biggest problem. People who answer “oh, but you’re fine! Look at (person who’s got cancer / the little kids in Africa / mother whose kid has cerebral palsy)!” when you’re moaning should be taken out back and introduced to two very large guys bearing clue by fours. Doesn’t mean you’re allowed to moan all the time, eh!
We’re in a similar boat - but since my in-laws are divorced, there are three families in the same city to be placated. Add to that the fact that my birthday is on Christmas eve, my mother-in-law’s is on the 30th December and my Mom’s is on the 1st Jan, and the Christmas/new year week is a pretty hectic and stressful time. We tried to fit everyone in the first year we were married, and it was a nightmare - since then we have been very expicit and overt about which family we are seeing this particular year, and just popped in to see the others.
Could be worse–at least they’re in town. I have my MIL two hours away, my FIL’s family three hours away in another direction, and my own parents in another freaking country. Even ignoring my family, holidays are a bit stressful as we don’t want to leave my MIL alone (her extended family doesn’t really talk), but we also want to see FIL’s family (even if I kinda wish FIL himself would die in a drunken car wreck). Plus, my two SIL’s complicate things more because one talks to FIL still, so their decisions affect ours.
Add in that we want to get up to see my family at least once a year (I know Owls is thinking about doing Christmas with them sometime) and things get really fun sighs
I think I got off easy growing up–family Christmas traditions didn’t actually coincide, plus both sides are large-ish (4 kids on one, 9 on the other) so leaving someone alone wasn’t really an issue.
I think SIL’s intentions were good. In fact it looks like she recognized Paul’s stress and thought that “alone-time” wasn’t good for him.
It’s still an aggravation but you gotta take some heart in realizing that family cares and actually wants to be around you and is interested in cheering you up…
That’s right - I developed a solution to this awhile ago, because people were bugging me with their invalidating whatever was irritating me - “Just because it isn’t as bad doesn’t mean it’s good.” That usually shuts 'em right up.
Bah, but she ought to take his word for it that it will not “cheer him up”. Plus, one can feel like being left alone in peace without actually needing to be cheered up.
Not keen on people who will no take “no” for an answer. I’m glad Paul is feeling better, though, a nd the cruuise ship gig sounds sort of fun.
Geez, some of you people need to learn how and when to tell a fat lie.
“I can’t make it because my old friend Wally is passing through on his way to Canada; he’s only here one night and he insists he wants to see the art gallery.” end of conversation Paul: Look closely about the cruise-ship ESL gigs; I’ve heard bad things. FWIW, I did ESL in Korea and Taiwan for 3 years. I would recommend the latter, as well as Japan based on a lot of second-hand knowledge. I would strongly recommend AGAINST Korea. Feel free to hit me with an email.
