I’m looking for recommendations for web-based stuff – pictures, stories, YouTube clips, whatever – to cheer up my husband, who seems to have a terrible case of holiday-based depression today.
Me and mr emilyforce are not going anywhere for Christmas. We don’t have any kids. My parents are on a trip to New Zealand. His parents passed away years ago, as have all his grandparents and step-grandparents. He has no siblings and no aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. left with whom he’s in regular contact. We often spend holidays with certain friends of ours, but they’re all off visiting family elsewhere (or trying, and being stuck in various airports).
We don’t have any “family traditions” of our own. We have a few Christmas decorations packed away in a box somewhere, but we can’t find them – they’re probably in the bottom layer of the stack in the garage. He and I were both raised agnostic (his mom went to Quaker meetings sometimes; my family went to the Unitarian church occasionally). We’re still agnostic. This isn’t about religion.
I have to work until 3 this afternoon, but I can send him emails from here. He’s working on his dissertation (which isn’t helping his mood, I’m sure). Does anybody know of any web stuff that might cheer him up? Anything that gives *you *that special holiday glow?
Good themes:[ul][li]animals[/li][li]humor (sophisticated or not)[/li][li]friends, friendships[/li][li]you know, like, joy ‘n’ stuff[/li][/ul]
Not so good themes:[ul][li]glurge[/li][li]family togetherness[/li][li]Jesus, Reason for the Season, etc.[/li][li]mean humor[/li][/ul]
I think the first thing I’ll send him is that Discovery Channel commercial with the singing astronaut and Steven Hawking, if I can find it, even if it isn’t holiday-related. I don’t think he’s seen it yet.
For some reason these snow globe things entertained the hell out of me when I was bored at work. I’m easily amused by dumb stuff, I guess. If you shake them enough you’ll hear them scream things like 'earthquake!"
Well, for holiday-themed web smiles, send him to the SDMB thread on Olive’s Christmas puppies. Two days after being rescued from neglect and almost certain death, pregnant Olive immediately gave birth to real, live puppies just before Christmas.
But really, the cure for this, or any other situation in which a man is feeling sorry for himself, is to go home at 3 and knock his socks off in the bedroom. Speaking as a guy, I’m not kidding; done right, this will do wonders for mood, self-esteem, and distraction from troubles. My wife makes me feel like the wealthiest guy in the world.
Plus it’s time you guys started your own Christmas tradition.
cwthree, we look at CO daily, but I’m not sure he’s aware of the Daily Kitten. He is a total sucker for baby animals and kittens in particular, so THANK YOU.
Maybe you could email him something sexy- it will ruin his concentration so he won’t get any more work done, but you won’t hear any complaining either.
I hate to harsh the buzz here, kids, but for, um, private reasons, unfortunately Sailboat’s suggestion is highly untenable. Maybe after I get him cheered up…
Sorry to hear it, but the other part of Sailboat’s advice (I assume you were referring to the part that involves flying socks) could still be good, couldn’t it? Start a Christmas tradition for yourselves: Invent the Force Family Eggnog Surprise, deck your halls with boughs of something totally unexpected, go to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Day, put together a jigsaw puzzle, visit an animal shelter, whatever. Or find out if any local homeless shelters need volunteers to dish up food on Christmas Day.