For us it starts super early because thanksgiving was back in early October.

We have a thing in our house. My birthday is late November and our son's is early December. We don't decorate until after his birthday.
Growing up, we never decorated until about 2 weeks before Christmas. As an adult in my own home, the decorations go up throughout December with the tree being last around the middle of the month.
 

fade

Staff member
Oh I'm not arguing that it hasn't crept up--though I do feel that it has crept back a little the last few years. I'm just not going to let that bug me.
 
Just got a phone call.

"Hello? Mister Bhamv? We're that organization you did a translation for last month. We have another translation case, an urgent one, which we'd like to offer you. Same rate as before."

"So... not a great rate then. And how urgent is urgent, exactly? How big's the case, and how long do I have to translate it?"

"It's approximately 40 pages, and we need it done by tomorrow at noon."

"O... kay..."

"Oh so you're taking it, excellent! I'll email you the details!" *click*

"Waitwaitwait no come back!"
 
I'm already at the airport and I managed to get a whole 45 minutes of sleep before we left the house! I am going to be full of sunshine today. :) Though you are awake right now too, so clearly you are doing no better.
 
We put up our Christmas tree last night. I was pushing to wait until after Thanksgiving, but I broke down. This year has been crazy, and it feels like so much has happened that it's hard to enjoy vemuch.

There is something about seeing that tree lit up. It warms the cockles a bit. Seeing the wife's face was even better. It's our first Christmas living together, and it made me feel good to see her so excited for it.

I do get tired of the ads endlessly pushing you to buy more to prove your love, but screw that. I'm not going to let it ruin what I love about Christmas.
 

fade

Staff member
I went for a walk yesterday, and this family we know was getting into the car to leave. I waved, and four arms came out of the windows and waved in unison. It was the funniest looking thing. I almost felt like the car should flip over and walk off on the hands.
 
My son had an assignment in class today to create a Thanksgiving menu from grocery store ads. He needed a main dish, two side dishes, a vegetable and dessert.

He had turkey as the main dish, then shrimp and pork as the two sides. Carnivore much?
Now THAT is a meal. Preferably for people who aren't allergic to crustaceans like me as I am CURSED as such.
 
Weasels to the left of me; weasels to the right of me. Weasels flopped on top of me.

I hope I don't have to use the bathroom anytime soon.
 
Here is what I have learned. If I play games on my phone and ignore everyone, people comment on how I spend all my time on my phone. If I COLOR and ignore everyone, no one cares.
 

Cajungal

Staff member
Here is what I have learned. If I play games on my phone and ignore everyone, people comment on how I spend all my time on my phone. If I COLOR and ignore everyone, no one cares.
Yyyyyyup. My dad always keeps magazines by his chair. If there's a lull in conversation, he opens one up. Or turns on the TV. A lot of people check their phones at appropriate times or even use them to drive the conversation forward.
 
Here is what I have learned. If I play games on my phone and ignore everyone, people comment on how I spend all my time on my phone. If I COLOR and ignore everyone, no one cares.
I wonder about that reaction. A coloring book is an act of creation, reading is gaining knowledge or entertainment.

The phone can be anything, but I wonder if the people you're physically with think you're socializing with others. Facebook and texting, instagram, tinder - these are signals that the you're choosing other people over the person right in front of you.

Coloring and reading - you're choosing an activity while someone is here, but you're not necessarily switching to another social situation.

I've had more than one business meeting where participants were on their phones throughout, though, and whipping out a coloring book or piece of literature and doing that during the meeting would have been unacceptable. In these cases it's assumed that the participants are using their phones for meeting business, but everyone knows they are more often than not tuned out - they just can't call them out on it without risking being embarrassed if they actually are doing something meeting related.

Social situations and expectations are really fascinating...
 
I'm going to blame the fact that it's more traditional to blame electronics for being the bane of social interaction, than accepting the idea that I just want to be left alone. ;)

Staying at my parent's house basically means I have no recourse for spending time by myself, unless I shut myself in the guest room, which would also illicit comment. ;)
 
I'm going to blame the fact that it's more traditional to blame electronics for being the bane of social interaction, than accepting the idea that I just want to be left alone. ;)

Staying at my parent's house basically means I have no recourse for spending time by myself, unless I shut myself in the guest room, which would also illicit comment. ;)
I take naps and go to bed early or spend time with the children.
 
My husband does this. He can get away with it. For some reason my mom goes hunting for me if I'm not in line of sight of her.
 
I take naps and go to bed early or spend time with the children.
This. People don't bother me when I fall asleep on the couch while the conversation continues around me - unless I snore too loudly. Playing with the kids is usually an effort to stay awake more than anything.

Although these days I can usually sneak the baby away from whoever's holding her and cuddle on the couch and have full permission to sleep if I get her to sleep as well.

That said, I suspect they're thinking, "Dude, let him sleep, he's got, like, a billion kids!"
 
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Hey, guess what everyone?

The kids who grew up on Barney are now graduating college!

I wonder if that explains the current college "protect us from things we don't like" trends...
 
I'm going to blame the fact that it's more traditional to blame electronics for being the bane of social interaction, than accepting the idea that I just want to be left alone. ;)

Staying at my parent's house basically means I have no recourse for spending time by myself, unless I shut myself in the guest room, which would also illicit comment. ;)
Is there anything to do near where your parents live? Can you borrow a car? I'd get out of the house for a little while even if it was to take a walk around the block or visit someone I haven't seen in a while.
 
We're going out tomorrow night, but that's the extent of our free time. That's fine, this is at least a short visit.
 
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