Merry Christmas Eve!

Ha - as if I'm in the "Christmas spirit" : ) I was actually crying last night because, as I told Mark, it seemed as though we had "skipped" Christmas. I felt so empty and like I had missed out on something - everything.

We decided to buy a big screen television for the living room as "our Christmas present" this year. We haven't bought it yet.

There are no wrapped presents, no Christmas tree, I didn't decorate the house or the stairs, and we didn't even get each other a Christmas card!

We literally "skipped Christmas" this year, and I was crying about it last night. I felt so empty and like I had really screwed up and it was too late to go back and fix it.

We went to dinner last night at about 6 or 7, and I wanted to go to an electronics store. He said it was Sunday, and they would be closed. I said "on the Sunday before Christmas? Are you crazy? They'll be open until midnight!". He didn't believe me, and drove by "just to prove I was wrong". Well guess who was proven they were wrong? Yep, he was, of course.

We selected the television we wanted, but decided to wait until after Christmas to buy it, hoping there would be a sale. I bought (and don't laugh) World of Warcraft because I am SO BORED, and used to be HOOKED to an RPG when only text was available. I actually MET people through that game in my area. Man, that was probably 13-14 years ago? I get the concept, it's just that WATCHING things die on my screen instead of imagining it in my mind is quite a different thing. People sure ask, in general, for others to join their "guilds" all the time.

I HAVE to go to Mark's parent's house today. He guilted me into it. I HATE going over there. They're all nice enough, but annoy me to NO END. It used to be that I could CHOOSE if I wanted to go or not, and Mark said he wouldn't push me to go. But now that we're married, he said it's all changed, I'm "part of the family", and they will expect me to be there. After living together for 9 years, suddenly the dynamics have changed? Why should that be just because we got married? MAN I hate going over there. They have a pretty house, they all talk to me and are nice, but it's all the kids (babies), and just little comments here and there, it really annoys me. And it's a fricking road trip to get there, even though they live in the metroplex.

And the KIDS (again). His family decided Christmas is for kids. Again, we have no kids, so there is no reciprocation of gifts. I took everyone's advice and bought the 5 children $50 gift certificates to Macy's each. That should be okay, right? I don't know if they have toys there or not, but at least their parents can buy them an outfit or pair of shoes - whatever.

Mark is STILL not happy or "sold" on my idea to get the gift certificates. Yet *I* was in charge of their Christmas gifts. See why I'm grinchy?

Why God, oh why do I have to go to his family's? I'm in SUCH a bad mood over it.

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Enjoy!