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Post by B.E. on Dec 30, 2020 20:41:53 GMT
In a local grocery store on December 17, half of the seasonal aisle was Valentine's Day stuff. I went to Target this past weekend and it was all Valentine's Day. I don't get it. Who's buying Valentine's Day stuff earlier than a week prior?
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Post by kds on Dec 30, 2020 20:55:18 GMT
In a local grocery store on December 17, half of the seasonal aisle was Valentine's Day stuff. I went to Target this past weekend and it was all Valentine's Day. I don't get it. Who's buying Valentine's Day stuff earlier than a week prior? I guess the same people who buy Christmas stuff in August and September.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 30, 2020 21:39:41 GMT
My final Christmas related observation until at least next November, but it seems every year the wiping away of Christmas happens quicker. In a local grocery store on December 17, half of the seasonal aisle was Valentine's Day stuff. I was out on December 28th, and went to a couple stores, and the Christmas stuff was pretty much gone. Our FM radio station ditched the Christmas music on the 26th. I even noticed a pine tree on the curb for pick up the other day. I'm not really much for listening to Christmas music or watching Christmas movies after the 25th, but we've always kept up the decorations until at least New Year's Day. Of course, being raised Catholic, we grew up with the belief that Christmas ends on January 6th. But, other than the decorations still in my house, it seems like when midnight hits on Dec 26, BOOM, it's all over. Which strikes me as funny since the preparations typically begin in late summer. Oh, yes, you're right!
As far as music, there is a local FM radio that plays Christmas music 24/7 BEFORE Thanksgiving, and, the day after Christmas - boom - right back to the regular music format. I saw a few "Christmas movies" were being broadcast the weekend after Christmas (which happened to fall directly after Christmas day), but now they're gone except for the Hallmark Channel. And, yeah, the stores? Bring on spring/summer.
I'm Catholic and attend mass weekly, and, yes, there are several days of Christmas to be celebrated yet in the Catholic church. I'll be attending mass on New Year's Day - the Solemnity Of Mary - a Holy Day of obligation in the church.
I have noticed the trend really changing the last few years. There are a lot of businesses with employees taking off the week before Christmas and especially the week between Christmas and New Year's. It's almost like it's expected now; there's gonna be a lot of people out. Even nationally, on TV, many of the sports and political talking heads have guest hosts this week.
I don't especially like the sudden abruptness and moving on as soon as December 26th hits, but I do kinda like the slowing down and kicking back and being home with the family and visiting relatives over the two weeks before and after Christmas. I think the sense of calmness is good.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 30, 2020 23:57:03 GMT
I do kinda like the slowing down and kicking back and being home with the family and visiting relatives over the two weeks before and after Christmas. I think the sense of calmness is good. I love that time as well. It's the easiest time to take vacation because, as you'd said, everybody does it. It's easier to take because so many others take the time, too, less is just getting done in general. Summer vacations are great, but the world isn't interested in you disappearing from it for a week here or there.
But really, there are few feelings better than for just a split second at night thinking, "aw, it's Sunday and I have to go to work tomorrow" ... but then realizing, "wait, it's Wednesday."
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Post by kds on Dec 31, 2020 13:08:27 GMT
As long as I can remember, taking lots of time off in December has been pretty common. My father took off those days since we were home from school for the week. As long as I've worked in an office, it's always a ghost town that last week or two of the year. It's nice to decompress after a long year.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 31, 2020 13:13:50 GMT
It's funny because in my house it wasn't really like that: my dad was a cop, so not only did he not get extra time off, he always had to work at least one, and often two, of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve. And my mom was the editor of our local paper, so she'd usually be really busy, too.
The perk of an office job in a bigger city is there are so many people to cover, and the work itself can often sit a bit. (This actually could be evidence that the "go-go" hustle throughout the year doesn't have to exist...) So I love the break.
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Post by kds on Dec 31, 2020 13:22:34 GMT
It's funny because in my house it wasn't really like that: my dad was a cop, so not only did he not get extra time off, he always had to work at least one, and often two, of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve. And my mom was the editor of our local paper, so she'd usually be really busy, too.
The perk of an office job in a bigger city is there are so many people to cover, and the work itself can often sit a bit. (This actually could be evidence that the "go-go" hustle throughout the year doesn't have to exist...) So I love the break.
I think next year, I might try to arrange my tasks do that I have off the full week. It really wasn't possible this year since there are a few end of month tasks that require somebody to be in the office, and my staff has been working remotely.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 31, 2020 13:23:52 GMT
I haven't had a lot of different jobs/employers through the years (which in some ways is a good thing I think), but in the few I've had, there was usually a limit as to how many people could take off at Christmas without a drop off in the quality of the service of the business occurring. At some of the businesses, seniority was one of the main factors as to who could have off. I remember thinking that wasn't fair, because the same people had off every year! Then I began to accumulate some seniority.
Now, I think the businesses are more lenient, but it might depend on the business, too. With some businesses, things are going to slow down at Christmas anyway, so they can get away with a skeleton crew for a week or two. Others, I guess mostly some retail businesses, they have to be more careful.
I might be wrong but I don't think as many people "go out" on New Year's Eve, preferring to stay home.
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Post by kds on Dec 31, 2020 13:29:14 GMT
I haven't had a lot of different jobs/employers through the years (which in some ways is a good thing I think), but in the few I've had, there was usually a limit as to how many people could take off at Christmas without a drop off in the quality of the service of the business occurring. At some of the businesses, seniority was one of the main factors as to who could have off. I remember thinking that wasn't fair, because the same people had off every year! Then I began to accumulate some seniority.
Now, I think the businesses are more lenient, but it might depend on the business, too. With some businesses, things are going to slow down at Christmas anyway, so they can get away with a skeleton crew for a week or two. Others, I guess mostly some retail businesses, they have to be more careful.
I might be wrong but I don't think as many people "go out" on New Year's Eve, preferring to stay home.
In my neck of the woods, going out in New Year's Eve is still a pretty big thing....well, not so much this year for obvious reasons. But, restaurants and bars still get slammed. Personally, I've not gone out on NYE since 2012, and don't care to again. It's the ultimate amateur night.
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Post by Kapitan on Dec 31, 2020 14:32:14 GMT
Yeah, NYE is still big here, too: I wonder whether SJS is just experiencing it from the perspective of someone who maybe doesn't find those activities as interesting as the younger set! Like KDS, I also don't like going out on NYE, and for the same basic reason. Crowds of barely-21s trying to act crazy because that's what they think they're supposed to do, overdoing it with their booze, ending very badly ... no thanks. Plus the contrarian in me LOVES being able to say I did nothing.
Our office is fortunate in that the work really does slow, especially for the "professional jobs" in the office. (We have an assortment of jobs ranging from the most basic level to exec types.) Our clients are law firms and corporate legal departments, though, so those people are generally off through the holidays. Very fortunate. I'm still checking in this week every day and doing a little work here and there, but thankfully it's not much.
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Post by kds on Dec 31, 2020 14:40:39 GMT
Yeah, NYE is still big here, too: I wonder whether SJS is just experiencing it from the perspective of someone who maybe doesn't find those activities as interesting as the younger set! Like KDS, I also don't like going out on NYE, and for the same basic reason. Crowds of barely-21s trying to act crazy because that's what they think they're supposed to do, overdoing it with their booze, ending very badly ... no thanks. Plus the contrarian in me LOVES being able to say I did nothing.
Our office is fortunate in that the work really does slow, especially for the "professional jobs" in the office. (We have an assortment of jobs ranging from the most basic level to exec types.) Our clients are law firms and corporate legal departments, though, so those people are generally off through the holidays. Very fortunate. I'm still checking in this week every day and doing a little work here and there, but thankfully it's not much.
The amateur nature of NYE isn't limited to just 20 somethings in my experience. You have people of all ages, going out using NYE as an excuse to get completely fucked up. I used to enjoy it in my 20s. I remember I used to think my boss was a stick in the mud because she preferred her couch, a bottle of wine, and a movie. Now, that's pretty much my ideal NYE (except I usually opt for beer on NYE). I remember the last NYE I went out before meeting my now wife. I think it was 2010. I was with some friends, one of whom was my roommate, who are both regular drinkers like myself, but they got a special kind of messed up. It got to the point where I couldn't even understand a word they said. So, I went home. Wouldn't you know it, I didn't see my roommate the next day until well after sundown. No thanks.
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Post by kds on Nov 2, 2022 19:15:21 GMT
I originally posted this trailer to the latest Christmas Story sequel in the Movies and TV thread, but it fits here too.
Halloween's over, so we're basically in the "Pre Christmas" Season. Many stores are in full on Christmas mode now. XM Sirius has launched their Christmas Stations. And a brand new Christmas Story sequel premieres in 15 days.
I know recent years have seen the revival of 80s brands like Bill and Ted, Ghostbusters, Karate Kid, and Top Gun to name a few. But, A Christmas Story feels off. I honestly wasn't really in favor of this idea when it was announced last year, and after seeing the preview, I can't say I'm really looking forward to it.
I'm sure the movie will be full of call backs, and will probably drum up a couple cheap laughs with a dose of nostalgia, all with the added element of sadness (since the movie mentions the Old Man having passed on).
Also, with the possible, and debatable exception of Home Alone 2, I really don't feel Christmas sequels work. The Santa Clause sequels aren't much to write home about. Bad Santa 2 was dreadful. I think Christmas movies are meant to be watched annually as singular stories.
Of course, I'll probably get a trail of HBO Max, watch the movie, and then just pretty much never speak of it again.
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Post by kds on Nov 28, 2022 14:07:49 GMT
I'm sure the movie will be full of call backs, and will probably drum up a couple cheap laughs with a dose of nostalgia, all with the added element of sadness (since the movie mentions the Old Man having passed on). SPOILERS BELOW Last night, we watched A Christmas Story Christmas, the 2022 sequel to the 1983 classic A Christmas Story. My prediction pretty much sums up how I felt about it. They definitely tugged at the heart with the numerous call backs to the original and the fact that the Old Man's death was a major plot point. That said, I thought the movie was better than I'd predicted. Granted, my expectations were quite low going in. The recasting of the mother (Julie Hagerty instead of Melinda Dillon) just did not work for me. It really felt like a completely different character. The day dreaming sequences also fell flat to me. Those sequences worked well in the original because the movie was told from the perspective of a 10 year old boy. I know they were trying to keep a similar tone, but the cutaway day dream sequences from a 43 year old Ralphie just dragged. I feel like there was an attempt at a big tension filled climax, featuring Ralphie's old bully Scut Farkus, but that felt a bit predictable. In fact, a lot of the scenes featuring the now grown child actors from the original felt a bit forced to me. Scenes with Flick and Schwartz felt oddly cartoon-y. Ralphie's little brother plays a businessman who is in India, who didn't rush to come home to be with his mother at Christmas after the Old Man passed away? What? Sweet little Randy? So, what did work exactly? Some of the scenes with Ralphie and his family work OK. Now, we see a middle aged Ralphie, coming to grips with a possible career change, and trying to give his family a great Christmas, in the shadow of the death of his Old Man. Also, again SPOILERS SPOILERS...... The ending was nice. I won't give away too much, but I did think they found a nice way to include the Old Man on Christmas Morning was final time, while tying the events of this movie to the original. So, if I were to rate it, I'd probably give it somewhere around 5 or 6 out of ten. It held my attention for 98 minutes, had some laughs, and even had me choked up a couple times, but this movie just lacks rewatchability.
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Post by kds on Dec 1, 2022 20:06:47 GMT
Today marks the 33rd anniversary of my all time favorite Christmas movie - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). It's not only my favorite Christmas movie, but one of my favorite all time comedies.
I remember my mother took me and my sister (I was nine, she was five) to see it in the theaters while we were on Christmas Break at the Golden Ring Mall (although I'm fairly certain it was after Christmas Day).
When it was released on VHS, I bought a used copy at our local video store - All Star Video - in 1990. My family and I watched that tape on Christmas Eve night every year until 2000, when I got a copy on DVD. We kept up the tradition until I moved out.
Unfortunately, I've not been able to keep up annual viewings over the years, since having a kid. But, I've watched it so many times, I practically know it by heart.
I last watched it in December 2020. Without going into too much detail, that was not a very jolly December, and one I'd rather forget. But, for 97 minutes one night in the middle of that bleak December, I was able to smile and laugh.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Dec 1, 2022 20:26:00 GMT
kds, I didn't know if you caught this:
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