The house is now at maximum capacity- Seth dropped off Ellie and his two cats (Speak and Whisper), so this is now a three dog, three cat household for the holidays. Seth is taking Boghan with him to the house my parents rented in South Carolina for Christmas. They decided to rent a house this year so dad does not kill himself decorating and cooking for everyone, and I decided not to go for a number of reasons. First of all was that for years I had to travel home for Christmas, now I move down the street and they move Christmas several states away. I’m still kind of pissed about that. I suppose I should take a hint.
In other news, SWTOR was everything I had hoped it would be, except i just haven’t had enough time to play it yet. My only complaint would be the clunky UI, which I’m assuming they will realize is terribad and allow some customization and some mods. Back later with a Steelers open thread.
Villago Delenda Est
You’ll probably get used to the UI. Not everyone can have the smooth ergonomic commonsensicality of those Blizz guys.
PurpleGirl
Okay, your parents and your brother are going someplace else for Christmas. (Is your sister also going with them?)
You really like hanging out and have parties with your family. No wonder you’ve been in a Christmas funk. You’re not having the Christmas that you look forward to… time for a funk.
Amir Khalid
How are the critters getting along? Any, um, heated disagreements yet?
Comrade Mary
I’m having an unfamily Christmas too, although with no critters in the house. I’m off to an old friend’s place Christmas proper, then catching up with my sister, her husband and her in-laws after Boxing Day. (She’s run Christmas for several years, but is taking a break.)
You may not be free to run off and do volunteery stuff with the menagerie in the house, but maybe you can make your house a refuge for a bunch of your friends at intervals throughout the day.
Suffern ACE
Cat puts baby to sleep. h/t Towleroad
My cat would wake the baby up, increasing the probability that I would get off my butt and feed him.
R-Jud
@PurpleGirl: Yeah, exactly what I was thinking. I’m in a similar funk, because I dislike spending Christmas 5 time zones away from my parents and siblings, and this Christmas is the last one they’ll be spending at my Grandmother’s house before they have to sell it to keep her in her assisted living facility. I set foot in that house for the last time ever without knowing it. I would have liked to say goodbye.
Linda Featheringill
@Amir Khalid:
Good question. As a general rule, dogs like to have company but cats do not.
How’s it going, John?
Violet
@PurpleGirl:
Yeah, exactly. No wonder you’re in a funk. Everyone’s deserted you for Christmas. And isn’t your dad just going to go overboard cooking for everyone in an unfamiliar kitchen? Doesn’t sound very relaxing.
robertdsc-iPhone 4
Some pictures of the menagerie would be appreciated.
gogol's wife
We should all road-trip to West Virginia to keep John company for the holidays.
amk
Any proverbial cat fights yet ? And whose side would you take ?
Hill Dweller
Why is Cenk Uygur on non-political tv shows telling people to vote for Ron Paul?
Comrade Mary
@Hill Dweller: Because he’s a tool?
Wiesman
Oh JC, you made my day.
As I mentioned before (but hardly expect anyone to remember), I’m an engineer at a video game studio working on a premium MMO title. My area of expertise is customizable UI and I’ve been working on our UI engine for our game for quite some time. It simply amazes me how many supposedly premium MMO’s completely whiff on this feature. WoW proved that users really really care about this, and the numbers of WoW players who install at least one Addon is over 90%. You simply cannot hope to compete with that game (imo) without this feature, and adding it post-launch is too late (again, imo).
I sent your post to all the internal UI dev guys here for a pre-Christmas pick me up. Thanks.
amk
@Comrade Mary: and an asshole ?
WereBear
Here’s some tips to help cats cope with holiday guests:
Cat Friendly Holidays
cathyx
No wonder you’re in a Christmas funk. Maybe you can visit your godson.
Silver
@Wiesman:
Half of the fun of wow is getting your interface set up. I think I’m down to under 70 addons now that I did some housecleaning…
Wiesman
@Silver: 70! Wow! (so to speak)
lamh35
this time tomorrow, I’ll be on my way to NOLA for my NOLA Christmas VayKay.
Get to see the new baby (who almost 1 now) and the rest of my fam.
Woot Woot.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Hill Dweller: Because he’s a bombastic jackass who lives in a world of fantasy and poutrage?
Which show?
Quicksand
Wait, some people are bothered by NOT spending Christmastime with family?
I’m distressed because I AM spending Christmastime with family!
Hill Dweller
@Comrade Mary: I didn’t see it, but apparently Uygur was on G4(?) telling people the President was going to lock them up indefinitely, and voting for Ron Paul was the only way to save ourselves.
PurpleGirl
@cathyx: Granted that Cole’s parents may already have plans involving their families, as an extended member (being the godparent for Cole gets JC some status), he can and should make some plans to either have them at his place or to see them at theirs.
And JC can play at being silly with Cole. Babies that young are great for silly play.
Stooleo
So, last week the wife and I picked up our new Icelandic Sheepdog puppy. Her name is Roxy and she is 10 weeks old. Here is a little video of her first interaction with our cat Bella.
Linda Featheringill
@Suffern ACE:
The nurturing kitty looks like my friend Zephyr, who died some years ago. Beautiful critter.
Beings more temporary than ourselves . . . .
Suffern ACE
@Hill Dweller:
On what grounds? It would take an incredible leap and a rather steep slippery slope to get from “terror suspects” to “Viewers of Attack the Show”
smintheus
Ugh. We really settled Iraq’s political problems with that surge and left it a model of stability, didn’t we?
The situation is already much worse than yesterday, when Maliki was threatening to arrest al-Hashimi’s bodyguards. He is moving very quickly to establish semi-dictatorial powers and to marginalize/arrest a large number of Sunni leaders. This does not look it is going to end well…and it was entirely predictable…in fact, some of us did predict it.
MikeJ
@Stooleo: From your puppy link:
dmsilev
Can’t you train the dogs to be your companions in SW:TOR? I’d suggest doing the same for the cats, but I think we all know that cats are Sith Lords at heart.
PurpleGirl
@Stooleo: Has the furry toy survived?
The puppeh is cute; how are Roxy and Bella getting along now?
Shinobi
SWTOR is down and I am depressed, I have only had it for 2 days. This is going to be bad.
quannlace
I was wondering that myself. Does the rented house come ready-decorated and with a live-in cook? Otherwise, why did he bother?
Hill Dweller
@Suffern ACE: Again, this is a second-hand paraphrase from a friend, so take it FWIW. He said Uygur was making the slippery slope argument, and claiming the government could call drug users terrorists to rationalize indefinite detention of US citizens.
Villago Delenda Est
@smintheus:
The winners of the US Invasion of Iraq: Dick Cheney’s cronies, and the ayatollahs in Tehran.
Villago Delenda Est
@Shinobi:
“Need….lightsaber…fix…so…bad…”
gaz
@Villago Delenda Est: For SWTOR woes, I suggest skyrim, applied liberally until the swelling goes down. If the problem persists, consult your marijuana dispensary.
Nellcote
Hey JC, why don’t you go volunteer at a shelter/food pantry/soup kitchen? Or bake a gazillion holiday cookies for same if you don’t want to leave your house.
Suffern ACE
@Hill Dweller: Oh honestly. Why in hell would they do that? Is it so hard to get a conviction of drug users? Ron Paul. Defender of the dope head.
John D.
@Shinobi: It’s only down until midnight EST. Hang in there!
Southern Beale
Here’s my Christmas blog post … for what it’s worth.
I don’t know if I’ll be doing much blogging this week, I sorta need a break.
FlipYrWhig
@Hill Dweller: Well, remember, Cenk Uygur wasn’t run off MSNBC because he was just another guy in a suit with a fat head yelling about something… it was because he was a strong voice that had to be silenced before anyone else could find their way back out of the Matrix. I mean, that’s just self-evident.
Stooleo
@PurpleGirl:
Cat and dog are now friends. It’s pretty hilarious when they play.
Stuffed cow is still around… for now.
suzanne
John, I feel you. that would piss me off, too.
My personal Christmas angst stems from the fact that my mothers and I have repeatedly spent the time and money to travel back to New York to visit her sister (my aunt) and her family, both at the holidays and other times. And yet they never come out here. I know that a large reason for that is that my cousin (my aunt’s oldest daughter) is one of those total fuckups in life, and along with her husband and two kids, is almost forty and is still being supported by her parents. So I know money is tight. but FFS.
I suppose I shouldn’t be bitter but should just feel proud of myself for not being such a lowlife, but it pisses me off.
The prophet Nostradumbass
I went out for a while today, and when I got home there was a message on my answering machine. It was a robocall from some group of ratfuckers going on about how we’d be better off if Hillary Clinton was the President. I should have taken down the name of the group, but I deleted the message.
Fraud Guy
3 dogs, 3 cats. That’s it?
Shinobi
@John D.: BUT THAT’S MY BEDTIME!!
gogol's wife
@Stooleo:
That puppy is so cute. I want her.
Efroh
pics of cute animals or it’s not happening. :)
Mnemosyne
@suzanne:
I think you haven’t spent enough time calling them on below zero days in New York to tell them, “Oh, yeah, it’s 75 here right now. We’re going to barbeque for dinner and sit out on the patio.”
Hell, gloating about the weather in wintertime is half the fun of living in the southwest.
Phylllis
Where in SC are they? Just the general area; not interested in stalking them or anything. Might be able to make some tourist/restaurant recommendations.
Paul in KY
@Stooleo: Super cute puppeh. Balla was showing her who’s boss!
Paul in KY
@Southern Beale: Well, I don’t get Xmas cards from Charlie Daniels! (scuffs floor & walks off muttering).
Nancy
John,
I think I get your feeling about family. The parents have these rules, many times unspoken, that everyone must be “home,” their home, for the holidays. Then they change the rules.
That said, my Dad’s been gone almost 30 years and my Mom for 10. She changed the rules a lot in the 20 years that she lived without him. I had a sense of mild betrayal. Finally came to terms with it, luckily for me in time to be generally OK with her and our relationship.
This is not intended as one of those “I know how you feel” things, because I don’t claim to, only you know, and it is not meant as an “appreciate them now before they’re gone” message. Just meant as families are complex and your feelings are right because they are what you feel.