A better week coming

[geoviki]

So. My mother just left after her disrupted Christmas visit, and the less said about the whole affair the better. If one were scanning the lengthy article, though, you might see: flight cancelled until after Christmas; oh, I'll just suffer all alooone through Christmas Day; I will never fly Airline X again because my flight was 2 hours late; OMG, I can't believe it's going to snow here again and I'll never be able to leave (repeat every day); where do you put 15 inches of new snow anyway?

Since my father died on New Year's Day 1989, she's been coming out here yearly for Christmas. I used to love Christmas; now I scrape through and hope for a lobotomy by the end.

Needless to say, I haven't been able to have much time online at all, and when I have it's been guilt-laden. So I get to catch up with all the fics and posts and stuff. I get my life back!

No need to commiserate. I feel bad unloading. lexin? I think you understand this situation the best, since our mothers are the same age and seem to have the same non-ability to cope with change.

Comments

[slytherincesss.livejournal.com]

*hugs* to you, Viki. No need to feel bad about unloading -- my Christmas was just about that appalling, and I'm sure I'll vent eventually about it (I'm trying to get to the point where it's kind of funny in hindsight... am not there yet...)

I'm glad you posted, though, because I wanted to make sure you saw My Invitation to a Colorado HP gathering I'm hosting next Saturday the 6th. I hope you will be able to make it!

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Yes! Coming! Thanks!

[slytherincesss.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Will be sending an e-mail out tomorrow-ish.

Can't wait to see you!

[lexin.livejournal.com]

I abosolutely understand. Totally. I only cope with Christmas because I go to my mother's for a very, very short time and even then I don't enjoy it.

My thoughts are with you.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the support.

My mother's been coming for Christmas for the past 17 years, and she has never asked - she just assumes she's coming.

This time she only stayed 5 days - usually it's 8. And the whole time she's fretting about one thing or another. Oh, it's all so dysfunctional, really, and I can't break the chain. Mostly I look upon it as a good deed for my sister, who's stuck with catering to her the other weeks of the year.

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

Heh. Don't worry about uploading. It's what you have friends on LJ for. We're here to listen -- or scroll past if we want. I have nothing of value to say other than that. *g*

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Thanks - you know I appreciate that a great deal!

[gilded-kage.livejournal.com]

One of the hard things about Christmas, for us, is that we are very far from our families.

One of the good things is ditto. ;) We had Christmas dinner with the same good friends that pamper us every year, and no dramas w. parents or in-laws.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

The freedom you must feel at Christmas would be worth it, I think.

Drama is the right word, indeed.

[legionseagle.livejournal.com]

Unload all you want in my direction. When I put my parents onto the train yesterday - they arrived on the 27th because my partner will not have them in the same house as the children if it can possibly be avoided, because the children got so scared by the temper tantrum which exploded a couple of Christmases ago because my father had forgotten what had been arranged about something and thought I was changing the arrangements without consulting him - it was a great weight off both of us. The word "Dementors" actually passed our lips. And I hate feeling like that, and I hate thinking it, but it's true. So don't feel you're alone - and for heaven's sake, don't feel guilty.

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

Boy, you hit the nail on the head - it's such a weight off when I leave the airport. Over the years, her personality - never mellow at the best of times - has worsened. The thing that most people have that keeps us from saying hurtful, interfering, irritating things has totally gone for her. And when well-meaning friends say something like, "Oh, you know you really love her and you'll be sorry when she's gone," I just can't answer. And then I feel guilty because of that. This time of year has no joy for me any more.

I'm back to the "project" - you can check it out if you like, but I'm only about half done. And I've had no time at the computer for the other, either, and I want to clear my plate so I can really get into it!

[nmalfoy.livejournal.com]

*hugs* You survived. Happy 2007!

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

I did! At least I didn't have tornadoes chasing me...glad you managed to skirt that.

[lemonade8.livejournal.com]

LOL, my aunts are having the EXACT same problem with Grandma visiting Denver!! That's why the elderly move to Florida!! Feel your pain, and we'll be hearing all about awful Colorado snow for months to come. (She lives by us)

May you be spared a Valentine visit. ;D

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

I seriously doubt she'll come back until next Christmas, if she's even able. She's very frail and cannot walk well.

But she's obsessed with weather on a good day (yes, she can watch the Weather Channel for hours at a time), so this snow really sent her off the rails.

[verdenia.livejournal.com]

As Meri said, we're here to listen or scroll--don't feel bad!

Congrats on surviving! ;P

That weather is pretty...amazing. Wowzers. ;S

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

*sings "I'm a Survivor!"*

Thanks for the support.

[best-of-five.livejournal.com]

hi! i'm here, as promised, friending you 'cos i'm very blown away by your comment on f's lj. that is just very cool of you!

-waves-

[geoviki.livejournal.com]

I'm right at this moment fixing up the language before I repost. Thanks for being so honest - of course, I never noticed the double meaning because that's not what I'd meant, but I can definitely see how it could be taken the way you did. Again, I apologize.

(I can't fix the pastede on sex, though. ;-) That was part of the request.)