My Nine-Day Holiday

Posted by Daddy Forever on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 : : 29 comments

I’m back. Anyone miss me? Didn’t think so. It has been nine days since my last post. I won’t bore you with the details of my disappearance, other than to say it involved three Klingons, two Romulans, and a Vulcan in a pear tree. Instead, I’m going to bore you with some observations. You’re welcome.

Humans are insane
What’s the deal with people who camp out in front of stores for two days before Black Friday? For those of you who don’t live in the States, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. Retailers like to kick off the Christmas season by offering incredible specials on Black Friday. I like a great deal too, but I rather spend Thanksgiving with my family. I’m not the insane one, right?

Hallogivingmas
I think Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas should be combined into one big holiday season. It’s a lot of work to take down all the Halloween stuff and pack them away. Then bring in the Christmas decor and set them all up. It would be more convenient if we could just have one set of decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The Nightmare Before Christmas theme sounds about right. Now, what shall we call this holiday? Christoweengiving? Christthanksoween?

Office Depot is cool
I’ve been looking for a good price on a new computer. My pc is about seven years old and runs on the slow side. I know better than to go to Best Buy and Circuit City on Black Friday. Instead, I went to Office Depot. I got there five minutes before they opened and there were already 40 people waiting in line. Not as bad as the thousands of people waiting to get into the electronics stores, but there were more people than I expected. By the time I got in, the bargain pc’s were sold out. When did Office Depot become a cool place to shop?

My son turned me into a zombie
Over the holidays, Spiderboy started waking up at four in the morning, which means that’s the same time I have to get up too. I’m a night owl and normally go to bed after midnight. As a result, the early wake up time turns me into a zombie by the end of the day when I’m suppose to be blogging or surfing the web.

Digital cameras are designed to torment me
Unlike previous years, I only took about 30 shots of the kids for our Christmas photo card. The Little Monkey was not in the mood for a photo shoot. At this time of the year, I really miss my old SLR. The camera was fast and very responsive. It’s so frustrating trying to take pictures of young kids with a slow digital camera. With my camera, it takes about 30 seconds for the flash to recycle. Thirty seconds may not seem like a long time for most people, but it’s an eternity if you’re working with one or two crying kids. On the other hand, my digital camera is perfect for capturing kids with their eyes closed.

Christmas photo

Christmas photo

Christmas photo

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29 Comments

November 28th, 2007 at 10:24 pm

[...] My Nine-Day Holiday [...]

 
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Comment by Chris H
November 28th, 2007 at 10:32 pm

I dunno mate, maybe that kid of yours does not have eyes!!!! Sure seems that way, or he just doesn’t like having his photo taken!!! Did you end up getting a good one of all three kids???? And… let me tell you, I have 6 (+2) and getting them all lined up and smiling is near to IMPOSSIBLE!!!

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Comment by Daddy Forever
November 28th, 2007 at 11:19 pm

I got one I can use, but it’s not as good as last year’s photo.

 
 
November 29th, 2007 at 6:14 am

[...] Travel Blogger had some great ideas on this topic.You can read a snippet of the post here.The camera was fast and very responsive. It’s so frustrating trying to take pictures of young kids with a slow digital camera. With my camera, it takes about 30 seconds for the flash to recycle. Thirty seconds may not seem like a long … [...]

 
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Comment by Dixiechick
November 29th, 2007 at 6:39 am

I am totally with you on the combining of the Holidays…my husband was totally serious about us using the Halloween decorations for Christams…I am just not that adventurous…thus, all of the decorating falls on my shoulders…Hey, Daddy O….I have a little something for you…come over and see me!

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Comment by Daddy Forever
November 29th, 2007 at 6:45 am

OK, I’ll come over tonight. Don’t tell my wife.

 
 
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November 29th, 2007 at 7:37 am

Hey there, I’m so glad to see someone else MIA with posting so I don’t feel so alone. :) If you’re insane about Black Friday sign me up. I’m so close to absolute refusal going out that day that only running out of an essential would get me out. I know exactly what you mean about the slow flash. But then I’ve slowed down too because I’ve been going to get an updated family shot for about 3 years now. :) Welcome back!!

Hugs,
Holly

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Comment by Daddy Forever
November 29th, 2007 at 7:56 pm

Black Friday is a mad house, but I just don’t understand the people who start waiting in line the day before Thanksgiving. Insane I tell you.

 
 
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Comment by amy
November 29th, 2007 at 9:48 am

Sweet pics and Office Depot was the first place we went as well

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Comment by Daddy Forever
November 29th, 2007 at 7:57 pm

I hope you had better luck. I came away with nothing.

 
 
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Comment by Rachel
November 29th, 2007 at 10:01 am

LOL! People are utterly and wholly insane for their shopping habits on Black Friday. I’m with you on that. Family is much more important than a few good bargains and a ton of insanity. I used to wait tables in a restaurant at the biggest outlet mall in Texas and I never saw anyone in a good mood on Black Friday. They were always grumpy, tired and just flat out mean. Why would you do that to yourself?
The pics of the kids are so cute! It’s always the ones that aren’t perfect that are the true treasures!
Thanks for visiting!!

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Comment by Daddy Forever
November 29th, 2007 at 8:00 pm

Guys must be the really insane ones. The news show moms and wives bringing food to the guys waiting in line on Thansgiving.

 
 
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Comment by Doris Clark
November 29th, 2007 at 12:00 pm

It is a crazy thing Black Friday.

Imagine if we used film in our cameras!! The horror!

I like the combining idea…they have it for the Xmas season…why not get Thanksgiving and Halloween on board…hallothankschristmakwanzakah. That should cover all your bases!

Keep smilin!

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Comment by Daddy Forever
November 29th, 2007 at 8:03 pm

I was still using film at the start of the digital age. Then Costco stopped selling film. Soon after that, my SLR stopped working too.

 
 
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Comment by Leslie
November 29th, 2007 at 4:47 pm

I’d been wondering about you! The Christmas pictures of your children turned out much better than mine. Much. Our Christmas card should be called The Nightmare Before Christmas. Because it was.

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Comment by Daddy Forever
November 29th, 2007 at 8:05 pm

I thought the pouting photo was cute. Why do kids make it so difficult to take a decent picture? It’s not like we’re sticking a needle into them.

 
 
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Comment by Ann
November 29th, 2007 at 8:49 pm

Your munchkins are so cute.

and I’m not a fan of Black Friday. It bugs me. Sleep in for Gods sake.

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Comment by Daddy Forever
November 30th, 2007 at 5:46 am

I like to sleep in too, but my son won’t let me. Maybe you can have a talk with him about that.

 
 
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Comment by peepnroosmom
November 30th, 2007 at 3:41 am

Yes! Combine the Holidays. Hallothanksmas!

Thats a mighty big smile on Spiderboy.

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Comment by Daddy Forever
November 30th, 2007 at 5:48 am

He does have the biggest smile. I have no idea why he smiles like that when we tell him to smile for the camera.

 
 
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Comment by Desert Songbird
December 1st, 2007 at 9:39 am

I think you and I determined that we have the same digital camera, and I agree - when you use flash, it is slow. Next time try setting up the photo so that no flash is required. You’ll get faster reset time. You’ll need a tripod or unipod, though, to steady the shot.

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Comment by Daddy Forever
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:04 pm

Funny girl. This time of year in the NW, we alway need to use flash. It’s cloudy every day…dark rain clouds. We don’t see sun for another six months.

 
 
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Comment by kris
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:27 pm

Well. Happy Christthanksoween.
And yeah- Office Depot- who’da thunk?
Your kids are absolutely precious.
Wish I lived next door. I’d want to be
snapping away.

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Comment by Daddy Forever
December 2nd, 2007 at 8:05 pm

Sure, you could be the official photographer of the Forever clan. You take great photos.

 
 
December 4th, 2007 at 2:52 pm

Welcome back! I like Christthanksoween best I think.

Hope you are finished being a zombie soon!

My camera is surprisingly good at the eyes closed shots too. Maybe it’s a conspiracy. About what I don’t know, but still.

 
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Comment by mary mert
December 5th, 2007 at 9:16 am

Have you ever watched My Name Is Earl? *snort* His eyes are always closed during a picture. I love the pictures though! Your kids could be full making faces and they would still be adorable.

 
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December 5th, 2007 at 7:55 pm

awww; the photos are hilarious… and sweet too!

 
December 9th, 2007 at 9:13 pm

[...] Check it out! While looking through the blogosphere we stumbled on an interesting post today.Here’s a quick excerpt I’m back. Anyone miss me? Didn’t think so. It has been nine days since my last post. I won’t bore you with the details of my disappearance, other than to say it involved three Klingons, two Romulans, and a Vulcan in a pear tree. Instead, I’m going to bore you with some observations. You’re welcome. Humans are insane What’s the deal with people who camp out in front of stores for two days before Black Friday? For those of you who don’t live in the States, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgi [...]

 
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Comment by Christian
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:42 am

This has been a tradition in Northwest Florida among many families for several years now.

 
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