A Christmas Celebration with a SPARK

This is the time of year that I truly hate with a passion. I have never been one to enjoy Christmas because its never about the ones you love, its usually about what you didn't get and ill feelings. Growing up in my family we used to travel to Colorado Springs to spend it with my grandparents. On the years we didn't go, we stayed home and tried to make the best of it. I had a brother who never liked what he got and always asked my parents for the receipts so he could exchange any clothes he received. My most memorable Christmas was with my brother Stan when he was at home from the Army and we played Football in a snow storm. The Local paper came by and took a picture of us playing football in a snow storm we had during christmas break. This memory has always been close to my heart. This year it all changed for me. Tracy and I had a great christmas.

We made pretzels, and also got Candy Canes and made goody bags. We went caroling to some of the members of my ward. I have "NEVER" done this in the past with just my family so I was way out of my comfort zone but I did it like I was a pro. This was the start of a family tradition. I actually think I was one of the loudest singing. Surprisingly no doors slammed on us. HA HA. We did our gifts as a family christmas morning. No disappointments this year. The Wynne family usually does this huge gift exchange every year with all the kids and adults. HE HE Well lets just say someone spiked the soda's.

My mother in law who I consider my mother since I don't have a relationship with and do not associate with the one that gave birth to me, asked me to be kind. I told her that if people are going to give me something to talk about, then it should be talked about.

Since were Mormon and no one drinks alcohol it had to be something else that caused this family riff this year. Oh wait, I think I know what it was. I think it was a pinch to much of "EGO" that was added. Its nice to know that my family was not the only dysfunctional one growing up. Even as adults people still have issues. What is Christmas with out a family fight. Every year is usually Tracy and I and in the privacy of our own home at that, and not for the world to see. Its like the tables turned. Tracy and I had been so blessed that not even that devil himself could get in our way. We just stood by and let someone else have the fun. It had to do with gift exchanges and doing it as family's and not individual. I guess some didn't like the opinions of others and this sparked controversy that led to family going home before the party actually getting started. What can I say.. Memories... They all came back to me. My uncle once beat up my aunt because he didn't like the kind of pie she made, but then he was drunk and not a Mormon, Then the next year, my brother Stan smarted off to him and he tried to beat him up, and that's when all the cousins took him to the alley with sticks and rocks and taught him a lesson not to pick on kids. So many issues in my family it would take months to blog about them.


This year the award went to Adam and Heather. Although they are not actually related to me by blood, I give them the award anyway. Hell, all my family has divorced, split up and went different ways, never celebrate the holidays anymore together, so the tradition must continue. But to end on a good note,

I am so grateful for such a loving and supportive wife, 2 beautiful kids which I adore, and last but not least, to all my many friends and family that love me and have supported me---> I LOVE YOU ALL AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A Bargain or a Steal

They call me the christmas Grinch. I hate christmas time with a passion. Its always about the meaning of what you don't get and what you didn't give. So this year I have been on a terror. It started with Conns. We went shopping for a Meat Freezer to store our meat and other frozen items in. I go into the store and behold I see this upright freezer. Its marked $297.00. It advertises that it "Supposed" to have a lock, a digital control on the outside to control the temperature. Well it didn't have it on the display. I asked for a manager and of course he was at lunch. I asked for the sales person who was helping me,(well not really, he was the guy who tried to help me but I told him to get lost until I needed help)yea that guy. So I asked him where the gadgets were on the item. He said its a misprint and that it shouldn't be that way. I had him look it up in his system and of course the system had a "Misprint" as well. So I asked for a manager because I wanted to buy that Freezer at that price with the supposed features on it. Knowing that it didn't exist and someone made a mistake, I demanded a manager call me. If he didn't have it in the store, then he needed to find me one.

I called about an hour later since I didn't get a call back, The manager knew what I was talking about and asked if he can call me back in 2 to 3 min. I agreed. 2 1/2 Hours later I called him back. I was headed down to get my HDDVR that I saved $300.00 on, so I stopped by to talk to this manager who was supposed to call me back. So I am sitting on the couch about 15 feet from him and they told him I was waiting for him> He picks up the phone and calls my cell phone not realizing I was talking to him and looking at him as he was me.

So we proceeded to greet eachother and I walked him over to the unit. He said" Oh its a misprint> I said "oh really" and he said let me see what I can do for you. He gets on the phone, calls corporate, only to say its corporates mistake, and say that he would offer me the bigger one at the same price as the smaller one but it didnt have the gadgets. I was of course not impressed and asked what about the bigger one with the gadgets. Of course that one was $600.00, and he looked at me and said let me see what I can do. So he said that I could get the bigger one with gadgets for $50.00 more then the smaller one with no gadgets. So I got us a Brand New Frigidaire Freezer "With the gadgets" for $347.00. The original cost was $600.00

So this year I played the Grinch and got away with a great Steal.. Oh my bad,, DEAL!!!!