Clusterheadaches.com Message Board (http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Posts >> The Holidays are........
(Message started by: don on Nov 19th, 2004, 9:41am)

Title: The Holidays are........
Post by don on Nov 19th, 2004, 9:41am
......upon us and I sit here reflecting back on earlier festive holiday parties.

Always began with an abundant buffet of

Cocktails and Cocaine.

The buffet would go on for an hour (1,2,3, days) until Dominoes delivered the main course for the evening. By then no one had an appetite so we would continue with the abundant buffet of

Cocktails and Cocaine.

All would gather around the decorated Harley Super Glide in the living room and share our Christmas stories and

Cocktails and Cocaine.

Some one would crank up the Marantz reciever and we would enjoy holiday music from 10 Years After, Cream, Grand Funk Railroad while indulging in an abundance of

Cocktails and Cocaine.

Gazing out the window at the Hallmark landscape and all of the cars pulling up front with festive lights on the roof flashing way.

Whats that sound? The clatter of many footsteps coming up the staircase. Is it? Could it be? YES! It's Seargeant St. Nicholas with all of his merry helpers!

Where are the

Cocktails and Cocaine?

Some holiday guests would become so excited they would all have to run to the bathroom at the same time!

Flush Flush Flush
Flush Flush Flush
Sgt. St. Nicholas is on the way.

The festive holiday party would always end with some of our festive party goers getting free sleigh rides in the cars with  festive lights on the roof flashing way.

I'm sure many of my old friends are flecting back as we speak. I know they have plenty of time on their hands.

Hallmark Moments.

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Jeepgun on Nov 19th, 2004, 9:45am
BTDT. Usually, the parties would end up with couches being festively thrown through the living room window, fistfights erupting on the front lawn, the occasional orgy, and a big crescendo with all of St. Nick's merry men in blue showing up. The next morning would usually be filled with regret and bad hangovers.

Here's to better days, Don. :)

-Frank

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by nani on Nov 19th, 2004, 9:47am
Beautiful don...I love how sentimental you can get.
Ah yes the holidays... almost makes me want to write a beautiful story about my childhood Christmas'. I would title it:
Watching Bi-polar Mom Throw All Your Presents Out The Window On Christmas Morn...

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by ExplodingEyeBall on Nov 19th, 2004, 10:00am
I almost feel guilty saying that all of the childhood Christmases (In the 60s. I'm old) I remember were absolutely wonderful.

It would start out on Christmas eve with me and my 4 siblings watching out the window to see if we could spot Rudolphs' nose in the sky.

We would watch the Santa radar on the news to track where Santa was at any given time.

We would NEVER forget to leave out hot chocolate and cookies for Sante. I remember my Dad would always tell us to make sure and leave home made chocolate chip cookies for Santa because he knew that was the kind he likes. But back in the 60s, Home made was about the only cookies around any way.

All of the Christmas Eve specials would be on the (black and white) TV all night and the next morning. It would be an entire couple of days of the Andy Williams Christmas Special, The King Family Christmas Special, and Lawrence Welks Christmas Special.

Christmas morning would involve 3 girls and 2 boys waking up before 6:00 A.M. and my parents saying 'Go back to bed for while'.

By 6:30 A.M., we would have our parents irritated enough to actually get out of bed and let us open our presents.

Mom would spend the entire morning picking up our messes behind us as we went. She would also make sure that we got some kind of decent breakfast. She would tell us 'It's going to be a long day. You need to eat good.'

My parents always made sure that we had plenty of time to play with our new stuff in the morning and then we would go to Grandmas' house and start all over again.

Now, It's my turn to try and make holidays as special for Mackenzie as they were for me.

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Margi on Nov 19th, 2004, 10:18am
:) I remember Christmas in the 60's too, so don't feel bad, Eye.

I was the youngest of the three grandchildren and we always spent Christmas at my grandparents' cabin in the Rockies (close to Banff).  My mum and I would sleep on the pull out couch in front of the fireplace and I remember one particular Christmas when I was determined to stay awake to see Santa come down that chimney (although I always wondered how he was never burned alive...).

I firmly believe that my family drugged me in those days because I never ONCE was able to catch the old goat doling out the loot.  But I do clearly remember hearing reindeer hooves on the roof (pebbles thrown by Santa's helper, Gramps, no doubt).  I woke up to see pieces of Santa's beard (torn pieces of cotton batton) stuck to the side of the hearth and reindeer poop in the snow.  It took me years before I would ever eat chocolate covered raisins.  

There on the hearth was also what I had been hoping for - an Easy Bake Oven and a Skipper doll.  I immediately gave Skipper a new hairdo (much to my mother's horror - I was ahead of my time with the punk 'do I gave that girl!) and then burned the hell out of a Easy Bake Cake.  Skipper ate it though. OK, maybe the dog helped her a lil bit.  ;)

Then Gramma would proceed to make us the most greasy turkey dinner, tomato aspic  :P and lumpy mashed potatoes with TURNIPS mixed into them.  It's amazing any of us survived her cooking but we'd wolf it down so that we could get outside and get the horses to pull us around on skis and toboggans.  

Picture postcard Christmases here in those days.  :)



Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Ruth on Nov 19th, 2004, 10:39am
I am really old, remember Holidays from the 50's.
Always with an abundance of love. I am not going to say life was perfect, weird folks in my family too.
I hope we learned from our pasts how to make the future a better place for our family and friends.

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Kevin_M on Nov 19th, 2004, 10:44am

on 11/19/04 at 09:41:29, don wrote:
I sit here reflecting back on earlier festive holiday parties.

Always began with an abundant buffet of...


Ah yes Don.  The cutting of the decorative straws, sharing and passing of the plate assisting with the less fortunate among the consistent usual attendees: Down the street Dave, the Mole, the Mosely, Duwanna Donna, Chatty Cathy, Larry Lotto, Eight Ball Al, the KMan aka K Master and a host of a dozen others coming and going.
 And the pictures taken, first turning this way, then that way.  The hanging of sentences over our heads for that "thoughtful" feeling, and getting the whole social event written up in the paper.  I guess not ending the holidays by March was forgetting our etiquette a bit.  
 Now I usually work on holidays, a host of new memories are still waiting to begin, but now dinner is not shoved under the fold-out cardboard covered metal bed while wondering who to make a collect call to from a cell, and I can close a door and pee in private.

You kill me Don.    ;;D


Kevin M



Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by don on Nov 19th, 2004, 1:38pm

Quote:
I remember Christmas in the 60's too


60's ??

I was talking about last year.

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Jeepgun on Nov 19th, 2004, 2:09pm
I was talking about the early nineties. Half of that decade passed in a fog of shameless debauchery, wretched excess, and mindless hedonism... (Yeah, it was a hell of a lot of fun!) LOL!

Thankful to be leading a cleaner, quieter life now, though... ;)

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by don on Nov 19th, 2004, 2:22pm

Quote:
shameless debauchery, wretched excess, and mindless hedonism..


WHAT?

Hey pal I gave up the cocktails and cocaine  now you want me to give up that other stuff to?

Not this week.

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by brain_cramps on Nov 19th, 2004, 2:29pm

on 11/19/04 at 10:44:53, Kevin_M wrote:
...Down the street Dave, the Mole, the Mosely, Duwanna Donna, Chatty Cathy, Larry Lotto, Eight Ball Al, the KMan aka K Master and a host of a dozen others coming and going...


Sounds like my neighborhood except ya forgot the 'pizza'  ;) delivery guy.   Gotta love it when they deliver at 6AM     ;;D

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Jeepgun on Nov 19th, 2004, 2:35pm
LOL, Don! Gotta keep up with your vices! ;) [smiley=laugh.gif]

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Kevin_M on Nov 19th, 2004, 3:23pm

on 11/19/04 at 14:29:16, brain_cramps wrote:
ya forgot the 'pizza'  ;) delivery guy.   Gotta love it when they deliver at 6AM     ;;D


Oh I'm he's in there.  Most chose to stop by, and never leave.


Kevin M

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Ruth on Nov 19th, 2004, 3:24pm
[smiley=crackup.gif]

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by nani on Nov 19th, 2004, 4:33pm
I hate all you people with normal parents and/or enough money to buy cocaine!  ;;D

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Grandma_Sweet_Boy on Nov 19th, 2004, 5:25pm
Define normal - I'm not sure anymore!  I'm with you on this one Nani!  No bi-polar Mom, but a father that could whip a belt off his trousers and onto your ass quicker than you could say 'I didn't do it'!

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Charlie on Nov 19th, 2004, 7:21pm
Ah...50s Christmases. Every year my cheap uncles bought my dad a bottle of Schenley's Reserve in a Christmas package....godawful blended "whiskey," and a carton of Camels (they were $5 then) in a Christmas box with a fake bow. Dad, the meantime, made Martinis and Manhattans for my aunts. I got into the Mogen David "grape juice" and Dad always let me have a little snort too. Then we broke out the Tom & Jerrys and the Old Grand Dad spiked eggnog. If things weren't already a blur, we then dove into the the Glogg. If that didn't do the trick or make you pass out in the snow on the sidewalk, nothing would.

Lots of herring and lutefisk if you hadn't arleady barfed all over the porch. We always left a libation for Santa too. That's where the jolly old fart got jolly.

Deck the halls.

Charlie http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/push.gif




Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by brain_cramps on Nov 19th, 2004, 8:17pm

on 11/19/04 at 17:25:23, Grandma_Sweet_Boy wrote:
...a father that could whip a belt off his trousers and onto your ass quicker than you could say 'I didn't do it'!


Aaahhhhh...   memories!      ;;D

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by cschick on Nov 19th, 2004, 10:17pm
Well my wonderful child decided when he was 3 that Santa Claus had enough milk at everyone else's houses that he would need a beer by the time he got here.  So the tradition at my house is to leave Ol' St Nick a plate of Oreos (they are Santas favorite!) and a Bud Light, ice cold!  Santa needs it by the time Colin goes to bed!   [smiley=laugh.gif]

Karen

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by cootie on Nov 20th, 2004, 2:08am
Christmas is not complete without the Cheech and Chong's Christmas song ! A little for you and a little bit more for me Pam  (that never got caught)

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Jonny on Nov 20th, 2004, 5:16am
Don,

Lance called from the bath house...said he could not get ahold of you before your Saturday morning visit.

He says you have your choice of a milky sausage or a chubby pickle.

What should I tell him?

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by BarbaraD on Nov 20th, 2004, 6:22am
Except for a couple, we always had "normal" fairly normal Christams (mass chaos when all the aunts and uncles and cousins arrived!)

One year back in the 80s I went to put the turkey on to cook (had it thawing on the counter). It was gone. I looked the house over, accused the dogs of taking it and was getting a little out of sorts when my darling teenage son came in. I asked him if he'd seen the turkey --

Welll,,,,,,,, we had some new neighbors and it seems he had seen that they had a lot of kids and "probably couldn't afford a turkey for Christmas!" so he had taken MY turkey over to them to welcome them to the neighborhood. After I blew up and told him if they could afford that damn house, they could buy their own turkey!!!!!! I finally went out and bought another turkey, put it in the pressure cooker and we still had Christmas dinner. But those people turned out to be good neighbors so maybe he had an insight into that one.

I never did like eggnog so I just drank the "spike" and usually had a few sinking spells the next day.

Ahhhhh memories.

Don, hope this year is one to "remember".

Hugs BD

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by LeLimey on Nov 20th, 2004, 8:04am
I loved Christmas as a kid. My parents had a small hotel in London and every year we had 20-30 students from the North American College, a seminary in Rome, staying with us. For some reason they weren't allowed to go back to the USA until after they were ordained so they used to travel and we had about 20 years of them coming to us.
It made Christmas for me having all those lads there, I was the oldest in my family and suddenly I had tons of big brothers and I loved it. Also my mum was a bit of a cow but she was fine when there were other people about so Christmas was always the very best time for us. No matter how many games us kids got there were always enough people to play all of them at the same time and we were spoilt rotten being taken to parks constantly etc!
We would all sit together every evening playing games, singing or watching the wizard of oz or the great escape on telly AGAIN! ( To this day xmas isn't right without the wizard of oz!)
Now that I have kids of my own Christmas is magical again and quite watery... I'm one of these sad sacks with watery eye syndrome.. I get all gooey when I'm really happy!
So any of you that are catholics and have parish priests who studied in Rome.. chances are they spent Christmas with me once upon a very happy time! I'm not in touch with my family anymore but I know they are still in touch with just about each and every one of "our" boys. I still miss them and Christmas never goes by without thinking of them and wondering how they are.
Bless them all anyway!

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by OneEyeBlind on Nov 20th, 2004, 12:50pm
Ahhhhhhh, holidays in my house growing up were always good.  With twelve children you always had the "in the middle of the night" awakening, telling you that Santa had come to visit ALREADY !!!!!!!  Mom & Dad would line us up on the stairs, oldest to youngest when we finally flipped them out of bed with our cries of excitement.  Piles upon piles of presents neatly stacked in every corner and nook in the living room.  Of course, the presents were always what you really needed, except one.  One present would always be just something special, something you really really were dying to have.  So along with the underwear that you needed, a Barbie Doll, or an Easy Bake Oven would appear.  

Ahhhhhhhhhh, yes, the joys of Christmas past.  

For years I hid the final big present for our daughter.  She would have to follow the clues to get her special gift.  Always something she wanted, not what she needed.  Up until last year I was still hiding a gift for her, and she is going to be 22 soon.  

Ahhhhhhhhhh, yes, the joys of Christmas past.

This year may be different.  Sad that things must change, but they do.  I'll find the joys of Christmas somewhere though, in the faces of my nieces and nephews, or in my sisters and brothers.  And Christmas will once again come and go.  

Title: Re: The Holidays are........
Post by Testy1 on Nov 21st, 2004, 2:43pm
Please stop talking about Christmases in the '60s like it was the early neolithic. I remember them way too well.
:(

What I want is the original black & white movie of A Christmas Carol with Bob Cratchett and Ebenezer Scrooge. It has to be the original one where the ghost of Christmas past or whenever was a sheet on a coat-hanger. (Sorry, I don't think Spielberg was born then!)

Jack



Clusterheadaches.com Message Board » Powered by YaBB 1 Gold - SP 1.3.1!
YaBB © 2000-2003. All Rights Reserved.