Holiday Programing

I have two DVRs in my home. (They are cable tv's version of TIVO.) When I had one DVR, I had what I call "TV homework." That's when you have to watch tv so you have more room for more tv. Now that I have two DVR's, I have much more room. One once did one threaten to fill up, and I just started recording more shows on the other one. (No, no. It'll work. You'll see.) In my opinion, I watch a lot of quality programming. I do almost no sitcoms, almost no reality television.

What I have noticed are some trends in holiday topics. It seems that almost all of the shows I watch involve words that I would rather not be focused on.

mother
father
dying
family
together
be with
peace
time of the year
goodbye


and actions, like...

crying
waking up in a hospital
dying
going home
struggling to live, then dying


Okay, I might be asking for it watching both "ER" and "Grey's Anatomy," but dangit. I wonder what the percentages are people that enjoy the holidays vs. people that do not. I ask this, because I drive for a living, and on the road this time of year, the entire population of San Diego seems to be one collective angry asshole.

Except me.

Holidays... Fuck'em!

Today, somebody asked me, "Doesn't your mother live in Alaska"?

I looked at him, hoping he wouldn't make me correct him. Instead, he asked again. I answered him, "Well, she doesn't exactly 'live' anymore. He had forgotten. It was only a slightly awkward exit from that conversation into the next.

For those of you that have not read this blog from the beginning, my parents passed away about four months apart, about a year and a half ago.

They say that the holidays are a time of stress for people, with all the spending and obligation, and that's why people act the way they do. While I would agree with this, I say the holidays are bitter reminders of bad holidays of years past, or just one big, fat reminder that some people have families, and others do not.

All you ever hear about is this is the time when families to come together. Do families actually answer that call?