Hope everyone is having a great time during the holiday season. Life at our house has been more than a little strained for the past couple of months but we'll see what happens.
It's a real slow day at work since everyone is getting ready for the holidays so I thought I'd bore you guys with my presence while I ramble away.
W and I have pretty much gotten frustrated with one another but I've done a fair job of pushing everything aside for the holidays. Spending a lot of time with the two kids that are here and trying to be upbeat. OS is coming into town tomorrow so we'll have everyone together for Christmas.
Got all of the Christmas shopping done, even got most of the stuff for W's side of the family which she usually does herself. I thought that was a pretty big accomplishment. Got it done and mailed two weeks ago. AND managed to avoid using a credit card to pay for anything. Even W mentioned that this was the probably the first time in the 25 years we've been married that we didn't go into debt over Christmas!
Personally, I think it's because I did a lot of the shopping this year, but she'll never admit to that. Also, I'm not sure its true anyway 'cause I think W used her card to buy more than a few things. But I kept my mouth shut. Its a compulsion with her and I've given up trying to manage her finances. Everytime I pay off her credit card bill she just finds something else that she just has to buy for somebody. The only effective management tool has been to let her use it, then not offer to pay the bill when it comes.
Anyway, D is enrolled in the local college for next semester and she's looking forward to getting back to school. Since dumping her boyfriend and moving up here this fall, she's been busy reinventing herself...not that I thought the old D was that bad. In addition to taking a semester off, and changing schools to live with us, she decided to change her major. I will never understand women. Between changing colleges and majors, she's lost about 25 credit hours...almost a full year of school! And can anyone tell me what you do with a degree in Anthropology???
It's hard to keep my opinion's to myself (I know, hard for some of you to believe that) but I'm trying real hard to be a spectator and just cheer her on.
YS is in kind of the same boat. Still trying to find himself, but at least he doesn't burst into tears when I tell him to get off his a$$...not that he necessarily listens either, but at least I get to vent.
W got an A in the class she took last semester. I've suggested that she take two classes this time around, but she's still nervous about overloading herself. Again, I try not to push, but I know she'll feel better about herself if she gets a promotion at her job, and she only needs a few more classes to get her certification. She really seems to enjoy working there and the promotion will mean she'll make more the double her current salary.
As far as our relationship goes, I'm just doing a lot of thinking still. This cycle we've gotten ourselves in just sucks. I've told W I'm pretty much out of ideas and have been detaching more and more. In predictable fashion, W first gave me the cold shoulder, then suggested we start going to C again, then says she'll go by herself and now acts like she wants to bend over backward to please me. Of course, If I decide to jump back in, I'm pretty sure she'll back off again. That's pretty much been the pattern and frankly, I'm real tired of playing the game.
But for now, it's Christmas! The kids are all going to be home and New Year's is just around the corner.
And, of course, the Nittany Lion's are ranked #3, are playing in the Orange Bowl, and are going to whup up on Florida State on national TV so all-in-all, life's still good.
Y'all take care. Be good and have a Merry Christmas!
