Happy Festivus for the Rest of Us!

While I'm not enjoying the Christmas season as I usually do, I'm not trashing it either.... I'm just not into it this year.... Usually I totally dive into the Festive Cheer of the Holidays by breaking out the Christmas decorations... By the time I unload the two or three rubber maids, it almost looks like Christmas vomited all over my living room. From a Christmas tree - usually with a story behind it - decked out in Holiday Style... To a foot and a half foot tall Santa, standing below the big screen TV... To a reindeer hanging on the front door bidding guests welcome... To a penguin cookie jar sitting on the coffee table, full of seasonal candy. This year, however... I'm a bit of a Grinch (you can find an ornament in one of the earlier mentioned Rubbermaid.)... a Scrooge if you will... But not really....

I hate to make another Seinfeld reference, but I think the nuts were onto something when they proposed "Happy Festivus for the rest of Us!" I was shocked when I googled the phrase to find out that it was much more than an idea from a crazy sitcom. While it may have been introduced on Seinfeld, the phrase "Happy Festivus for the Rest of Us" seems to have a far greater history than just a punchline to get a laugh. I'll sum it up for you, because you can do the work to find out more for yourself. "Happy Festivus" as explained by the "ever-truthful" and "respected" Wikipedia is "Celebrants of the holiday sometimes refer to it as "Festivus for the rest of us," a saying taken from the O'Keefe family traditions and popularized in the Seinfeld episode to describe Festivus as "another way" to celebrate the holiday season without participating in its pressures and commercialism." (And I'll explain the rest here shortly...)

DISCLAIMER: I'm not making any sort of Religious statement at all here, so no need to get up in arms. I have no issue with anyone, any religion or anything like that, so please don't take this as such. I may not be enjoying the holidays as much as I usually do, but I have no problem with anyone celebrating Christmas or Hanuka, or any other Celebrated Days.

This year's just a little different for me.... Being that I'm of the Unemployed Variety, the usual Christmas commercialism has really hit me in the face... And ya, it's because I can't afford to run out and buy a pile of gifts for my parents, brother, friends and other family... I'm sorry guys, I love ya... But I'm already up to my ass with debts in Student Loans and credit cards (one of which was recently used in fraudulent activities... Thanks you little wanks!!! I hope you don't even get a lump of coal for Christmas! JERKS!) I'm not going neck deep, just to buy my bro the wrong kind of socks or my Bestie something that'll be given to Value Village in 6 months....

I saw on the news, two nights ago I think it was, a story that made me want to cry... It was the usual heart-string tugging Christmas news story... But it gave me a little bit of hope in humanity. (Ya, I made myself gag there too... Sorry.) But it really did. It made me think of what Christmas and this time of season should be about... Helping less fortunate people out... It's not necessarily about them getting a hand out but a helping hand in the right direction.

The News that I was watching posted this link : http://homelesspartners.com/site/ on their website. So, after watching the news, I checked out that link. It'll take you to a site where you can find a list of shelters in varying US and Canadian cities... After you chose your city, it will give you a drop down menu for the local shelters. Once you've chosen your shelter, you will see a list of people who live in that shelter, a brief biography of that person, and their Christmas wish list.

Fortunately, Vernon was one of the cities listed on the site, and there are two shelters here in town. So, I checked out both shelters to see if I could help some how. My eyes, quite honestly, welled up at what I saw. Most peoples lists are things most of us take for granted... Most people just want to be in your prayers..... Others wanted basic things like a warm winter jacket, or boots... Some just wanted a pre-paid phone card so they could call home for Christmas... Others just wanted a book of transit tickets so they can look for work, or go see family over the holidays... Because who wants to walk or hitch hike when they have no proper jacket or boots?

My parents watched the news with me... I told them about what I had seen on the site... Dad and I wound up dropping off a couple coats down at the Men's Shelter. It was nice to know that stuff you may be "hoarding" can be given to someone who truly appreciates it... And may not get a Christmas present otherwise.

It's not always about me; So HAPPY FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US!!!!!

Pulling a George, BC Style

I'd like to start this post by apologizing for the lack of December Entries. A lot of what seems like nothing has kept me from posting. I will definitely attempt to go back to the old ways of posting almost every day. So let me tell you what's been holding me up over the past few weeks.

Two weeks ago, this past weekend, I made the journey from Edmonton, Alberta back to my home town of Vernon, BC. Finally deciding to make the move was not an easy decision to make by any means. I had made a life in Edmonton over the past seven and a half years. I had a routine down, I had friends, I knew the city pretty well, had a job - albeit a dead end job.... I know in the past I've cut Edmonton down by calling it Deadmonton, Hellberta.. I've bitched about the weather and how cold winters can be... I've crabbed about how the pot holes in the streets tend to swallow cars... I've mentioned that the streets are dirty long after snow disappeared.... I've not been a fan of Edmontonians that seem to mirror their cold weather. I needed a break from it all...

The trip from Edmonton to Vernon was fairly un-eventful. No accidents to report. The road conditions were clear for the most part - except at the summit where the plow made the road washboardy bumpy. We came across a few herds of Bighorn Sheep and only had to slow to a stop for one of those herds as they stretched across the road. There were sheep of varying ages, some with tiny baby horns to the full out majestic rounded horns of the elders of the herd. I was disappointed when I missed an amazing photo op.... The alpha male of the herd stood at the edge of the highway protecting his "sheep-le" that were behind him grazing. He reminded me of how Bambi's father was depicted in Bambi. The Bighorn Sheep were the memorable part of the trip, for the most part, except when we passed the Welcome to British Columbia sign signalling that I had made it back to where I belong. (A few pictures were posted here on my blog.)

So, let me tell you what I've traded my Albertan life in for.... Essentially, I am pulling a "George" from the TV show Seinfeld. While I'm not a short, portly, balding, unemployed man with glasses living in my parents' basement... I do bare two of the characteristics... I'm unemployed and living with my parents again... I moved out for the first time at the age of 19 and now, 10 years later - I feel like a George. In the harder economic times, I know I'm not the first person to move back in with my parents, but that bears little comfort for me. I won't rag though, I know some people don't have the option of family to fall back on. I'll try to put as positive a spin on it that I can.

I'm back in BC where I belong. I will be a BC girl until my ticket gets punched. Driving through the mountains, that the tall buildings of Edmonton seemed to cover the absence of, was the first thing that settled me back into BC life. Lakes were the second thing I missed. Lucky for me, my parents just moved into a lake front property right on Okanagan Lake. (Maybe this summer I'll attempt to find and wrestle the Ogopogo! Tee Hee.) The scenery is beautiful, the sunrises and sunsets on the lake... One morning the lake was steaming, it was quite a sight. I've been out on the deck at night and heard the coyotes yipping to each other. (At first I found it unsettling, it sounded like a bunch of people cheering.) Also while out on the deck at night, I saw a beaver's fat bum kind of waddle and splash into the lake. I watched him swim under the neighbours' dock, then back to ours then out into the lake back to his family. I've seen deer tracks in the snow of my parents' lawn as well as actual deer. My family is here, and God love 'em... We're going to drive each other mental! (But it's nice to have them around to drive me nuts!)

One of the downfalls is that I haven't been employed in about two and a half weeks.... Boredom mixed with feelings of guilt... Gnarly combination. Vernon is a smaller center and finding a job here, that doesn't include flipping burgers, is very competitive... You may have heard the line "It's not what you know, it's who you know." Vernon seems to be the epitome of that statement. I am more than qualified to push paper, but I haven't lived in Vernon for 10 or so years... So I really don't know anyone here, other than family of course. Most people that I was friends with in the area, have moved on to other areas of the country, so count that out.

My parents live out on the Okanagan Indian Reserve on the outskirts of Vernon's West side... That makes for a 25-35 minute drive from home to Vernon's actual city limits.... My parents both drive standard transmission cars... I've had a valid drivers licence since I was 16, and even took driving lessons at 16 on standards... Over the last 10 or so years, I have fallen out of practice... (So I've been practicing on the back roads and haven't stalled once! YAY ME!) So we go into town with a mission, like looking for work, restocking groceries, an appointment or visiting someone.... There are a few places I would love to snap pictures of to cure the boredom, but until I am comfortable behind the wheel, they'll have to wait.

So, that's what I've been up to while I've been neglectful of my blog. I didn't want to be whiny and drive anyone away from reading future posts. I promise I'll get back to my old jaded self and make an effort though!

It's not always about me; and I still cringe when I pass a loaded logging truck... I must be back in BC!!!