Christmas Countdown - 2016

[MerryCarey]

I, unfortunately, had to take my live tree down today...it was shedding needles at a tremendous rate 2 weeks BEFORE Christmas, while it was still taking water, then it almost stopped taking water altogether. Every time someone would walk by, there would be a raining of needles, sometimes even when no one was near it. So, needless to say, it came down today, but the rest of the decorations are up until after Three Kings Day. We keep our live tree up until then, too, except for this year. It was not by choice, but necessity that we took Bruce down. Sad and a lesson learned for future Christmases.

Bruce gave his all for you! It'll still be glowing in your hearts until Three Kings Day.

 

[nmc42088]

The Christmas blues haven't started yet for me. Carolina was sad last night but me telling her Christmas is in her heart all year made her feel better. The past few years I have been worried that it will be my grandmas last Christmas and that's what makes me saddest since she is 90.

Mikes parents were not impressed with Carolina's home made gift. They thought it was vain and lazy because it was a magnet with her picture that I let her paint herself. It hurt my feelings and now I'm not sure if I should even bother giving it to his grandparents and uncles family in case they feel the same way

 

[ballcoach]

Post-Christmas shopping spree is underway. This is the time of year I usually get a lot of my clothes. Started off today at Academy, hit up Bass Pro tomorrow, and then Dilliards on New Year's Day. Got a few more things to do before I go to bed, so I better run. See ya for coffee.

 

[noodlenoggin]

So sorry to hear it's not a priority anymore! The holiday spirit seems to hang on here at least through January 2. Hope you get to enjoy as much recorded Christmas as you want! 'Tis the season to be jolly!

I mean, it's not really anything to be sorry about it. I do what I do and they do what they do and it is what it is. I'm not trying to paint my family in any kind of negative light or anything like that, they do love the holiday season as much as anyone. I think it's more reflective of society as a whole in today's day and age in that the "Christmassy" aspect of the holiday season during the immediate post-Christmas Day portion of it is almost completely gone, whereas in decades past I really feel that there used to be a much stronger effort to keep it going (but that's a conversation for another thread). I'll tell you something though, as I am seeking to develop my own home and family life, it's definitely an important quality I look for in any potential love interest of mine that they have an equal or greater love for Christmas and wish to maintain it as strongly and in the same capacity as I do. I really can't see living a life without that. So I'm still hopeful that I can one day establish my own life and home with Christmas, as well as the broader holiday season, being a major part of it.

 

[DoubleA]

Checking the sites online for those deals as well today, and of course watching Christmas movies to help with those blues. The Holiday and Four Christmases!

 

[NcGunny]

Merry Tuesday everyone!! Our snow is all gone now due to high winds and rain all night. But dont worry all will be better because.....

 

[Edge612]

Merry Tuesday everyone!! Our snow is all gone now due to high winds and rain all night. But dont worry all will be better because.....

I'm keeping calm Gunny! Have a great day!

 

[Edge612]

Good morning! Back to work the first day after Christmas is always a little tough. I don't feel bad about it though. I had a great time and a really good Christmas. I only work for 3 days and then I'm off for 4 more so life ain't so bad. Will be good to see my coworkers and ask how their Christmas went. I really think having off the 23rd helped me because I was able to use that day to set me up for Christmas Eve/Day. Got a lot done that last day before the Dynamic Duo. Nice to see that in 2017 with Eve/Day falling on a Sunday/Monday most of us will have off the 23rd with it being a Saturday. Yes I am looking ahead just a little . I did get a tiny bit of PCB'S yesterday only because my brother left for California. He usually stays a few more days but had to leave because he's closing on a house. He said he'll be back in June as usual and then back for Christmas again. It's weird but since he moved 4 years ago I think we have more fun at Christmas than when he lived 5 minutes away. Anyway, everyone have a great day today!!!

 

[Mikebek]

** OFFICIAL THREAD - CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN 2016

**
Thats how u get ready for christmas

OK, Folks!
For the 10th consecutive year here at My Merry Christmas (and the 13th year overall) it is time to begin yet another Countdown!

Here are the statistics since we began the Season Countdown idea 12 years ago:
2004 = 1,217 posts (Christmas.com) = 3.3 posts per day.
2005 = Over 2,700 posts (Christmas.com) = over 7.4 posts per day.
2006 = 3,756 posts (The Christmas Place) = 10.3 posts per day.
2007 = 1,957 posts (My Merry Christmas, where the thread was not launched until July) = 12.1 posts per day.
2008 = 5,103 posts = 13.9 posts per day.
2009 = 8,231 posts = 22.6 posts per day.
2010 = 16,226 posts = 44.5 posts per day.
2011 = 31,091 posts = 85.2 posts per day.
2012 = 39,183 posts = 107.1 posts per day.
2013 = 59,747 posts = 163.7 posts per day.
2014 = 63,096 posts = 172.9 posts per day.
2015 = 56,859 posts = 155.8 posts per day.

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. For the first time since the Season count idea began, we did NOT set a per-day post record for the year.
What somewhat surprises me, though, is that we dropped below 2013's level as well. Have we peaked? Time will tell.
But, regardless, 2015 was still a fantastic year!


And now here we are ready to go again, at the start of 2016.


A word of explanation. We are running a dual countdown in this thread - one for Christmas Day and one for the start of the Christmas Season (November 13).
There seems to be general agreement that we look forward to the entire Christmas Season rather than just to Christmas Day.
But why November 13?
Well, it just seems about the right time to regard the season as arriving. That date is exactly 6 weeks before Christmas Day and is about the time the country at large is beginning to really get into the holiday spirit. Most of the stores have decorated. And starting the season then gives us exactly 50 days (Nov 13 through Jan 1) to enjoy being "within" the season, giving it a depth that is lacking with just the Christmas Day count by itself.

We also enjoy noting special "Milestones" along the way (see the chart below).

And there is one date you CERTAINLY do not want to miss! Many of us gather here on the evening of November 12 for our annual hour by hour and then minute by minute countdown to the start of the Season at midnight Eastern Time. It's something we really look forward to and is truly great fun!

Allright, Everybody.
Climb aboard once again to enjoy reading the posts and following the count, which begins today at 317* to the Season and 359* to Christmas Day.

* (Special note: 2016 is a leap year, and as such, we must wait another day for the Season to start and for Christmas Day to arrive!)


Here is a list of our Christmas Season and Christmas Day countdown milestone markers.
[ I have not modified it for Leap Year, but day 300 for both the Season and Christmas Day will be one day later than shown.
The Day 200 and Day 100 markers do not change.
The other markers change by only fractions of days, so there is really no point recalcualting. ]

CHRISTMAS SEASON MILESTONE MARKER CHART
January 17 = Day 300
February 12 = 1/4 mark
March 15 = 1/3 mark
April 27 = Day 200
May 15 = 1/2 mark
July 14 = 2/3 mark
August 05 = Day 100
August 14 = 3/4 mark
October 07 = 90 percent (The Home Stretch begins)
November 13 = THE SEASON ARRIVES!

CHRISTMAS DAY MILESTONE MARKER CHART
February 28 = Day 300
March 26 = 1/4 mark
April 26 = 1/3 mark
June 8 = Day 200
June 26 = 1/2 mark
August 25 = 2/3 mark
Sept 16 = Day 100
Sept 25 = 3/4 mark
Nov 18 = 90 percent
December 25 = MERRY CHRISTMAS!


- CROWN

 

[Bradmac]

I have a shelf just outside the kitchen with five or six Christmas mugs in a row that I keep out year-round. They make me smile! I just got a Ralphie "You'll shoot your eye out" mug for Christmas, too.

My Christmas music enters my playlists earlier each year. It's my favorite kind of music, and the season is too short for me to play all I want to hear.

We bought some of those cheap plastic Christmas cups for a party we had at home one year, and I use them all year long. You know, it's hard to swallow with a smile on your face.

 

[Bradmac]

The Christmas blues haven't started yet for me. Carolina was sad last night but me telling her Christmas is in her heart all year made her feel better. The past few years I have been worried that it will be my grandmas last Christmas and that's what makes me saddest since she is 90.

Mikes parents were not impressed with Carolina's how made gift. They thought it was vain and lazy because it was a magnet with her picture that I let her paint herself. It hurt my feelings and now I'm not sure if I should even bother giving it to his grandparents and uncles family in case they feel the same way

It's unfortunate that Mike's parents felt that way about Carolina's hand-made Christmas gift for them. Still, I wouldn't deny the other members of Mike's family such a wonderful gift. Maybe his folks will come around one day and learn to enjoy such gifts for the special memories that they are. We carefully preserve and display every Christmas ornament, sketch and Vacation Bible School picture the kids ever made (much to their chagrin ).

 

[Bradmac]

Good Tuesday morning, Christmas friends!

Our whole house zoned out yesterday. I never even changed out of my sweatpants...all day! We movie-binged on the new big-screen TV, watching three full movies. We watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for Elizabeth, Star Trek: Beyond for me and Jacob, and The Magnificent Seven for Nancy. We only stopped long enough to make a run to McDonald's. Whew.

Most of our office is till out today, so I expect a quiet day. I hope to get a chance to peruse after-Christmas deals today. Without really discussing it with Nancy, I ordered one of those Amazon Echo devices. It won't be here till Friday, but it looked so cool I couldn't pass it up LOL!

I hope y'all have a great day! Christmas is only 363 days away!!

 

[NcGunny]

I mean, it's not really anything to be sorry about it. I do what I do and they do what they do and it is what it is. I'm not trying to paint my family in any kind of negative light or anything like that, they do love the holiday season as much as anyone. I think it's more reflective of society as a whole in today's day and age in that the "Christmassy" aspect of the holiday season during the immediate post-Christmas Day portion of it is almost completely gone, whereas in decades past I really feel that there used to be a much stronger effort to keep it going (but that's a conversation for another thread). I'll tell you something though, as I am seeking to develop my own home and family life, it's definitely an important quality I look for in any potential love interest of mine that they have an equal or greater love for Christmas and wish to maintain it as strongly and in the same capacity as I do. I really can't see living a life without that. So I'm still hopeful that I can one day establish my own life and home with Christmas, as well as the broader holiday season, being a major part of it.

Just be aware that its not a real common trait to have. And sometimes it will rub off eventually, but to specifically look for a certain standard may eventually one day come back and be a huge mistake..just my 2 cents

 

[nmc42088]

It's unfortunate that Mike's parents felt that way about Carolina's hand-made Christmas gift for them. Still, I wouldn't deny the other members of Mike's family such a wonderful gift. Maybe his folks will come around one day and learn to enjoy such gifts for the special memories that they are. We carefully preserve and display every Christmas ornament, sketch and Vacation Bible School picture the kids ever made (much to their chagrin ).

Thank you! I think his grandma will enjoy it because every year she changes from the last year's picture. Next year maybe we will make an ornament for everyone.
My mom does the same thing. She still has ornaments I made in elementary school

 

[made582]

Good Morning, MMC!!! Well back to reality weather wise here today. It was 62 yesterday and I was drive ng around with the windows down on the car. Today its going to be 35 with wind chills in the 20's. Nothing real exciting going on here today. Just going to run to the grocery to get cheese for my potato soup and a few snacks for new years eve before they run out. I might stop by goodwill too to see if any good Christmas decorations got dropped off yesterday. I hope everyone has a great day!!!

 

[Iteachpercussion]

Good morning everyone.
Not much on the agenda for today. Some laundry, dishes, stay in sweatpants all day.
Hope you all have a great day!

 

[made582]

Good Tuesday morning, Christmas friends!

Our whole house zoned out yesterday. I never even changed out of my sweatpants...all day! We movie-binged on the new big-screen TV, watching three full movies. We watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for Elizabeth, Star Trek: Beyond for me and Jacob, and The Magnificent Seven for Nancy. We only stopped long enough to make a run to McDonald's. Whew.

Most of our office is till out today, so I expect a quiet day. I hope to get a chance to peruse after-Christmas deals today. Without really discussing it with Nancy, I ordered one of those Amazon Echo devices. It won't be here till Friday, but it looked so cool I couldn't pass it up LOL!

I hope y'all have a great day! Christmas is only 363 days away!!

Sounds like a great day yesterday!!! Hope you find some goodies today!!

 

[made582]

Post-Christmas shopping spree is underway. This is the time of year I usually get a lot of my clothes. Started off today at Academy, hit up Bass Pro tomorrow, and then Dilliards on New Year's Day. Got a few more things to do before I go to bed, so I better run. See ya for coffee.

Have fun at Bass Pro today!!

 

[ballcoach]

I'll tell you something though, as I am seeking to develop my own home and family life, it's definitely an important quality I look for in any potential love interest of mine that they have an equal or greater love for Christmas and wish to maintain it as strongly and in the same capacity as I do. I really can't see living a life without that.

Doc loved Christmas, but not as much as I did before we were married. Once she realized how important it was to me, she made it as important to her. If they have that quality, that's great. If they appreciate that quality and respect it in you, even better. By taking on something that is so important to you, it shows a sacrifice on their part....and that is meaningful. Not that I'm Dr. Phil or anything, but making something important to you because your spouse finds it important is kinda what marriage is all about...

 

[ballcoach]

Would somebody fix the thermostat? We have seen two big shifts in the weather in the past week and a half....first, it went from 72 down to 23 in 5 hours and stayed that way for a few days. Now, it was 76 yesterday and it is 42 right now....this kinda junk makes me sick!

Doc is off of work one more day. We don't have anything planned, but I have some potato soup (great minds think alike, Made) cooking and we are probably going to watch a movie or something. Got some picking up to do, but that can wait. She just needs to relax today.

Brad, let me know how the new toy works....I've been fighting the itch to get one.