Canderous and Cade's Crazy Cantina: a shiny new fanfiction social thread!

How old are they? I love shopping for little kids, it makes me feel like a kid again. My mom has 4 kids and 13 nieces and nephews (she was one of 5 kids). She has cut back a lot in recent years now that she isn't talking to her brother (his kids are spoiled anyways) and 6 of them are at the age where they aren't expecting a gift, but she still likes to try to get everyone a little something. One of my aunts is going through a rough time so my mom asked me to get the kids a little something. I'm really excited to shop for little kids.

 

One is two and the other is a few months. I'll have to talk to my brother, I think, to see what the oldest wants. I think the youngest could have a soft toy or something.

Y'know, I had a weird moment last night. My mum asked me if I'd rather have presents or gift vouchers for Christmas. Would I like to have a gift that someone looked for and decided upon, or would I like a gift voucher so I can choose something myself? It's never been something I've ever thought of. I just write a list of things I'd like and if I get a gift voucher then that's good too. On the one hand, I do love opening presents and I always will, but there are also things I want but would rather keep, well, not secret exactly but not known.

 

I normally don't like giving people gift cards or money for Christmas, it just seems so impersonal. But at the same time, they are nice if you have NO idea what to get someone. I'm giving one to my sister's boyfriend because he drools every time he goes into the guitar/instrument store in town, but I have no idea what he wants or needs. I also going to give one to my aunt's oldest.

As for me, I'm not against receiving gift cards or cash, because some people just have no idea what to get me (like my step-dad's family), but I'd rather have something to unwrap, even if it's pyjamas or a bath set. I'm at the age now where if I want something, I go buy it, but I still like getting presents, so I guess I'm a very difficult person to buy for.

 

Also, gift cards have good uses other than "I have no clue what you want". Sometimes the best thing to get someone is a gift card to their favorite restaurant. You can't buy a meal from the place in early December, wrap it up, and give it to them on Christmas, but you can give them a gift card that enables them to go to the restaurant at their convenience and have an (essentially) free meal.

As for me, when I get a gift card to a store, I tend to use it for regular everyday expenses instead of buying something special with it. Case in point: the $25 Walmart gift card I got last Christmas paid for my prescription medication through April.

 

Yeah, last year my mom got my sister boyfriend a gift card to his favourite pizza place. The guy likes pizza. My grandmother always gets me a $30 gift card for Walmart. Last year I think I used it on cat litter Every few years the gift card would be for $50 because my grandfather would have been the one to get it (he was the more generous of the two), but unfortunately that wont happen any more.

So, I've complained and whined (a lot) about Her Universe and their shipping to Canada (it was about $30 shipping for a $25 shirt). But I just found out they have economy shipping!!! It's about $15 for an average sized order (which is alright for shipping to where I live). I am SOOO EXCITED! The prices are still rather high, but I will definitely be getting some stuff for myself after the holidays.

 

Bah Humbug!

 

Presents make me so stressed out... any kind of present. I love giving them, but I've heard so many things, so often like "I don't know why they bought me that," and "I don't need this" (mostly people talking about other people, except my grandmother used to say that to your face) and it's made me so paranoid about gifts I can't buy them for anyone without freaking out about it. I usually end up not giving people things because I'm so worried about it.
I don't completely stress out about much, but presents are one of the things I do.

I, on the other hand, you could give me pretty much anything and I'll love it.

 

Not entirely sure who and what I'll be shopping for this year. I have plans in January, and if I want to make those plans, I'll need to skimp in December. I'm still not sure what I'll get for my brother. He's usually the only one I shop for, aside from my niece and nephews.

And Mabel? Why are you smushing the couch cushions down? Just sit on the seat.

 

Lol. I pretty much like just about anything anyone gets me.

So, the *facepalm* wedding continues. The bride had most of the bridesmaids out to pick out our dresses colour today. Basically, the bride wants her grandmother to sew all 5 bridesmaid dresses to save some us some money (but according to my calculations, it's not going to save us a whole lot of money for all the trouble her grandma is going to go through - her grandma is only a hobby sewer - honestly, I'd rather spend the extra money and buy my dress). So we went to the fabric store and picked out two colours of thread we liked and the bride is going to send them to her grandma down in Arizona where her grandmother will pick out the fabric and make the dresses (Yet the bride isn't 100% sure if her grandma will really do the dresses). We also went to the dollar store to pick out some random stuff for decorations. I didn't even quite know what half the stuff was for. Anyways, I found out today, the groom's family really wants this to be high class, yet there isn't even going to be a formal dinner, just dessert at the reception. The groomsmen will all be in full tuxedos while the bridesmaids are probably going to be in horrible home made cotton dresses. UGH. Also, the bride told me before I was going to be able to use my wheelchair for the ceremony, but now she isn't so sure. She said it's because she's worried about the terrain, but I think it's because she hasn't told the groom's family one of her bridesmaids is a cripple. I'm not going to stir up any trouble, but the more I think about it, the more I know I'll need my wheelchair. I'm going to laugh off all the other stuff and just be glad it's not my wedding, but I will be firm about the wheelchair. I'm using it, even if I have to wheelie through the grass. Sorry for the rant.

 

So, the groom's family is in on it. Does the groom have any idea that this is going on, or has no one told him? If the latter... you really, really, REALLY need to tape this and post the results on Youtube.

 

Oh, no, he actually proposed earlier this month. It's for reals now. But it's still going to be a gongshow.

 

I thought of another advantage of gift cards. Some of the stuff people want is kinda expensive and perhaps might be more than relatives can afford. Getting a gift card that'd count towards it would mean it'd cost them less, or maybe even a few relatives could each give a card and it could be paid for that way.

Briannakin: that wedding does not sound good! Mind you, my cousin did have two weddings, a traditional English one and a traditional Indian one. I don't want to think about the logistics of that one!

 

Well, got up early today and what did I find? A wiki in disarray due to the ongoing efforts of a vandal. It's sorted (for now), hopefully the offender won't try coming back on with a new account to continue the fun and frivolity.

 

How are you going to get fittings done with the dressmaker in Arizona? And if the grooms parents want this to be a big deal perhaps they should fork over some money. What is this archaic tradition that the brides parents pay for the wedding? Two families are involved, so both should pay. Or the bride and groom should pay. This isn't the seventeenth century where the bride and groom were usually fifteen years old.

And it would be rude to ask you not to have your wheelchair. If the terrain is too rough for a wheelchair it is too rough for elderly people to walk and I'm sure some grandparents are invited..

My nephew was getting married to a bridzilla. The brides parents wanted the rehearsal dinner at a very classy and expensive restaurant. My brother said okay and tried to book it, but it was booked up during that week. So he booked another place. When the bride's mother found out she went absolutely crazy and screamed at my brother who is the most mellow guy I know. She accused him of ruining her daughters special day.

The bride was pissed and said after the wedding she never wants to see my nephews family again. My nephew called off the wedding. A few years later he met a nice girl, got married with no fuss and have a daughter now.

 

Briannakin - She doesn't want you to use your wheelchair? That's ridiculous! I can understand not wanting to stir up trouble about the dresses and such, but that is worth making a big deal.

But at least he has proposed now. I agree with J_L, if his family wants a big to do, they need to fork over some money.

 

Man. I've only heard of traditional Indian weddings, but they sound epic. I went to school with a bunch of Indian kids and I can't wait till they start getting married. The food apparently is to die for.

Yeah. I don't know how this will work with the dress maker in Arizona. She is coming up in April, but by the time they agree on a fabric (she's buying it down there), it won't be enough time to make 5 dresses. I said at the beginning I was fine with buying a dress, and that's all I'm inputting. But I agree, with two families and two very separate visions, they all need to sit down and decide how much money they are willing to spend and divide it among everything. They also need to agree on a vision because they couldn't even agree on a blue. But I'm staying out of it

And I'm putting my foot down about the wheelchair. I freaking do off roading in it in a gravel pit. I think I can handle a meadow.

 

I felt horrible all day. I didn't write anything for my NaNo today. I just feel like sleeping. I slept 12 hours last night.

Edit: I just woke up from a three hour nap. I am feeling a little better. I don't have a cold or flu it is just the blahs.

 

I think the blahs should be a valid excuse for not doing anything.

I got nothing done today either. My mom took me out christmas shopping. We were supposed to be back at 2, ended up back at 5. Then my sister came over because she wanted to do some online shopping. Sad thing is, I'm still not done. Today was focused on my aunt's kids. Man, why is doing the right thing so tiring?

I only just realized that its only 9pm. I SHOULD spend an hour or so on homework, but I just don't want to. I'm home alone all day tomorrow, so I'm going to try to sit down and just do it. We'll see how well that works out. HA!

 

I hate shopping. My roommate while in the Army loved clothes shopping. She would drag me along sometimes. She would try on clothing after clothing for hours. I'd say, "That looks great, buy it." Then she'd say, "Oh, I don't have the money to buy anything, I just like trying things on." This is the woman who was my Maid-of-Honor. We went shopping for my wedding dress. I looked at the dresses on the rack, picked one I liked, tried it on, it fit and I tried to buy it. She would have none of that. "You can't buy the first dress you try on!" She made me try on a dozen dresses before she said, "You know, I think the first one you tried on looks the best." Duh! Ya think?!

 

So for about three days, from Tuesday to Thursday, my mom will be staying with me.

According to my brother, she is very wanty (not needy, just "I want," "I want," "I want.") and spilly (spilled coffee several times at his place, on rugs, the counter (the grounds), and on a pair of borrowed socks), careless and inconsiderate (made a pair of borrowed socks black by walking around outside in them, leaves stuff around, rummages through stuff and doesn't put things back), tries to tell his wife how to do things in her own house (news flash, Mom: Not gonna happen here), smokes and isn't the least bit considerate about it around a non-smoking apartment (I don't care how cold it is, you are NOT smoking in my doorway and causing me to get a lease violation because you are an inconsiderate clod!), and is overall irritating as all hell.

I'm already setting some ground rules. No food or drink outside of the kitchen, or else. No smoking anywhere near my doorway, or else. No ruining my socks because you don't have the sense to wear slippers outside, or else. No rummaging through my stuff and not putting things back where you found them, or else. Don't demand food I don't have. You want a certain item, you go to the store and get it. Don't tell me how to do my laundry. You're not the one paying to do it.

 

Yeah, good luck with that. That's like me telling the cats, "No sleeping around the house all day, no crying for food, no running up and down the hallway at 3AM!"

How old is your mother? Could she be getting senile or Alzheimer's? Or was she like this all her life? My mother had Alzheimer's disease and thought she was being held hostage by my father (he would always be with her because he feared she would wander off). Her behavior was very erratic near the end.

 

Wow Trak. I don't blame you for putting your foot down.

The worst my parents did when they were here was after riding in the car with me, my dad said he didn't teach me to drive that way. To which I told him he taught me to drive in a small town and driving like that in a big city is likely to get you killed... or at least will never get you anywhere.
Then my mom said to him, "You weren't the one to teach her to drive anyway." LOL

 

It's not senility. Might be due to untreated bipolar, but she's always been like this, and she's been spoiled since moving to Florida. She was also wearing four fleece shirts under a coat when she came here. Spoiled by the warm weather. It wasn't even that cold out! I had on a hoodie.

 

My snow panther was out in the snow last night.

 

Hey! I want snow!

And a cat!