Random Thoughts #48 (Holiday Annoyances)

--My brother calls one of his sons "Matthew Buddy." I'm not really sure why he feels so compelled to add "Buddy" every time he speaks his name. I wonder if Matthew minds, because it drives me absolutely crazy. I hope at one point Matthew will be able to set boundaries with him and get him to cut that shit out.

--My mother has a habit of expressing love by doing things for people. Making you a sandwich, handing you the remote, and fetching the newspaper are all tools in her arsenal of love. Normally this isn't so bad, but if you're on crutches, the pestering never stops. I finally had to sit her down and ask her to stop being so relentless with her offers to help. I think I hurt her feelings a bit, but it was a nice adjustment to the rest of my trip.

--I bought my Dad a Harmony 880 Universal Remote for Christmas after he complained about all the remotes he had to juggle. I spent almost four hours setting it up and teaching him how to use it. He ranted and raved about it all day long. Then last night I heard him watching TV around 2am (he doesn't sleep very well) and got up to get a drink of water. As I walked back into the bedroom, I noticed he had his old remote in his hand. *sigh*

--It seems like the only thing my family is capable of talking about at Christmas dinner are things that make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end: George W. Bush, the war, how wonderful Joel Osteen is, blah blah blah. I felt bad, but as soon as I cleared my plate, I excused myself. They know my opinions differ on these issues, but seem to not recognize that it makes me uncomfortable. Next Christmas, I'm going to invite a friend (sorry guys, he asked first!) and we're going to talk about poppers and fisting.

--My parents love to offer unsolicited advice. Which also happens to be one of my biggest pet peeves. Examples of my parents advice: the best cold/flu medicine, the best instant peach-flavored tea, the best shows on TV, the worst brand of cinnamon rolls, the most efficient nighttime heat temperature, the most effective vitamin combination. Honestly, I'm not sure how I live without this information...