10 things right and 10 things wrong with the Christmas Season

I love the Christmas Season ("Holiday Season", for those of you who are P.C.)... It's a time to enjoy family togetherness. It's also a time to shop like crazy and worry about what to bring to the family gathering.

In no particular order, here's my list of the ten things that are right with this time of year:

1. Families are together for the first time since Easter or Thanksgiving.
2. Holidays generally make people kinder or sweeter toward family members.
3. Gifts from family members.
4. A chance to show off new recipes you've learned since the last time your family gathered.
5. Grandma's baked beans with bacon.
6. Turkey.
7. Spiral-sliced ham.
8. An excuse to eat mashed potatoes, despite a low-carb diet.
9. Cheesecake.
10. Catching up with relatives you wouldn't normally be in contact with.

Holidays can be more of a bust than a boon, on occasion. Here's my list of the 10 Things Wrong with this Christmas season:

1. Christmas cards - so much effort for so little return.
2. Holiday e-mails for everyone on your list. See #1.
   
3. Christmas lights. No matter how many light you put up, the neighbors either aren't impressed or don't care.
4. Office parties - If it's a potluck party, chances are whatever you bring will be shoved to the back of the buffet tray. If it's a catered event, the food sucks. In either case, you are stuck with making small-talk with the spouses of YOUR spouse, while he/she plays the social butterfly. You end up as the designated driver for the evening.
5. Holiday cooking - you think will "wow" your family with a new recipe. You haven't made it before, as it is a "holiday" recipe. You follow the recipe directions, hope for the best, and the result is NOT what you see in the picture caption on the recipe page. You take it to the family gathering, all the while saying things like, "I'm sure it will be better next time," or "this is a new recipe."
6. The Christmas Tree - After selecting a tree, you need to find an appropriate spot to put it in your home. Over the course of the 365 days, you've got more stuff in your home than at this time last year. Now, you've got no room for the tree. Nice job, buddy.
   
7. Gift for the spouse - After spending a month dealing with decorations, what to cook for the family gathering, etc., you haven't picked out the PERFECT gift for your spouse.
8. You've already bought the PERFECT gift for the spouse - In my case, I had a star named after my spouse a couple of years ago. That whole year, I was the ultimate hero in her eyes. What gift can better that? Nothing I can think of. Guess I'll get her slippers or something this year...
9. Disigenuous holiday greetings - "Happy Holidays" when you know the greeter wants to say" Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hannukah".
10. Time off for the kids at this time of year, when you have to work!