Festivus for the rest of us

Seinfeld has a way of getting things right, and this year, Festivus was probably the holiday that best characterizes my Christmas break. (If you don't know what Festivus is then use google and find out! I mean it. Like now. Don't keep reading until you have done sufficient googling. ) I did not have a feat of strength or an airing of grievances (at least more than normal), but our family was somewhat lacking in our normal holiday traditions. For example:

• My dad normally gets very into his Christmas lights. Including the whole ordeal of buying new lights every year and spending hours setting it up so that the legendary star across our street looks fabulous. But this year, my dad intended to put up the star and had several problems. Firstly he lights weren't working so he tried to fix them. They were beyond repair. Then he tried to replace the ones that were broken. They were not carried in any store. Then he decided to just hang up the star without any accessory lights. Our neighbors were gone so my dad couldn't borrow their ladder to get on the roof. Then my dad went to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico for 12 days. He obviously couldn't put the star up from down there. Luckily he at least got the blue lights up before he left, but the legendary star that has been a tradition for as long as I can remember is not hanging across the street this year.
• Another problem with my dad being in the DR is that no one sets up the Christmas tree. We didn't have a Christmas tree up until my dad got back and I came home for the break (December 22nd).
  
• Those two things were the only Christmas decorations that ever made it into my house correctly. No stockings, no signs, no nativity, no Christmas village, no decorations besides lights on the house and a Christmas tree (with only one ornament by the way. It came tied to a tag on a Christmas gift. We were too lazy to get any other ornaments out.)
• It hasn't really snowed this year. Christmas without snow is basically just breaking a tradition even though it is out of our control.
• The Broncos have lost for the past 2 weeks. While this has been the recent trend over the past few years since the Elway days, we were on a 6 game winning streak until the holidays began. I think that alone is a reason to have an airing of grievances. It certainly has affected my mood this holiday season. I don't understand how life can go on if the Broncos lose?
• We had even fewer surprises under the tree this year. But really, Christmas shopping is a pain in the butt, and letting the person pick out their own present makes things a lot easier.I knew most of the things I was getting because I got clothes that I picked out and tried on. Mom picked out most of her presents and knew the rest. Dad ordered most of his presents for himself online. Nick got a lacrosse stick and elbow pads that he picked out online in advance.
• Christmas fell on a Sunday this year. So that just made things weird in general. No movie on Christmas day, but we did have sacrament meeting.
• I worked on Christmas morning, so the whole Christmas morning routine was disrupted. I also work: Christmas night, Christmas Eve morning, Boxing Day morning, afternoon, and evening, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

This is my part 1 of my Christmas break as of December 26th. Update to follow.