Thursday Thirteen #7 — Loving and Hating the Holidays

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Thirteen Things ShapeShifter Loves and Hates About the Holidays


  1. Female fans waiting for them at their hotels, wearing Santa outfits. Suddenly, they have been very good boys. Especially Trevor.
  2. Being on the road instead of at home with family.
  3. Attending church when Eric’s dad gives his yearly Christmas sermon. It’s always Pastor Wallace’s most personal, moving sermon of the year, and people talk about it until he delivers the next one.
  4. Fans who ask what they should buy their loved ones. Like the ShapeShifter boys have a clue? Their families get a new ShapeShifter t-shirt (or so they say).
  5. The excitement of the crowds at shows. Always palpable, at this time of year, it’s obvious that shows are a real stress release for the fans, and that challenges the band to play better. They love those challenges. Haven’t turned one down yet.
  6. Travelling to rush home in time for Christmas Eve. At least there’s a camaraderie with their fellow travellers that makes it bearable. Sometimes BARE-able, too.
  7. Eating Christmas dinner in hotel restaurants. And being one of three other groups in there. Nothing makes you feel more pathetic, unless it’s eating Christmas dinner on a tour bus while travelling to the show you’ll be playing on the 26th.
  8. Certain parts of the world get snowy this time of year. And cold. Riverview doesn’t get that cold. Then again, not many places get colder than Minnesota. Or Siberia. Both of which they’ve been to during December. And January. And, come to think of it, February. (okay, they only played Siberia twice. And once was during the summer.)
  9. Changing lyrics to be more seasonal and laughing when the crowd doesn’t get it. Or when the crowd does and sings along.
  10. Lack of company holiday parties.
  11. Old friends who show up on their days off to spread some Christmas cheer and create a new twist on a company holiday party.
  12. Throwing Christmas parties for the crew.
  13. Opening presents. It never gets old.

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42 Comments

  1. Rashenbo

    December 13, 2006 11:27 pm

    Am I first? Am I first? br /br /Who exactly are those “Santa” fans, Hmmmmm? br /br /Rushing home on Christmas Eve is got to be hard on them, I’d think. I hate traveling on XMas eve. br /br /Good list. Looks like you chose a safe one this time, eh? *wink*

  2. ChupieandJ'smama

    December 13, 2006 11:27 pm

    Great list! I hope you get lots of presents:) Thanks for visiting!

  3. ChupieandJ'smama

    December 13, 2006 11:27 pm

    Great list! I hope you get lots of presents:) Thanks for visiting!

  4. ChupieandJ'smama

    December 13, 2006 11:27 pm

    Great list! I hope you get lots of presents:) Thanks for visiting!

  5. Susan Helene Gottfried

    December 13, 2006 11:28 pm

    Yep, babe, you’re first. The goofy one’s for next week, during Hanukkah. Be sure you don’t miss it!

  6. Christie

    December 13, 2006 11:48 pm

    Great list! At least the band has some hot Santas to look forward to on the tour! haha!

  7. Tug

    December 13, 2006 11:56 pm

    Nice list!! Happy Happy Christmas!

  8. KaY

    December 14, 2006 12:08 am

    More presents for you then. =) br /br /I’m up as well!

  9. Janet

    December 14, 2006 12:33 am

    I LOVE opening presents almost as much as I love watching people open them!

  10. Janene

    December 14, 2006 12:36 am

    I can only imagine how bad it would suck to be away from home and eating Christmas dinner from a hotel resturant. :(br /br /Happy Thursday! Thanks for stopping by…hope there are plenty of presents to open this year!

  11. elementaryhistoryteacher

    December 14, 2006 12:58 am

    The presents make up for all the crazy stuff you have do…..

  12. baggage

    December 14, 2006 1:35 am

    OK..I was confused there for a minute, but hey..what a neat idea for a TT and a blog 🙂

  13. K T Cat

    December 14, 2006 6:45 am

    That’s a lot of traveling. I travel a lot, too, but not like that.br /br /a href=”http://ktcatspost.blogspot.com/2006/12/thursday-thirteen-im-not-quite-sure.html”My TT is up./a

  14. delightfulduchess

    December 14, 2006 7:41 am

    Rushing home is never fun, but it could be exciting! I really need to go back and catch up on your blog. I get lost about some of the folks you talk about.br /br /Its not at all cold here, it should be. I would like to see a White Christmas in DC.

  15. Anonymous

    December 14, 2006 8:15 am

    Thanks for sharing this great list! br /br /br /Happy TT from Germany,br /br /Sannibr /br /P.S.: Blogger does not want me to comment using my identity today =(br /If you like to visit me, please come around a href=”http://coffee2go.blogspot.com”here/a… Thanks a lot!

  16. East of Oregon

    December 14, 2006 10:05 am

    yep – I say yay for presents every time 🙂

  17. cheesygiraffe

    December 14, 2006 10:38 am

    Which ones do the love and which ones do they hate? Some are a bit on the iffy side of which way they could go. 😉 br /I was wondering if you were going to do a Hanukkah and yeah I see you are doing one next week. 🙂

  18. Susan Helene Gottfried

    December 14, 2006 10:41 am

    Well, there’s good and bad in everything, right? I spend a lot of time listening to my friends illustrate exactly that.br /br /Yep, Hanukkah next week. It’s going to be QUITE different from the norm! (it’s already done and ready to go)

  19. Skittles

    December 14, 2006 10:53 am

    It must be hard.. like the song says, “loving a music man ain’t always what it’s supposed to be.”

  20. karen!

    December 14, 2006 11:49 am

    And, how do they feel about bands that create special Christmas albums? (gag!)br /br /(this is karen – blogger hates me today)

  21. Susan Helene Gottfried

    December 14, 2006 12:17 pm

    Ooh. Special Christmas albums… Heard Twisted Sister’s yet? *grin*

  22. Sweet Kitty

    December 14, 2006 12:19 pm

    Again a very nice list! I always enjoy visiting your blog!br /Thanx for sharing!br /br /Hugs and Happy TT from Germany,br /Sonnybr /br /a href=”http://sweetlikekitty.blogspot.com”Sweet like Kitty/abr /a href=”http://sonnysxmas.blogspot.com”Sonny’s Xmas/a

  23. Becky

    December 14, 2006 12:19 pm

    Good list! Happy Holidays!

  24. Rene

    December 14, 2006 12:21 pm

    Talk about flushing out your characters! Great TT.br /br /Renebr / http://alittlecheesewiththatwhine.blogspot.com/

  25. Joelysue

    December 14, 2006 12:48 pm

    Definitely, opening presents never gets old! Happy TT!br /a href=”http://www.joelysueburkhart.com/blog”Joely/a

  26. ChaoticMom

    December 14, 2006 1:02 pm

    I can’t even imagine what a crew Christmas party would be like. br /br /LOVELY green hair, by the way! I like the Shapeshift discography covers. Very cool artwork.br /br /Hey, thanks for the great comments re: the post on my son. Yeah, I had a few questions for the counselor when she called a few days ago. We’ve worked things out. We’re army and always moving. Who knows? Maybe someday we WILL be posted West of Mars. 😉

  27. Susan Helene Gottfried

    December 14, 2006 1:52 pm

    Thank YOU, CM. And yeah, you’ve got friends here if you need ’em; too bad you can’t find a way to wind up here. br /br /(btw, a crew party is VERY drunken and VERY merry)

  28. Barbara

    December 14, 2006 1:56 pm

    There are things I don’t like, too, but I think the good ones out weigh the bad. :)br /br /Check out my a href=”http://tidbitsandtreasures.blogspot.com/2006/12/thursday-thirteen-18.html” TT /a

  29. Dixiechick

    December 14, 2006 2:29 pm

    Excellent list. I would LOVE for Tony to be dressed in a Santa suit… WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 😉 If you know what I mean… LOL

  30. Suni

    December 14, 2006 2:30 pm

    cute list. thanx for visiting mine!br /br /a href=”http://www.bucketobulletz.com”me/a

  31. PRACTiCAL CHiCK

    December 14, 2006 2:32 pm

    Thanks for stopping by my TT!br /br /Personally, I love company Christmas parties. I bring my digital camera and watch everyone get sloshed. I take pictures and use them for my own purposes.

  32. Cheryl

    December 14, 2006 2:42 pm

    LOL at number 1! There is nothing better than opening presents…the suspense and the surprise!br /br /Nikki says hi. 😉

  33. Zmrzlina

    December 14, 2006 3:25 pm

    I think I would hate office Christmas parties. I don’t know because I’ve never worked in an office that had Christmas parties, but I don’t really like parties in general so I suspect I would doubly not like one where you are supposed to make merry.br /br /And I’ve done a a href=”http://zmrzlina.blogspot.com/2006/12/thirteen-captions-from-zmrzlinas-camera.html”Thursday Thirteen/a this week… first one ever. br /br /Besides iTrevor’s Song/i, this list makes me think of another book, or rather, books… Phillip Pullman’s iHis Dark Materials/i series.

  34. Susan Helene Gottfried

    December 14, 2006 3:53 pm

    I always found The Tour Manager’s company parties to be boring. Lovely, but boring. Guess geeks aren’t good at that getting sloshed and being stupid thing (which is good, ’cause I’m not, either). br /br /His Dark Materials, Z? How and why?

  35. Ali

    December 14, 2006 4:37 pm

    I was wondering as I saw all the Christmas and Santa stuff..huh..no one celebrates Hanakuah (I’m sorry if I misspelled that..it’s not the easiest of words to spell but then agian I’m blonde and there are plenty of words that confuse me). br /I think I know of people who fantasize about the Santa girls..I think it would be funny but horrible at the same time to have a drag queen (but the band members wouldn’t be albe to tell) to dress up as a “Santa Girl” LOL I’m so mean. br /br /I think they would get over the Christmas Dinner in a hotel because we all know they have a dessert waiting for them.br /br /Great List! br /br /off to go catch up on other posts.

  36. Kathleen Marie

    December 14, 2006 4:40 pm

    Great list…mine is up! And I hope Santa treats you very well this year! Blessings!

  37. erica

    December 14, 2006 5:17 pm

    Good list! Happy TT and merry christmas!!!

  38. Dane Bramage

    December 14, 2006 5:42 pm

    Great list as usual. I am always home for the hoidays so I guess I am spoiled. Watching kids open presents is best! (kids from 1 to 92 as the song says)br /br /My Thursday Thirteen #23 a href=”http://danebramage.blogspot.com/”13 Favorite Christmas songs./a is up now

  39. Andrea

    December 14, 2006 5:48 pm

    Hmmm Santa groupies…interesting! thanks for stopping by my site. Oh and Fish is my favorite DJ on our local oldies station 🙂

  40. Zmrzlina

    December 14, 2006 10:05 pm

    His Dark Materials because of the Siberia thing, and being cold. The way the winter settings are described in the stories really make me feel the chill.

  41. Susan Helene Gottfried

    December 14, 2006 10:27 pm

    Wow, I evoked all that with just a few words? I’m impressed. Maybe I should go off and be a writer. :Dbr /br /Cool, Z. Thanks!

  42. West Of Mars — The Meet and Greet » Blog Archive » Thursday Thirteen #36 — Thirteen Thirteens

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