The big news in my life around the start of the Christmas 1991 season was the supposed ABR job that my ‘friend’ Keith was getting me. At the thought of beginning this professional work, I got my first major haircut right around the season and shed the long flowing mullet in favor of a much more subdued and reserved mullet. The other thing that I was heavily interested in at this time was Depeche Mode, the seventh of my Big Seven Bands.
So my earliest memory of this Christmas season involved all of these things, some of which I already mentioned in the previous 1991 posting: the visit from Keith and the ABR ‘accountant’ on the evening Mom was putting up the Christmas tree in the family room (and it fell over while my guests and I were in the living room), the ABR Christmas ‘party’ (am I overusing these ‘quotes’?), and the Gem City Classics annual Christmas party.
The latter had nothing to do with Keith or ABR, except that you can get a great look at my drastic haircut. But I do remember attending the party at the traditional site, the VA hall on Brown Street, and walking over to Second Time Around, scouting for Depeche Mode and Erasure CDs. These bands were so heavily in blood by this time that I bought about 25 CDs in a row relating to these bands throughout November and December. I don’t recall much else at the party, but there are some nice pictures from it below.
Me, Ashleigh, Bryan, and Denise belly up to the bar at the Gem City Classics Christmas party
Mom claims her gift-exchange gift
Denise and Santa
Ashleigh is anxious to get at the gifts…
…until she realizes that she might have to get near Santa – who is snubbed yet again
The Kroger Christmas party this year was another drunken melee held at the clubhouse of a fellow employee (Terry, our assistant meat manager I believe). I hung out mostly with my co-bagger Larry and I think it was here that we really started to become good friends. I recall sitting on top of the bar, poking fun of a guy whom we referred to as “Mr. Excitement.” This undoubtedly had something to do with the alcohol.
I also recall that I was rather generous in my gift-purchasing, because I had fallen into the windfall of money, which even though it was only a couple thousand dollars, represented quite a large percentage of my net worth. Oddly, I cannot recall many of the gifts that I received this particular Christmas – but the lists I have kept of my CDs and Laserdisc collection indicate that I didn’t get any of them for this Christmas.
Nor do I remember much of what I purchased for others – except for the obvious slide for Ashleigh that can be seen in the photos. The one item I do recall was a CD player that I bought for Christi. Obviously still hoping for a reconciliation at this point, I thought that a nice gift might show my feelings. I also gave her my entire collection of Depeche Mode singles on CD as I had just bought the remastered sets of them. This amount to over 20 discs so it was a pretty significant present. These were all gifts that I gave on Christmas Eve in our Winterset house.
Christmas Eve appeared to be the traditional gathering of my Dad’s family. The photos (seen below) are rather limited but it’s easy to see that Grandma Range was most definitely there. I’m not sure if Carl & Arline or Harold would have come or not, but Bill & Dottie and Rob went up to Toledo to spend their Christmas Eve with Lora & Todd. At the time, Christi and I had the more traditional verbal agreement that I would have Ash on Christmas Eve and Christi had her on Christmas day. It just so happened that Christi hung out with us for a while on Christmas Eve to watch Ashleigh opening her gifts before she took her home. One very unusual thing about the Christmas Eve was that my family chose not to open all their gifts that night, but rather the next morning.
Ashleigh browses the gifts
Ash plays with a new doll and bike as we get ready to eat
Ashleigh seems to have quite the bag of loot as Grandma Range looks on. Not sure why we changed Ashleigh’s outfit midstream – food or poop messes most likely. Or maybe Christi arrived and didn’t think I had her dressed appropriately for the party.
Ashleigh hammers on the wrap
Dad and I watch little Ash feed her new baby a bottle
Christi and I watching Ashleigh on her new slide. Oh, to recapture that moment in time.
Dad came over the next day with Grandma Range and we enjoyed our traditional family gift-opening ceremony, the last to ever take place on Christmas morning. Mom took just two photos. Ashleigh was not present as she would have been with Christi at Bob & Joy’s house.
Denise apparently is miffed about the gift she is about to open on Christmas morning.
A survey of the wreckage on Christmas morning. Laurel looks on in amazement.
The Murphy gathering that year was at Diana and Tom’s house in Bellbrook. There were quite a few good pictures taken at the gathering, including a batch of family photos. I looked nothing less than brain-damaged in the pictures in which I appear, pulling my hands up into my Wright State sweatshirt sleeve. I think that this was a gift from Mom the night before.
Grandpa gets ready to pass out the loot
Grandpa shows off his new door plaque
Bev, Cathy, Debby, Lori, and her then-boyfriend Bill enjoy the Christmas Day festivities
Denise gingerly steps through the loot
Bev looks up to the photographer on the balcony
Nikki and Ed chat, while Bob, Darlene, Jacob, Zachary, Karen, and Tom make merry
Mom shows off the wildly appropriate Christmas gift from Bob
Denise questions…while Mom tries to explain the gift to Grandma Murphy
Grandma and Grandpa Murphy
Poor Bill ruins the family portrait of Lori, Diana, Debby, Danny, Cathy, and Tom
Denise, Mom, Bob, Bryan, and me in the new sweatshirt with the apparently never-ending sleeves
Ed, Susan, Karen, Chris, and Bev. Chris looks highly Chinese.
Jim, Nikki, Jan, and Ben. If anyone is actually looking at the camera, it might be Jim. But it’s hard to tell behind the tinted glasses.
Jacob, Bob, Brittney, Darlene, and Zac the simpleton
Bob and Bryan, before Bryan became a giant
Oh Bill, we hardly knew ye
A random shot of Raider Ben in the kitchen. As good a way as any to finish off the photos of Christmas 1991
Overall, a rather unbalanced Christmas due to the uncertainty of my future job and relationship. As I would for most of the early 1990’s, I was just coasting along…and would do the same throughout much of the upcoming year.
The early 90’s will continue with 1992…
I believe it is Nikki chatting with Ed. I don’t think Ashleigh was there or she would have been in your family picture.
Those were great times, none of you kids were married yet and the family really had fun together. We still have fun now, but it just seems like life is so much harder now. I guess I’m just getting old.
Bev
February 24th, 2009
I happened to have liked Bill. He and Lori would come over and babysit for us. It took both of them to handle all 3 kids. Not really, but it sure made it easier.
Darlene
February 24th, 2009
If you’re going to look Chinese you might as well go all the way and look highly Chinese. That’s always been my motto.
Chris
February 25th, 2009