I know I promised pictures but....

{Warning! This is not a happy post and may contain information that our viewers may find disturbing! Parental discretion is advised. That and it is very long}
Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am posting from our old desktop. And by old I mean, ancient! It is still running on Windows 98 which was beyond it's time when we first got this dinosaur. It has USB ports but they are all in the back and don't seem to recognize anything other than a printer (which isn't working) and the scanner. But I am feeling compelled to share the reason for the "bah humbug" although part of me right now is also feeling "why be a downer? who cares anyway?". So it is mostly for me to vent and hopefully drop my blood pressure down before I go in to the see the doctor on Friday.
So Bah Humbug reason #1: It is Christmas and we have no money, which means no presents beyond necessities which is bumming my husband out. However, he wants to be stoic and not let on how much of a bummer it is. But because I know him, I can tell how bummed he is. Therefore I am bummed that he is bummed which makes him even more bummed.
Then Bah Humbug reason #2: The Sunday after Thanksgiving, our somewhat decent although in need of upgrades and repairs of a laptop decided to succomb to what the Data Doctors call "Blue Screen of Death" in which it decides to not boot up at all. I then realize that the Christmas presents I was working on ( you know more personal than expensive) are all lost in the throws of the computer death. We try to whole "lets just see how much it will cost to get it back up and running versus a new computer" but the Geek Squad (said with endearment) inform us that the repairs would be WAY more expensive than just a new laptop. So after much discussion, Frank and I decide to dip into the credit card that should have been paid off next spring and order the new laptop. Great the Geek says he will do the data transfer to our new laptop for free! ($200 savings right there, whoo hoo after spending $1200 its a drop in the bucket) BUT the kicker is that we won't get the new one until hmmmm oh maybe Christmas eve. So much for the Christmas presents, on to plan B.
So Bah Humbug reason #3: My Mom and Dad (don't take this wrong, love them to pieces and all) decide they are coming to visit for Christmas DESPITE the fact that not only is Frank working Christmas day to earn more money BUT his regular job which requires one Saturday a month anyway, decided to schedule him to work on Dec 26th! Bah humbug that he has to work.
Ok really Bah Humbug reason #4: Because my mom and dad decide to come visit, we decide we should decorate. We have our front living room filled with boxes and all the outside decorations. IT was a disaster. Our tree was up and decorated but the rest of the room was a major obstacle course. Well, since I was asked to fill in for our new ward pianist for Dec 20 and Dec 27, I thought I should actually practice (novel concept I know but it is rare that I actually get advanced notice to play at church-thought I'd take advantage of it). Well after I had made my way to the piano, over several boxes and around a table, I heard rustling noises coming from behind me. I turn to see what it was and who do you suppose had decided to investigate the smells from behind the tree? ....That's right, SADIE! She thought she would just take a sniff and a look out the window behind the tree. As I tell her "Get out" she realizes she is in trouble and decides to move a lot more quickly and less carefully to get out than when she went in. (Do you see the slow motion movement of the tree in your mind?) The tree (all of it) came crashing to the floor. Lights, ornaments, even our tree topper Santa landed on his head. In the mess, the tree stand was broken, it landed on one our outside polar bears which broke off a hinge that helps it move its head, but the only ornaments that broke were four of Frank's very special dragon ornaments. (amazingly brittle for things that are not made of glass).
This is what actually prompted the first posting as I thought, great what more could go wrong? Plus I have pictures of the great disaster of '09.
Well for all of you with tender hearts, just safe to say that Sadie survived the fall as well as the wrath of the Big Dog when he got home.
You would think that would be enough to satisfy all the criteria for a "Bah Humbug" kind of holiday right?

But....

Yesterday we had the finishing touch to our holidays, I'd even say the icing on the cake but I like icing....

And this is not like icing, Not in a good way at all...

Yesterday morning we had to take Katie-dog in and send her over the Rainbow bridge. She had stopped eating Friday night and by Saturday night, could no longer get up or stand on her own. By Sunday morning she had lost control of her bowels and had labored breathing. We couldn't watch her suffer any more. I feel so guilty that we couldn't do more for her last years.
So...
Can we just skip this holiday season and start over for next year?
Thanks for letting my vent. Sorry there are no pictures but I can't figure out how to upload them to this computer. Sorry if I bummed you all out. And I have to go blow my nose now because apparently crying is not good for my sinus cavities.