RUBbette Wives & Housework, si man

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I always put my keys in the same place every time, but I lose everything else. I have backup glasses I put on to find my regular glasses.

Alla has those too! One time she was looking for her glasses, I helped her and found her "old" (back-up) glasses "Here, just use these"

NO! Those are only good for finding my other glasses!

"Then put them on and find your other glasses!" Poydem!

(she usually wears contacts but not always and always takes out her contacts and wears glasses for computer work or reading/studying) How am I supposed to be responsible for remembering all this?

[Brad and Vika 129]

I think you have cracked the CODE! Now we can WIN!

Like I said, sense of humor.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I learned to use this line quite a bit too. She comes out in a cocktail dress to go to the grocery store, I say "you look great, get in the car", if she were to wear a mini skirt to skydive, my repsonse would probably be "we are late, can we go already?". Any other comment and I will hear some version of "I am doing it my way, and I don't need help or permission"

I gave up a long time ago suggesting appropriate attire for Alaskan winters here. She's finally starting to understand that making a fashion statement going to the store doesn't require freezing to death. She spent god only knows how much money on "winter fashion boots" that hit above her knee and have a winter heel. How she found them is beyond me...but they do look good, and Columbia has them rated for -10. It's just that we live in a Eskimo / white redneck town atm and I can only wonder what people are thinking when she's out and about. I stay home now when she goes grocery shopping. It's easier on my nerves.

I think they are genetically predisposed to reject responsibility for anything negative:

a) I did not do it (your fault)

b) I did it, but you provoked me (your fault)

c) I did it, but you do the same thing all the time (bad influence - your fault really)

d) I did it, but you did something worse (insert example here) last week, month, etc. (comparatively your fault is greater).

Vika really has this patter down due to a lifetime of training with it. It used to irritate, but now I mostly laugh and wonder what they do with each other when two Eastern Europeans have these conversations. We also see some pretty funny applications in our house. Vika drops a glass on the floor, and the stupid American glass is defective and the floor is too hard. She is absolutely not responsible for breaking the glass. Sense of humor is important.

I wondered that myself. I mean do they blame each other over there and does it go back and forth over and over and over..? It's like nails on a chalk board every time the "blame him" spiel comes on. It's like the volume on the TV doesn't go up enough to drown it out when she's on a roll. Iv'e learned to tune her out in those cases, but then she comes back at me with the; "What did I just say" routine. That's when I know I'm screwed.

Edited November 27, 2011 by Why_Me

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I gave up a long time ago suggesting appropriate attire for Alaskan winters here. She's finally starting to understand that making a fashion statement going to the store doesn't require freezing to death. She spent god only knows how much money on "winter fashion boots" that hit above her knee and have a winter heel. How she found them is beyond me...but they do look good, and Columbia has them rated for -10. It's just that we live in a Eskimo / white redneck town atm and I can only wonder what people are thinking when she's out and about. I stay home now when she goes grocery shopping. It's easier on my nerves.

I wondered that myself. I mean do they blame each other over there and does it go back and forth over and over and over..? It's like nails on a chalk board every time the "blame him" spiel comes on. It's like the volume on the TV doesn't go up enough to drown it out when she's on a roll. Iv'e learned to tune her out in those cases, but then she comes back at me with the; "What did I just say" routine. That's when I know I'm screwed.

Nah...I don't get all upset over it. As Brad said a "sense of humer" goes a long way. None of it is really worth getting upset over anyway.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Nah...I don't get all upset over it. As Brad said a "sense of humer" goes a long way. None of it is really worth getting upset over anyway.

I pretty much let it go in one ear and out the other. When I feel it's time to get my digs in I ask her why Belarusians don't celebrate St. Nicholas who was Orthodox, instead of that Russian Commie known as Ded Moroze. That usually shuts her up on the spot.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I pretty much let it go in one ear and out the other. When I feel it's time to get my digs in I ask her why Belarusians don't celebrate St. Nicholas who was Orthodox, instead of that Russian Commie known as Ded Moroze. That usually shuts her up on the spot.

Alla is neither religious nor political. This would not work for her. Next year she will probably vote for the guy with the best shoes.

[eekee 182]

Ded Moroz was Ded Moroz even before the Communists.

[TBoneTX 45,659]

Iv'e learned to tune her out in those cases, but then she comes back at me with the; "What did I just say" routine. That's when I know I'm screwed.

A weary, sweating policeman emerged from an inner room of the station. "Well, did you give that thug the third degree?" asked the captain.

"Yeah. Six of us kept screaming and shouting and badgering him with questions for over four hours," was the tired reply.

"And what did you get out of him?" asked the captain eagerly.

"Nothing," said the policeman disgustedly. "All he did was doze off and from time to time murmur, 'Yes, dear. You're right, dear.'"

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Ded Moroz was Ded Moroz even before the Communists.

True, but Belarusians had never celebrated Ded Moroz before the Commies took over. Being good Orthodox like many of them are, they celebrated St. Nicholas aka St. Nicholai. Starting with Lenin Ded Moroz was forced on them seeing how Commies were anti Church. Google it.

A weary, sweating policeman emerged from an inner room of the station. "Well, did you give that thug the third degree?" asked the captain.

"Yeah. Six of us kept screaming and shouting and badgering him with questions for over four hours," was the tired reply.

"And what did you get out of him?" asked the captain eagerly.

"Nothing," said the policeman disgustedly. "All he did was doze off and from time to time murmur, 'Yes, dear. You're right, dear.'"

It helps make peace.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Ded Moroz was Ded Moroz even before the Communists.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ded_Moroz

Ded Moroz

The earliest tales of Ded Moroz presented him as a wicked and cruel sorcerer, similar to the Old Slavic gods 'Pozvizd' — the god of wind and good and bad weather, 'Zimnik' — god of winter, and the terrifying 'Korochun' — an underworld god ruling over frosts. According to legend, Ded Moroz liked to freeze people and kidnap children, taking them away in his gigantic sack. Parents were said to have to give him presents as a ransom in return for their children. However, under the influence of Orthodox traditions, the character of Ded Moroz was completely transformed, later adopting certain traits from the Dutch Sinterklaas (or Saint Nicholas), the prototype of Santa Claus.[5]

Since the 19th century the attributes and legend of Ded Moroz have been shaped by literary influences. The fairy tale play Snegurochka by the famous Russian playwright Aleksandr Ostrovsky was influential in this respect, as was Rimsky-Korsakov's Snegurochka with libretto based on the play.[3][6] By the end of the 19th century Ded Moroz had become the most popular of the various mythical New Year gift-givers in Russia.[5]

Following the Russian Revolution, Christmas traditions were actively discouraged because they were considered to be "bourgeois and religious".[7] Similarly, in 1928 Ded Moroz was declared "an ally of the priest and kulak".[8] Nevertheless, the image of Ded Moroz took its current form during Soviet times, becoming the main symbol of the New Year’s holiday that replaced Christmas. Some Christmas traditions were revived following the famous letter by Pavel Postyshev, published in Pravda on December 28, 1935.[7] Postyshev believed that the origins of the holiday, which were pre-Christian in any case, were less important than the benefits it could bring to Soviet children.[8] In 1937, a man playing Ded Moroz arrived at the Moscow Palace of Unions for the first time. Joseph Stalin ordered Palace of Unions' Ded Morozes to wear only blue coats, so that they would not be mistaken for Santa Claus.[9] During Stalinist times, Ded Moroz, Snegurochka (or "Snow Maiden"), and New Year Boy were featured in Communist-type Nativity scenes, or public appearances, with Ded Moroz as the equivalent to Joseph, Snegurochka as the equivalent to Mary, and the New Year Boy as the equivalent to the Christ child. [10]

During the period of the Soviet Union's dominance over Eastern Europe, Ded Moroz was officially introduced to many nations, despite being alien to them. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, there have been efforts to revive local characters.

In Belarus Ded Moroz is known as Dzied Maroz. He is not a traditional Belarusian character and is never mentioned in national folklore.[4][33]

The official residence of Dzied Maróz (Belarusian: Дзед Мароз, is considered to be in Biełavieskaja Pušča.[4][33]

Edited November 28, 2011 by Why_Me

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

We chose to continue celebrating "New Year's" in the manner Alla did and the boys did all their lives. December 25 has little meaning to them. That way we get our gifts 50-75% off! We do our "Christmas Shopping" the week AFTER Christmas.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

We chose to continue celebrating "New Year's" in the manner Alla did and the boys did all their lives. December 25 has little meaning to them. That way we get our gifts 50-75% off! We do our "Christmas Shopping" the week AFTER Christmas.

Between the Orthodox church here and me, I got her out of the New Years thing. We do two Christmases here. One for Latin Christmas (Dec. 25th), and we exchange a gift on Orthodox Christmas here (Jan 8th). The Russian Orthodox church is big time here in these parts of Alaska. Old Faith Russian Orthodox is the biggest with the newer Orthodox religion being a close #2. Some of our churches date back over two hundred years, with the one here in town being built sometime in the early 19th century. She goes to church about a half dozen times a years for the bigger holidays. In fact they mail everyone here in town a Orthodox calender every year which is nice...it gives us a clue as to when to cook up some food for the Orthodox carolers that hit the houses every year. Cookies ftw.

Edited November 28, 2011 by Why_Me

[eekee 182]

Whatever, my mom's family was very anti-Communist and she grew up with Dzied Maroz. Her family was from Western Belarus. I don't need to google ###### if it's what I was raised with.

Nevertheless, my original point still stands since he was Ded Moroz in RUSSIA pre-Communist times.

Edited November 28, 2011 by eekee

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Whatever, my mom's family was very anti-Communist and she grew up with Dzied Maroz. Her family was from Western Belarus. I don't need to google ###### if it's what I was raised with.

Nevertheless, my original point still stands since he was Ded Moroz in RUSSIA pre-Communist times.

And was Ded Moroz known as "Father Christmas" to your mom's family or was it St. Nicholas ?

[eekee 182]

And was Ded Moroz known as "Father Christmas" to your mom's family or was it St. Nicholas ?

Grandfather Frost. The part of Belarus they were from and where my grandmother's family all still live was actually part of Poland from 1920 till 1939.