I hate my family too. I disowned mine a long time ago and love spending the holidays by myself or with other people. Who says you have to spend Christmas with them? Why torture yourself? Quit thinking of Christmas as some big commercial thing where you can't be alone or around people you want to be and you might enjoy it better. Liquor stores do a great business this time of year because of people like you who hate their families and get depressed and don't want to be with them or they have to drink to be around them. I'm surprised you're 39.. you sound 15..they try and dress you up? Like..what the..? Seriously?

Take the money you saved for Christmas presents and go spend it on a plane ticket and spend it with your Cali friends. You'd probably be surprised at how much more you'd enjoy it. Or you still have a few weeks left, make a local friend online. There's got to be someone on your Myspace or meeetup.com or somewhere that's closer to you that also hates their family.