Vacation Mayhem: Hate Nutcracker?

Fun collection of stories about vacation and holiday "horrors" from Libboo.  Check it out here.

I love one in particular.  "The Nutcraker as I see it" by Nick Zaino III describes the totally weird experience of seeing The Nutcracker ballet one holiday with his relatives.

Did something strange happen?  Did they get into a car accident on the way to the ballet?  Did someone hit someone else over the head with a beer bottle in the Texas theatre where they did allow beer and ballet to mix?   No -- Nick and I share the exact same opinion of The Nutcracker:  it's really weird with big rats, young girls, wooden men.  What gives?

I have a particular hatred and dread of The Nutcracker as a guy I was dating once cancelled on me at the last minute because his family -- I think his mother -- insisted he attend the ballet instead of go out to a great Christmas party I'd been excited to attend with him.  Bad move.  That guy got X'ed off the list.