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DOUBLE WHAMMY HOLIDAYS
Published On 12-28-2008 , 2:27 PM
Whew! I sailed through the first of this year's holiday double whammies unscathed and with my head held high.
But it seems, perhaps, people my age just do this anyway and that would mean there was no cleverness on my part and instead I was just keeping up with my peers.
The sail-through non-involvement behavior started with my announcement there would be no Christmas tree again this year. That bit of news was a hang over from 2007 when Brandi asked the big "When are we putting up the tree?"
"We're going to be in the Mendocino Pygmy Forest for Christmas - decorate any tree close to the cabin," I shouted back to her with glee.
No such road trip this year just a suggestion that the medium-sized bushy potted plant sitting by the north window in our living room would look really quite cute with shiny balls and perhaps a few pretty bows.
The decked-out plant didn't get the same acceptance as the Pygmy Forest and on a regular basis, every time we drove home up Lincoln Avenue passing Wayne's T-shirt shop (where trees were being sold), my pitiful 17-year-old would say, "Look they're only 15 bucks."
The next tactic she employed, in an outburst of sincerity and in recognition of the economy, was to suggest paying for the tree herself with the money she'd earned for feeding the neighbor's dog.
Everyone's got to give a little - that's just the way life works. I bought the tree. But I wouldn't shop. I wouldn't cook. I wouldn't. And I didn't.
On the big day, I telephoned my two grandkids in Colorado, wished them the best of the season and heard their joyous tales of toys collected.
My grandson from Atlanta arrived at my home on Christmas Eve and thankfully had no gifts in hand but came with giant hugs, lots of kisses and good conversation from a 27-year-old perspective.
My kids? The eldest went to spend a few days with a friend in Rialto.
The 50-year-old daughter, who is an interpreter, wanted quiet time to put her house in order from a very busy year-end schedule. The 40-something daughter came by in the evening and said something that sounded pretty close to "Bah, humbug."
Brandi said about this Christmas, "I think I've died and gone to heaven!" No shopping. No presents. No special dinner. Nada!
Well not exactly. Ah, e-mail. Brandi was asked to check hers before breakfast so she could have something to talk about.
"Subject: forward - Ticket Confirmation. Congratulations! You have been selected to receive 2 tickets to the Swearing-in Ceremony of President-elect Barack Obama on January 20, 2009 in Washington, D.C.!"
Thanks, Congressman Adam Schiff, for delivering history to the household that I'm sharing with my high school senior. This gift, unknown to the congressman, spared me the job of thinking up another scheme this year to move my child away from the pretentiousness of a holiday that once had a true spirit of giving and of meaning.
The second lap of the double- whammy holidays? Who would ask that question? All my energies will be directed toward learning how to keep warm in weather like we've never experienced, how to keep our sanity while in the company of more than a million people, how best to access public transportation in D.C., building up the body for miles of walking. And there's a lot more we've got to get done and not a lot of time to do it in.
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Comment
| | 1. | WOW<WOW<WOW<WOW<......
Knowing that all will work out splendidly. Go and relish the experience. Sounds terribly exciting.
Nixie
- by phxsays, 12-29-2008, 12:48 PM
| | 2. | Hey Shirlee,
I had no idea you scored actual tickets to the inaugural. Congrats to you and Brandi! See you when you get back.
- by Bruce, 12-28-2008, 6:16 PM
| | 3. | Way to go, Shirlee. And, have a good trip, back to see the history made. As, for me I'm gonna watch it all on TV. I'm letting someone else use my ticket. For me the "HISTORY" was in his winning the Presidency.
Don't get to dismayed and worried about getting into shape for the "walking". Plan right, and use public transportation. The Metro system in D.C. is AWESOME!!! Concentrate on the Mall area, between Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol. It all goes right in back of The White House.
Enjoy....
Hank
- by Hank Wilfong, 12-28-2008, 5:35 PM
| | 4. | Bah, Humbug...in response to your congressman having awarded you two tickets to the Historic Inauguration. Congratulations to you and Brandi. Safe Journey. Pictures please, and attention to every detail so we can read about your shared experience.
- by Beverlee Bruce, PhD, 12-28-2008, 3:39 PM
| | 5. | Your holidays turned out to be fine for you afterall? You bought the tree, you decorated your home and you entertained guests. I think if we all start to recognize that we dont have to do what society makes us feel we must do in regards to how we DO the holidays - any of them, but in particular Christmas- we will become more comfortable with letting go of some of the entrapped, Bah Humbug sort of stuff. Phoenix
- by phxsays, 00-00-0000, 12:00 AM
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