HOLIDAY HIJINKS
By Pam Sherman | November 20, 2007
It’s November!!!! OH MY!!!! Time to run around and buy things and return them - even before you give them to anyone. I don’t know why I start stressing but the minute Thanksgiving rolls around life becomes one big errand. It’s not like I don’t run errands other times of the year it’s just this time of the year comes with heartburn and anxiety and long long lines. And this year our holiday, our minor Jewish holiday, the one that really should take a back seat to the Day of Atonement and the Jewish New Year, this year Hanukah is on December 4th. Now either this means I’ll be getting my nails done while the rest of you are running around like banshees or my misery will just last longer than yours.
What I do know is that I have to have all the shopping done before Thanksgiving because I have to have presents for all my nieces and nephews by then. This year for the first time in 5 years we are spending Thanksgiving with my family. Most of my family works on the Macy’s Day Parade. And I don’t mean they watch it in their pj’s while cooking. They get dressed leave the house at 5:00 a.m. and help celebrities on and off the floats, and march as clowns or sit next to Santa. A family member has worked for Macy’s for 50 years and brought my family into the fold about 18 years ago. As a result, my husband and kids and my mother will have coveted seats in a bleacher this year on 77th street. I keep telling them it’s a n experience of a lifetime. Of course we too will have to leave the house at 6 a.m. But this means NO COOKING!! NO GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE - not even once this week. Yippeee!!! This also means my entire family will be catatonic by 2:00. So the meal my sister has been cooking all week will be eaten in about fifteen minutes and everyone will be snoring in about 20. The experience of a lifetime.This also means the nieces and nephews who I’ve been running around shopping for won’t even notice the presents I’ve busted my butt to purchase and wrap BEFORE THANKSGIVING. This year I am giving one niece stationary and thank you notes thinking she might get the hint to actually THANK ME for the present I have purchased for her. But I love her, so what am I going to do - not buy her a present? HMMMM now there is an idea.
My husband reminded me that this year we were going to give our children experiences and not presents. But I keep telling him the experiences all require presents to make them TRUE EXPERIENCES. I am disappointed in the acquisitiveness of our children this year - “I want….fill in the blank wtih expensive electronic item”…..seems to fill my house every day. I am making them come up with some community project so that it’s not all about stuff. But I think my kids are sensing my anxiety for the seaon and are going in for the kill. Get her while she’s weak they figure. She’ll want to get the hot item just to say SHE GOT IT. They know I’m incredibly competitive. So when I got said coveted electronic item - I called all my friends and crowed……I GOT IT I GOT IT!!! Defeating the purpose of the experience-based holiday season. It’s all about beating the guy who didn’t get to the electronics store fast enough - now that’s an experience isn’t it?
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July 14th, 2011 at 5:03 am
I’ll try to put this to good use imedmitealy.
July 17th, 2011 at 11:02 am
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