My wife and I were about a third of the way through the task, which we began after getting home from the Christmas Eve church service, when, suddenly, our roll of Scotch tape (the green type) suddenly ran out. When you're wrapping Christmas presents and you're only a third of the way done when the tape runs out, that makes your whole life pass in front of your eyes. "Well, get that big new roll from downstairs," I said with bravado, knowing full well that there was no big new roll downstairs.
Oh, what to do, what to do? Do any of you have some slightly used tape we can borrow? No questions asked.
Oh wait. My wife was rummaging around and found a roll of the Scotch clear tape (the red type) downstairs. It's old, but it's still mostly sticky, and at this point (9 p.m. on Christmas Eve) our standards are not terribly high.
We've got the kids' stuff wrapped. I think she's wrapping a thing or two she got for me, and I've got a few things for her that need to be wrapped.
Wrapping gifts is not one of my specialties. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate myself as a 2, if that. I know how to fold paper, but not good at estimating how much is needed, and my taping leaves much to be desired. I know that. We all have things we do well in life. Wrapping Christmas gifts is not one of mine.
On top of that, I've got worries about the gifts I got for the kids--whether I favored one more than the other. Because I did. You see, Phil (the older son) is on his own in the Detroit area, lives by himself, has a pretty good job and buys himself stuff all the time. Dave lives in town here, and he has to live more frugally. So I skew things his way. I admit it. But I feel I need to do something to sort of even things out. I'm trying to decide.
We will wind up with a white Christmas, after all. We received about three inches of very wet snow on Dec. 22, and it's going to survive till the 25th at least. Temperatures are a little below freezing, but it's not going to get super cold here for at least another week. The cold air will stay in Canada. And they're welcome to keep it.
Phil got here on Thursday night--he arrived just as I was walking out the door to a basketball game out of town, and he was in bed by the time I got back. We put the paper together on Friday--just watched something on TV that night. The highlight of Saturday was all of us going down to visit my mom. We had a nice visit. We got back home in time for a late pizza at one of the restaurants in town. It was supposed to be at the Happy I--but you know what happened there.
Tomorrow's plans--after the gift unwrapping and untaping--are uncertain. We may drive down to visit my mom again. Not sure. As I was clearing off the ice and snow from my car this morning (didn't drive it at all Friday), one of the windshield wipers came off, and part of the bracket on the blade broke. So I may be reduced to running around to the gas station/convenience stores that are open on Christmas day in search of a windshield wiper.
My life is crazy, I know.
Anyway, I've been taking a bit of a break from the blog during this hyperhectic season, but I wanted to wish all of you a happy holiday season, and I hope you get what you want and need and deserve.
Because we all deserve to be happy, but not all of us are. And gifts can't bring happiness. Only being with those we love makes us happy. Seeing them happy makes us happy. I wish and pray that I could give that happiness to all of you who needs that gift, that divine right. To those who may fit that description, my prayer is that you will find that happiness in time for the next holiday season. Beyond the right door is a wonderful future, and I hope you all find that door very soon.
(What? We're out of tape again???) Sorry. Gotta go.
No comments:
Post a Comment