As someone who loves shopping and going to the mall, you would never take me as the person to say that I would much rather do my Christmas shopping in small-town Ontario.
Every year for Christmas, my best friend and I make the trek to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario to do the bulk of our Christmas shopping. What is so special about NOTL is that it is a very small and quaint area, filled with Canadian history and tradition. The shops in the downtown core are unique and filled with things you would never find at a mall or outlet store.
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If years of watching awful Christmas TV specials has taught me anything, it’s be thankful for what you have. Be thankful for your life and friends. Strive to be a better person so some angel can get her wings. These hackneyed messages are so cliché this time of year that they are easy to ignore. But recently, I was figuratively hit smack dab in the head with what being thankful really means.
I have a freelance gig writing articles for my local paper. The paper has something called the Empty Stocking Fund which gives money and gifts to those less-fortunate. My assignment is to write about some of the recipients and how they got into the position they are in. To help me write their stories, I’m given their applications, which gives a small history of what each person or family is going through.
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It’s everywhere – the global credit crunch that is teetering on the edge of a full-blown recession. Usually the first victim of the tightening of purse strings is the retail sector, who annually tries to whip us up into a big spending frenzy. We’re urged to indulge, to be extravagant and to spend, spend, spend. So it’s not surprising that sometimes it feels as though Christmas has become more about how much money you’re handing over, rather than what you’ve given.
This year I’m trying to cut back dramatically on my Christmas shopping. Not because I’m a Scrooge or in any way anti-Christmas — I’m just trying to take a different tact. I get tired of fighting with the Christmas shopping crowds, and being urged to empty my bank account. I often wonder why gift giving, particularly at Christmas, has evolved into a manic spending spree.
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As Christmas Day approaches, some of you guys out there looking for the perfect gift for your woman. Most guys like to see their partner in some form of lingerie, but certain women just won’t take the time to shop for it.
So what’s the rule about shopping for lingerie, panties, and sexy evening wear for as a Christmas gift?
Answer? It all depends on the woman AND the relationship. Sadly, there is no simple one size fits all answer. You have to know your partner better than the stereotypical male. If you can answer the following questions, you may just find the narrow path to success.
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The Holiday Road Trip
As I packed up my birds’ food and treats last night, I began to dread the three (at least) hour drive are making today. I know choosing to move away makes holiday travel a necessary evil, but I’m still not a fan. Every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas there seems to be a lot of attention on focused on how to survive air travel. Yes I agree that the idea of being in an airport near the holiday season is a mess. Yes I would want tips on how to survive the madness that holiday air travel has become. I actually purposely planned my vacation so it happens in the usual lull between Thanksgiving and when the kids are let out of school for Christmas to avoid the crowds and the high airfares. However, I think the road warriors get a bit shafted. Yes we look at the gas prices and the increased number of accidents, but no one really gives us the time of day.
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As we approach Thanksgiving I am reminded that this really is the most wonderful time of the year. The weather is turning colder, NFL football and college football are in full swing and of course you have the trifecta of big holidays all in a condensed time, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. So this is what it must feel like to be Jewish, holidays all the time.
However, the holidays can bring out a lot of bad in people too, which leads me today’s blog. There is a rule, this rule is iron clad, it can not be amended and it must not be violated. The rule reads as follows: “The overall celebration and general observance of the holiday of Christmas shall not begin until the first Friday following the day of Thanksgiving. No houses shall be decorated; no trees are to be put up. It is also not permissible for radio stations to be playing 24 hours of Christmas music until the said Friday.”
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My mom called me last Friday and uttered the words that strike fear into my heart every November and it stays there until New Years “So what are you doing about Thanksgiving?” Next come the questions, “Why do you have to work so late on Wednesday?” “So you want to have dinner here or in Woodville?” “Are you sure you don’t mind missing out on going to the PI with your friends?” “How long are you staying?” Of course I have no “good” answers for these.
I have to work that late because the college is open and we need the coverage. If I want time off at Christmas, I have to sacrifice. Yes, I would rather only have to drive three hours as opposed to four to Woodville. No, I don’t mind skipping out on seeing my classmates get drunk. Not to mention by the time I got off work, went home, and then drove to Woodville, it would be at least midnight and I would be exhausted. I have no idea how long I’m staying. I need to talk to my other boss to determine when he needs me to be back.
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