So it's Christmas Eve Eve. It's that weird day before the day before the day many of us have driven ourselves to madness over. (My college creative writing prof would hate that sentence!) My presents are wrapped. My dough for the final round of baked goodies is currently chilling, and my house will smell fantastic in a couple hours. I have gathering with work folk later this evening and much cleaning to do because people with cat allergies are braving my house.
But mostly today is quiet. I'm off work early...it's pouring rain...and my hands are in screaming pain thanks to the damp weather and the wearing off of the cortisone shot earlier this week. (There was no wearing off. There was a cliff. I felt no pain...and then fell off the cliff and now I have PAIN!) The quiet gives me a little time to reflect on some of the fun I've had this holiday season. I made a huge effort this year to look outside myself and try to give back, try to be more patient, try to see joy in even the small things. Big change from the endless case of everything rage I had last year, right?
I found myself seeing humor where I used to get angry. I found more energy to do things, instead of hiding on my couch the minute I got home from work. And you know what? This is a very, very funny world we live in. I have had a BLAST laughing in stores at over heard conversations and general silliness that last year would have sent me into a rant. And I'd like to share some of this with you.
"And the benefits of exercise are what, again?"
Most of you know I joined a gym back in September and didn't use it until November. But since I'm out to prove P-Aaron the personal trainer wrong, Hubby and I have been dragging ourselves out of bed early every weekday morning and getting a good sweat going at the gym long before our brains and bodies have a chance to realize what we're doing and figure a way to stop us. I've run into some interesting characters in the last few weeks, for sure. But I have noticed that my body is a bit more sore lately, a fact I was sharing with Hubby last night. And here's how this went"
Me: My lower back/upper butt is sore tonight.
Hubby: Do stretches.
Me: I know, I know.
Hubby: See, you're sore from working out. So you have to do stretches so you're not as sore.
Me: (Realizing this conversation is about to get silly) So because I'm exercising now I have to...exercise more?
Hubby: (Perfectly straight face, not realizing we are in silliness now) Yes.
Me: So exercising means more work for me then.
Hubby: Yes.
Me: So why bother with any of it?
Hubby: So you feel better.
Me: I feel lousy. I'm in pain.
Hubby: But you're healthier.
Me: Being in pain is healthier than not being in pain?
Hubby: Sure. It means you're working.
Me: But before I wasn't working...and I wasn't in pain.
Hubby: Well it's cheaper anyway.
Me: How? I wasn't paying for a gym before, now I am.
Hubby: On your healthcare. You're healthier so you feel better so you have less healthcare.
Me: But I feel like crap and you keep telling me to get all the stuff the hurts looked at.
End conversation. I think I won!
Senior citizens spell out new technology.
This conversation was overheard a couple weeks ago at a Blaines Farm and Fleet. I was in the Christmas aisle looking for ornaments when I heard two lovely old ladies discussing Christmas lights.
Old lady 1: there, you want those.
Old lady 2: What, those L. E. D. lights?
Old lady 1: Yes, But they're called LEEEEEEED lights.
Old lady2: But it's spelled LED.
Old lady 1: Right, but they're called LEEEEEEEEED lights. They burn cooler and brighter. LEEED lights.
Old Lady 2: I'm so glad you're up on this stuff.
And cut to me stuffing Christmas stockings into my mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
How do you say, "Idiot" in Chinese?
Proof that I'm not the only one who runs into trouble at local big box stores, I got this story from the lovely lady at my favorite Chinese take out place. (Spring Garden on Delafield and East Moreland in Waukesha. I don't know what they put in their Beef Chow Mei Fun, but it's AWESOME!) Anyway, here's her story.
"I sent my father to Target last year two days before Black Friday. I wanted to find out if there was going to be a big sale on this one TV. he came back after three hours, and he was very angry. No one in the store would talk to him. They said they couldn't understand him and they told him to go away. So I went to Target to ask the same question. My father told me I was wasting my time. It took me a long time, but I finally got someone to stop and talk to me. I asked him about the deal on the TV. I had heard there was going to be a big sale on this one TV, but I didn't have a flier. He told me he didn't know anything about any sales on Black Friday, he only knew about prices today. (two days before) I asked if there was a flier around that he could find for me. He said no, there were no fliers, there were never fliers with Black Friday prices and if I wanted to know what the sale was going to be on something I would have to come back on Black Friday."
Now, sure, this lady has a pretty heavy Chinese accent. Still, she speaks English correctly and slowly enough that I understood her. But I was cheered by the fact that I'm not the only one who gets ignored and talked down to at stores. I wonder how she does at pharmacies.
And finally, don't leave this up to the children!
Just before Thanksgiving I was in line at Hobby Lobby. The lines there can be slow sometimes, and in this case I was behind a young mother who apparently was buying ALL of the boxes of ornaments in the store. Her two young children, a boy and a girl, maybe 5 and 6, were amusing themselves at the rack of candy near the register.
Boy: Mom, can we have this?
Mom: No.
Girl: Can we have this?
Mom: No
Boy: How about this?
Mom: No.
At this point the children have built quite the little pile of candy on the floor, all of which mom has said no to. I should note, the girl has a sucker in her mouth.
Mom: Put the candy back. We have all kinds of candy at home from Halloween.
Boy: But can't we have some candy now?"
Mom: When we get home, you can have a piece of Halloween candy.
Girl: So we can have this? (She holds up a candy bar.)
Mom: NO. You can have a piece of candy from your Halloween candy.
Boy: Okay, so can I this? (He holds up a candy bar)
Mom: (Looking at the children for the first time.) NO. Put that away. You can have candy from your Halloween bags when we get home.
Boy to girl: So what should we have?
Girl: I don't know.
Boy: I think I want chocolate.
Girl: how about if I pick out your piece and you pick out mine?
Boy: No. You'll just pick out a big piece for you and a little one for me.
Girl: No I won't.
Boy: Yes you will.
Mom: I'm almost done here. (No she's not. She's got like ten more boxes of ornaments.) Come stand by me.
Boy: But wait, I want to look at one thing. (He touches a bag of candy on the display) Can I have this?
Mom: I told you ten times, no. You can have one piece of your Halloween candy when we get home.
Girl: but he wants chocolate. (But he's pointing to Skittles.)
Boy: Yeah, I want chocolate, like these coins. (He starts poking at a bag of chocolate coins...which are not as securely in the bag as they should be...and which fall to the floor.)
Mom: PICK THOSE UP!
Boy: Can we get them?
Girl: Yes, can we? I haven't had candy in a long time! (Her sucker isn't even half gone.)
Mom: No, pick that up, and come on! ( She leaves half a dozen boxes on the counter and stomps out of the store.)
Ah yes, the holidays....
So my friends, as you make your way through the next few days, try and find some joy in your holidays...and if you can't, try and find something to laugh at. Because humor is all around us, even this time of the year!
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