CHRISTMAS TIME'S A COMIN'

Christmas is only three days away now. I guess it’s time to start my annual shopping trek. Actually this year my wife, knowing the tendency I have to buy useful and practical gifts like wheelbarrows and vacuum cleaners, gave me a list. She told me to stick to the list or else. It kind of kills my youthful spontaneity but I’ll follow along. Better that than losing other privileges.

We had a big old snowstorm here in Delaware over the weekend. It was a major tragedy for the merchants and shoppers due to the high level of incompetence our government agencies have when it comes to planning for and executing snow removal. I heard on the radio this morning that the state budget allows for one eight inch snowfall per winter. This storm dumped as much as two feet in some areas. The smaller communities seem to follow a similar plan. Consequently the state and municipalities are three times over budget for the year. What a bunch of morons.

It wouldn’t be quite so bad if any of the plow drivers had ever learned how to use their equipment. I’m pretty sure that there are controls in the trucks that allow for raising and lowering the plow. Apparently the drivers are unaware of that feature because they can’t seem to get the plow down low enough or, when they come to an intersection, they can’t seem to raise it to avoid burying that intersection in a two foot high ridge of heavily packed snow. I’ve seen convoys of three plow trucks followed by a pick-up with flashing lights (that’s just in case drivers can’t see the flashing lights on the plow trucks) go down a single lane of a three lane highway and miss so much snow that the following pick-up truck got severely stuck. So they all stop to get that pick-up loose then they all seem to forget to lower their plows as they start up again. It’s as if the three stooges were doing all the plowing in this neck of the woods. Sad, sad, sad.

Sorry about that rant. I tend to think that our tax money would be better spent sending the entire population of the state on a two week trip to Disneyland when a storm is approaching. By the time we all got back the snow would be melted and no one would be angry, frustrated or dead. It would probably be cheaper as well.

As I said Christmas is almost here so I’d better turn on the old “good will to men” (and women). This year our youngest daughter will be going with her fiancé to visit some of his folks out in Chicago. This is the first year our little family won’t all be together. But we’ll have a second celebration when they come over on New Years weekend. Meanwhile my wife’s sister, her daughter and one of her great-grandkids will be with us on Christmas day. And of course our older daughter and her family will be here. So we’ll have an appropriate group to continue the tradition of loud and confusing events. As a matter of fact when my dear sister-in-law and my wife get together the decibel level in the neighborhood will jump by about sixty or seventy percent. But we’ll have fun and the kids will be wired enough to keep everything interesting. I personally plan on having a sufficient amount of adult beverage on hand to keep myself mellow.

So to all of you, family and friends, scattered across this country and even in some others, we wish you a Merry Christmas. Enjoy the celebrations however you make them. If you are religious then enjoy the pageantry and holiness that are so prevalent in your churches at this time of year. If you aren’t religious, then call someone who is and thank them for getting this whole thing started two thousand plus years ago. Maybe they weren’t there at the time but they’re helping to keep it all on track as much as they can. And while you all celebrate think about the importance of kindness and families and traditions. It’ll help to keep you on the right path as you move into the new year. And have a Happy New Year too.

And also have a fine day.