Things That are Fun To Do This Time of the Year

Here's my list.  No need for checking it twice.

1.  Wait for Santa
     This isn't what it sounds like.  I wait for the fire company's Santa.  It is a tradition for the fire company to drive Santa around the neighborhoods in one of its shiny fire trucks.  He honks the horn, flashes lights, and his helpers give candy canes to the kids.  Well, one year Santa didn't get to my street until about 10:00 pm.  There were no kids awake for the candy canes, and good thing too, because Santa was drunk!  I couldn't stop laughing.  I'm laughing now as I remember that night.  Poor Santa.  I think he got in a lot of trouble because I didn't see him again for another two years.  So yes, I wait for Santa because I am so hoping for a repeat performance of drunk Santa.  It was fall down funny.

2.  Diffuse angry people in the department stores
     Have you ever looked into the faces of people deeply engaged in Christmas shopping?  They look very serious and downright dismal.  So I hum along with the muzak. People laugh at me because they think I'm crazy or maybe it's because my voice is pretty bad.  But usually, they'll return my smiles.  Sometimes they join in and sing with me.  While waiting in line to check out, I have let people go ahead of me.  If they are visibly agitated, it calms them to be offered a better place in the line.  Often, they won't take me up on the offer, but they relax.  And that calms everybody else down.  I give upsies to moms with kids.  They really appreciate a chance to get their kid out of the store faster.  I will chat with people.  Today I listened to some guy bash Obama and the economy and I just said, Uh huh.  Hmmm.  Oh yeah.  Ho Ho Ho  - That guy has no idea the self-restraint I exercised just to help him vent and chill.  I am always nice to the cashiers, no matter how crabby they might be.  Kindness paid of at Kohl's today.  I forgot my discount coupon for 15% off.  The lady liked me so much, she gave me 30% off my purchases.  Good deal!

3. Tip
     I tip my newspaper guy and my mail person.  I give them rather nice tips.  And I get the best daggone service in the world.  My mail lady brings packages to my door rather than leaving a "pick up" slip in my mailbox.  She leaves daily treats for my dog. She will wrap my mail in plastic to keep it dry if the rain is coming down hard.  But, I also tip those who least expect it.  Today I tipped the cheerful gal at the fast food pick-up window.  A couple of bucks, and I made her day.  I look for those poorly paid and under appreciated people who constantly serve us with a smile, and I try to surprise them with a little Christmas green.

4.  Eat Lunch
     I eat lunch out with friends as much as possible.  It's fun to get together in well-decorated restaurants.  Wine in the middle of the day is especially yummy. 

5.  Drive around and check out the lights
     This is an amazing thing to do anymore, because people are completely nuts about their outdoor decorations.  They wrap their houses with hundreds of lights.  They're beautiful and I'm sure their houses can be seen in outer space.  I always get a laugh with the houses that have Santa standing in the manger with the wise men, Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus.  One of my favorite houses dresses the Three Stooges in Christmas finery.  I wonder if those people know the Stooges are Jewish?  My neighbors across the street continue to entertain me.  From driving a car with two guys riding on the trunk and holding tree branches to be disposed of in the woods to setting up their decorations, they make me chuckle.  Yesterday, they set up four or five of those big balloon things.  Santa wouldn't stand up, so the one guy was punching him and cussing him out.  I wanted to walk over and tell him that Santa was going to put him on the naughty list, but I couldn't stop laughing long enough to put on a coat.  I don't decorate the outside of my house, so I appreciate those who do.

 There you have it.  What are some of your favorite things to do during the holidays?