Fifteen Years Ago

Fifteen years ago, I was in Mogadishu Somalia.  Christmas dinner was underwhelming (Thanksgiving was much better, probably because we were several miles closer to the kitchen then), and my tank broke its track while turning to avoid a camel.  That was a hassel.

This year was immeasurably better, even though I lost at Scrabble and we're pooping out early.  But then, for someone to win, someone else has to lose, and I think pooping out early on Christmas is pretty normal.  

There's frequently, if not always an odd wind down there.  After the gifts and food, the holiday energy is usually expended.  People usually drag themselves home in the early evening with nothing much to do for the rest of the night.

Christmas Prep 2008

Every year I have some trouble or other getting everything done for the holidays. In addition to the challenges shared by every other gift exchanging person, both of my parents have birthdays within weeks of Christmas. My mother was born on December 8th, my father on January 6th. As a result, I barely get through Thanksgiving and I need to get her card and gift mailed; just after New Year’s I have to gear up for my Dad’s.

One major piece of best practice is to take a day off early during December, and use that to get the majority of planning and shopping complete. Since that allowed me to finish nearly everything, my stress level is lower, and I’m free to enjoy the next few weeks.

For the first time, Nora and I set an explicit dollar limit for our gift exchange; that helped too. Now, I don’t need to wonder if I’ve done enough.

I’m actually looking forward to getting a tree. That doesn’t happen every year.