Saturday, December 20, 2008

Joyful Tidings

I can’t believe this. Christmas is coming in 4 days, and I am totally unprepared. Of course I could always argue that point with myself because I am not going home for Christmas and will be stuck in the office until as late as midnight on Christmas Eve. Sounds like fun, huh? I know. I am sooooo looking forward to it.

But even though I won’t be home for Christmas, I will be there for New Year. I can hear you say “What kind of madness is that, going home after Christmas?” The kind of madness that happens when you cannot take a leave until after Christmas and any kind of blackmail, begging, threats or bribes won’t work with your boss. The kind of madness you deserve when a procrastinating fool like you books her leave after everyone else does and have to settle with taking leaves on weird dates like Wednesdays, half a day in Tuesday, and after Christmas. Sometimes I’d think of hitting myself in the head for procrastinating, but I would put off looking for the stick to hit myself with until the next day, and so the madness continues.

Let’s change the subject. Weddings. I have no idea weddings were so expensive with so much to do and so many small things to take care of. I thought people just bought a couple of rings and a nice dress and food to feed the guests and that was it. I discovered how wrong I was. I’ve spent the last four Saturdays running around looking for rings, a nice dress that I can wear without getting frostbite in the cold January air, shirts and ties for the groom and the male members of my family, matching jewelry for the female members, decorative items, gifts for the couple, toys for the kids, and a thousand other small things. And I am such an indecisive person I’d spend the whole day roaming around without buying a single thing, and going home and thinking “Maybe I should have bought that one” and when I go back the next week the dratted thing would not be there anymore.

My younger brother is getting married in January. Trust me when I say this - There’s nothing like the marriage of a younger relative to make you feel old and ancient. So without any invitation or initiation from me I have been elevated to the post of the “cranky old unmarried elder sister”. Nice feeling, I tell you. You should try it some time, you won’t be disappointed.

I should get going now. It’s one in the pm and I have to revise my shopping list and set out for another perilous trek in the jungles of the marketplace.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.