Joyeux Noel!
Other than the usually exciting morning that permeates this holiday, today was pretty calm and peaceful.
It's funny that no matter how calm an approach I have going into unwrapping the presents, somehow good old Santa Claus always manages to surprise me. Last year it was my laptop. This year, I unwrap a rectangular bag and pull out ... a Furman license plate, a set of keys, and a little yellow sticky note attached. And the note said, "Yes, David, this IS a car. Now go outside and find it! Ho Ho Ho! - Santa."
Okay, now that you're all through laughing at me, this requires a little exposition. Three years ago, when I was still a junior in high school, I was busily unwrapping presents. I get to the last one, and pull out the keys to my old 1994 Infinity along with a Clemson license plate. Now, I was sick at the time with a mild fever and hadn't slept for more than one or two hours, so I was feeling more than a little delirious. My mom and dad are sitting there with the excitement written all over their faces, my sister and brother practically glowing with anticipation ... and I just sit there, holding up the keys. My expression read something like, "Oh, okay, so what are these for?" And then I put them aside and looked to see if there were more presents! I'm telling you, I was really out of it then.
After about five minutes, my family somehow manages to get it through my fevered brain that these were car keys, to a new car, a new car for me! At last, my higher thought processes reasserted themselves and I got the hint to go outside and find it. There sat my Infinity, parked in the garage out of the freezing conditions outside. It was a great scene, once I finally, finally caught on to what was going on. How you can be sick enough not to realize you've been given a car for Christmas, I'll never know. And I've been teased often about it ever since.
Well, today we came full circle with that little inside joke. Thankfully, I recognized the present immediately and even managed to sneak in a little tease of my own as my parents looked up to see what I had unwrapped. "Strange. I feel like I should be sick opening this..." Anyway, in less than 30 seconds flat, we were on the driveway, beholding my new 2003 Tracker parked in the side space. It's a great car that provides plenty more room and comfort, is in perfect working order, and has only about 40,000 miles on it. That's a far cry from the 100,000+ miles accumulated on the old Infinity when I received it. However, it will always bear the dubious distinction of being a predominantly garnet color. Gee, I wonder which of my parents made the final bid on it...
Anyway, a wonderful gift that was, as were all the others. I received numerous articles of clothing, an answering machine, a hand-held vaccum cleaner, and some new contemporary christian CDs. My family and I enjoyed a terrific Christmas breakfast, invited our relatives over to visit and see the new merchandise, took a long overdue afternoon nap, and had another Christmas feast this evening with my grandmother from Pendleton, who will be staying overnight with us. What a great day. Hope everyone else's holiday has been just as wonderful!
May the Lord bless you and keep you safe all of your day! Merry Christmas!
Song of the Day: Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music - "My Favorite Things" (this deserves lyrics)
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudles
Doorbells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things.
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into spring
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad.
Quote of the Day: "Yes, David, this IS a car! Now go outside and find it! Ho Ho Ho!" - Santa (big surprise)
Verse of the Day: "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means, "God with us." - Matthew 1:22-23
It's funny that no matter how calm an approach I have going into unwrapping the presents, somehow good old Santa Claus always manages to surprise me. Last year it was my laptop. This year, I unwrap a rectangular bag and pull out ... a Furman license plate, a set of keys, and a little yellow sticky note attached. And the note said, "Yes, David, this IS a car. Now go outside and find it! Ho Ho Ho! - Santa."
Okay, now that you're all through laughing at me, this requires a little exposition. Three years ago, when I was still a junior in high school, I was busily unwrapping presents. I get to the last one, and pull out the keys to my old 1994 Infinity along with a Clemson license plate. Now, I was sick at the time with a mild fever and hadn't slept for more than one or two hours, so I was feeling more than a little delirious. My mom and dad are sitting there with the excitement written all over their faces, my sister and brother practically glowing with anticipation ... and I just sit there, holding up the keys. My expression read something like, "Oh, okay, so what are these for?" And then I put them aside and looked to see if there were more presents! I'm telling you, I was really out of it then.
After about five minutes, my family somehow manages to get it through my fevered brain that these were car keys, to a new car, a new car for me! At last, my higher thought processes reasserted themselves and I got the hint to go outside and find it. There sat my Infinity, parked in the garage out of the freezing conditions outside. It was a great scene, once I finally, finally caught on to what was going on. How you can be sick enough not to realize you've been given a car for Christmas, I'll never know. And I've been teased often about it ever since.
Well, today we came full circle with that little inside joke. Thankfully, I recognized the present immediately and even managed to sneak in a little tease of my own as my parents looked up to see what I had unwrapped. "Strange. I feel like I should be sick opening this..." Anyway, in less than 30 seconds flat, we were on the driveway, beholding my new 2003 Tracker parked in the side space. It's a great car that provides plenty more room and comfort, is in perfect working order, and has only about 40,000 miles on it. That's a far cry from the 100,000+ miles accumulated on the old Infinity when I received it. However, it will always bear the dubious distinction of being a predominantly garnet color. Gee, I wonder which of my parents made the final bid on it...
Anyway, a wonderful gift that was, as were all the others. I received numerous articles of clothing, an answering machine, a hand-held vaccum cleaner, and some new contemporary christian CDs. My family and I enjoyed a terrific Christmas breakfast, invited our relatives over to visit and see the new merchandise, took a long overdue afternoon nap, and had another Christmas feast this evening with my grandmother from Pendleton, who will be staying overnight with us. What a great day. Hope everyone else's holiday has been just as wonderful!
May the Lord bless you and keep you safe all of your day! Merry Christmas!
Song of the Day: Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music - "My Favorite Things" (this deserves lyrics)
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudles
Doorbells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things.
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into spring
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad.
Quote of the Day: "Yes, David, this IS a car! Now go outside and find it! Ho Ho Ho!" - Santa (big surprise)
Verse of the Day: "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means, "God with us." - Matthew 1:22-23
posted by david @ 2:32 PM
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