The Holidays Are Upon Us

Well, not THOSE holidays, although there is a little of THAT holiday fun coming this weekend, but more about THAT later (wait, I didn’t need to capitalize that use of that, sorry). With the end of the week upon us, there are a few things I need to make sure you are all aware of this coming weekend. I’d hate for you to find out about them after the fact, because who likes celebrating belated holidays. More than once (perhaps 6 times, though I am just throwing out the first number that came to mind) I have been chastised for not sharing pertinent holiday happenings with you in enough advance time to be able to celebrate. Tonight, that practice ends. So, I am putting on my town crier Paul Revere hat and riding throughout the countryside to announce the advance of some pretty important, possibly illegitimate, but still fun to celebrate, holidays (and this is where I say ‘Hi Kat.’).

First up is Friday’s big holiday. You may have heard a little something about this one and I have to thank a high school friend who I reconnected with through the great new time killer, Facebook (no, I don’t do that at work. I’m a good, model employee…and it’s blocked). She advised me (advised me? Am I filling out a police report or something?). She let me know that Friday is free Slurpee Day at 7-11. This one is legit folks. I checked it out online and if someone feels strongly enough to put it on the internet, then we know it has to be true! In honor of 7/11’s birthday, on 7/11, they are giving away free 7.11 ounce Slurpees in special birthday cups. Did anyone other than me notice the symmetry and smooth connection of all the 7/11s there? It was kind of subtle. At least they went with free Slurpees instead of charging $7.11 cents, though a promotion like that would probably be doomed for failure when I spend a little more time thinking about it.

I love me the Slurpee. Yes, my high school English teacher would hate that last sentence, but then she had it out for me because I turned all of my writing assignments in with all the words capitalized and I wrote really small and she was really old, but none of that is relevant to the artic joy that is the Slurpee. Its icy, syrupy goodness cannot be denied. To me, it’s almost like cheese, albeit in a frozen, somewhat slushified state. And it’s not a dairy product, but other than that, it is just like cheese to me. Holy crap, could you imagine a cheddar Slurpee? I honestly think I just shrieked a little while writing that. Before the goosebumps or other embarrassing things start to happen, I’ll just say head to 7/11, on 7/11…

I get to take the twins to a bounce-house birthday party on Saturday and Sunday is actually the rare dual-holiday. While these present celebratory time challenges as we try to incorporate two different holidays into the same 24 hour period (or 12 in my sleepy case), I suggest that you spend the morning-early afternoon celebrating one and then the remainder of the day-evening celebrating the 2nd. Somehow in my mind that suggestion sounded much more clever, unique (or clunique) and out-of-the-box than it came out. I’ll have to work on that.

Sunday is both Embrace Your Geekness Day AND Gruntled Workers Day. I know, I know, isn’t it so exciting? I am all ready to embrace my inner geek, perhaps because my outer geek is so prominent. Much more prominent than my ears or my nose for example. I’m thinking The Science Channel was well aware of this holiday as they are broadcasting their Space Week all this week. I’ve been watching or taping every show they have been broadcasting. It’s almost as exciting as Shark Week, without the blood or water or torn flesh or shark cages, though some of the suits the divers wear could be compared to space suits. Assuming of course you were trying too hard to find a comparison between the two, which obviously I am, which is obviously a sure sign that I have run out of things to compare. I don’t want to offend anyone, but to embrace my geek, I plan on spending the first part of Sunday celebrating by watching Star Trek reruns, going to a comic book store and maybe even challenging someone to a lightsaber fight. I wonder if they still sell Dungeons and Dragons kits anywhere?

As far as celebrating Gruntled Workers Day, I have NO clue. It’s obviously the opposite of disgruntled, but that doesn’t really help me any. I looked it up on an online dictionary and it only said something about putting humor into something, so I guess it has to do with trying to be happy where you work. I have to admit the irony of the holiday’s timing as it is on Sunday. I have never, ever met a disgruntled office worker on a Sunday. Do you want to know why that is? Yep, because it’s a Sunday and they are not in the office. So, I will happily be a gruntled worker on Sunday but will go right back to a state of disgruntledness on Monday. I guess I could approach Monday as a sort of Boxing Day for Gruntled Workers Day, but that’s either too confusing or makes no sense. Perhaps both.

Right about now, you are probably thinking that this coming weekend couldn’t get any rosier or perhaps turnipier or maybe even daffodillier. You’re right! Unless you are just saying that to mock me. If that’s the case, shame on you. Mocking hurts. Well, not really. It’s actually pretty fun. It’s BEING mocked that hurts…Any way, this weekend is the Hallmark Christmas Ornament Preview/Premier weekend at Hallmark stores everywhere. Yeah, I admitted to it. I get excited about it. Seriously, who can resist the plethora of resin ornaments of our favorite pop culture icons that really have nothing to do with Christmas? OK, I realize that might sound a wee bit moc-like, but I do look forward to seeing all the new ornaments I will be paying way too much money for before Christmas knowing full well that I can buy them 50% off after the holidays. Again, not mocking.

And lastly, I am hoping for at least one visit to Disneyland this weekend. I bought a new Disneyland t-shirt that has the same images on it as the Disneyland coffee mug I use at the office and want to get the chance to wear it proudly. Wait a minute, in that really, really did not need to be shared; let’s just chalk it up to one more way I’ll be celebrating and embracing my geekness. You know, I really need to stop writing down everything little thing that comes to mind.

** Last reminder to get me your questions for Q & A Monday. Do you have a burning question, a math problem you can’t solve? Does a friend have relationship trouble? Feel free to ask away. And have a great weekend!!!