My Weekend Window (Sort Of...)

Life's been busy busy busy around here! It's been a while since I've done a Weekend Window. I thought that'd be the easiest way to bring anyone who's still visiting this blog up-to-date.

Thursday night I had the pleasure of going to dinner with my college roommate, her husband and one of their daughters. Jeanine and I were roommates 26 years ago during our Freshman year of college. She and her husband married shortly after that year. We've kept in touch over the years, but literally have not seen each other in about 24 years! What a blessing our visit was. And it served as a reminder that we need to do all we can to MAKE the time to visit with friends and family as often as we can.

Friday, DH and I took our DS 3, his GF, DS 4 and his friend to our local high school's jazz concert. They have won several national competitions and are now headed to defend the title. This was the first time we met DS 3's GF and her parents. Let me tell you it was not without incident!

After school, I went for my regular Friday night workout. I was rushing home to jump in the shower before we headed out to the concert. When I got to the house, there she was WITH her Mom, Stepdad and brother! How proud I was to be hot, sweaty and "ripe" for this meeting! It all worked out, but I'd have given anything to have had a "back way" into my bathroom to avoid meeting them in that condition!

Saturday was our school's Christmas Party. We had a great time! It actually gave me the "kick in the pants" I needed to start my own decorating. I mean I still had my Fall stuff out!

{This blogger is now reclined on the therapist's couch.} I went back to revisit old blogs cause I thought for sure I had griped about confessed this before on this blog. I can't find it. So, if I'm being repetitive, then you have a better memory than I---and that would require a whole other kind of doctor. Back to my confession:

I have worked at the school for 10 years now. That's TEN Christmas parties I've attended in that time. Each year, they do a "Scottish Gift Exchange"...or whatever you call it. It involves numbers, and stealing, and laughing for sure. For me, though, it involves GREAT STRESS!

It used to be that each person would take a number. The first person chose a gift and opened it. Then the second person chose a gift and opened it and decided if he or she wanted that gift or wanted to TRADE with someone else who had an opened gift. People didn't want to offend the giver, so often no one traded. It kind of plodded along, and in my opinion, was boring.

When my boss came 8 years ago, he said, "No one's stealing other people's gifts!" I said, "That's cause they don't play the "right" way." You see when I've played this is how it goes:

You take a number. In order, you either choose a gift from under the tree OR you take a gift from someone else. That person can then steal or chooose a gift under the tree. But there is none of this "open it, then decide whether you want it or not and then go trade with someone for what you do want" stuff. So, the next year, I took over.

I gave the "new" rules and guess what? People laughed and stole gifts and had a great time. All except for ONE person who reminded me over and over and over again that "THIS is NOT the "RIGHT" way to play the game!" and "We've NEVER played it THAT way before." Now, that was 8 years ago and here we are supposedly older and wiser, but every year she reminds everyone that "we never played it that way until "Susan N. came along and changed all the rules!" And trust me, it's not an "I've seen the light" kind of remark!

Now, this person happens to be of the Jewish faith. I am sorry to admit that the year our party fell on Hanukkah I was so excited cause she wasn't there to fuss about the "rule change".

And to add to my list of "weird but true facts about me"...let me tell you this STRESSES ME OUT. Each year, I get so worked up over playing this game that I really wonder if I need to be locked up somewhere. It starts the minute the invitation for the party goes out. Last year, I decided that I would not play for the first time so that it could be done however they chose. Plus I thought I needed serious help to get over the anxiety this causes me. Well...they "chose" to play the way we've been playing for 8 years and she STILL fussed about it even without me playing to anyone, and everyone, who would listen.

Sooooo...Saturday night I thought about NOT playing again. I mean this is ridiculous, right? I'm an educated adult...and a CHRISTIAN woman on top of that! I really should be able to let this all go and turn the other cheek. After all, it's ONLY A GAME! Still, I found myself getting worked up over it early in the week last week. My friends who know the annual saga start to tease me. And one guilted me into bringing a gift and playing.

My boss (who LOVES to throw gas onto fires) started asking rather loudly "Did you and M work out the rules of the gift exchange tonight?" I told him to stop, but it didn't help. The social coordinator asked me to verify the rules and I told her I simply could NOT do it. She'd have to go ask someone else.

Someone else gave the rules the SAME as we've been doing for 8 years and it wasn't long into the whole "rule speech" that she started: "We never USED to play that way! Susan N. came and changed the whole thing!" The "rule man"...looked at her and said, "M, look me in the eye...it's a new day! We USED to use Chalkboards too...but we don't anymore. It's time to move on." I wanted to crawl under the tree! I needed the rule man's admonishment as much as she did (and perhaps more).

He's right, you know. We DO let the "little things" cause us so much stress. I don't know WHY I get so worked up over this. Certainly there are much bigger issues about which I could fixate. So...while he was speaking to HER...I think I got the message loud and clear...

I'm guilty. This is a "little thing". It shouldn't matter. And...

"It's time to move on!" Honestly, though, I've played the scene over in my mind several times since Saturday and I already told myself I'm NOT playing next year!

OK, I know--I know----back to the couch...