by Kathy Brasby | Dec 10, 2013 | Hope
Late on Christmas day, we bundled our family into the car and headed for a ski trip in the Colorado mountains.
The gift-giving had been trimmed back so that we could enjoy this ski outing but my husband wanted to do something special for the family during our travel that evening.
“Let’s stop at that nice steak house on the interstate,” he said.
So we did. They were closed. It was, after all, Christmas day.
Hmmm. We hadn’t thought of that so we continued to the next town and pulled in, thinking the Chinese restaurant there might work well.
Closed.
We were starting to get a clue, finally. But we had five kids in the car and the Christmas cookies were wearing off. They were restless.
“Let’s try a fast-food place.” My husband had set his heart on a special mealtime family gathering but his stomach was growling, too.
Closed.
Grocery stores were closed. Walmart was closed.
We were about to inventory old snacks left in coat pockets when my husband spotted a 7-Eleven convenience store.
We turned the kids loose. “Find something to eat.”
Because there’s virtually nothing healthy in a snack place like that, the kids were not bound to a balanced meal. They grabbed chips and popcorn and gallons of fountain drinks.
Their parents have felt guilty for years for not having enough foresight to avoid such a disappointment. We wanted to give them a nice steak dinner but instead offered candy bars and peanuts.
But I have been assured by our older son not to worry.
“I got a fistful of dill pickles,” he said. “Best Christmas dinner ever!”
by Kathy Brasby | Dec 3, 2013 | Hope
I wouldn’t have invited my friend if I hadn’t thought it was a good idea.
She was less sure.
“Just why are you inviting me to your house for tea?” she said.
“We just haven’t had a chance to sit down and catch up on things.”
“Huh.” She seemed unconvinced. “We live in the same town, you know. You saw me at church and at the picnic last week. Do you need to talk about something?”
“Of course not. Just tea. We’ll sit down and enjoy my tea.”
“Let me see if I have a free afternoon. Serving crumpets, too?” She had a sarcastic edge sometimes.
“Just tea.”
“Wait a minute. Are you still trying to get rid of that box of acai banana tea?”
Busted. “Maybe.”
“Dump it in the trash.”
“But it was a Christmas gift.”
“It tastes weird.”
I sighed. “Did you give it to me for Christmas?”
“You don’t know who gave it to you. So, if you throw away the tea, you’ll be insulting someone you don’t even remember?”
“Quit using logic.”
“Sorry.”
There was a short pause and I took a deep breath. “So, are you coming for tea?”
Believe it or not, all I heard was a dial tone. Busted.
by Kathy Brasby | Dec 2, 2013 | Hope
As you know, this blog is about meaning through stories. Here’s an interesting article about the Science behind Storytelling.
by Kathy Brasby | Nov 26, 2013 | Hope
Inventory control is not always as boring as it sounds.
I once was in charge of ordering parts and verifying shipments. I ordered an unusual oil filter for a customer. What I got was a little cellophane bag holding a single bolt.
Who sees “oil filter” on the order form and thinks that a bolt is a worthy substitute?
Another order requested six spark plugs. In came six pickup bumpers. Think about the difference in box size for spark plugs and bumpers.
I don’t know; I’d think the shipper would have noticed.
It wasn’t unusual for a part number to have a substitute. For example, a can of grease might originally be S102. Then it would have a substitute number, maybe S112.
The can of worms potential was incredible.
I ordered a case of S102. OK, the order form substituted to the new number: S112 and I got a case of fan belts. No cigar.
But here’s my favorite. Each part’s package, whether box or bag, had the pick ticket attached. That pick ticket was a computer-generated card which included our dealership name and the part number with description.
So one day I got in, pick ticket attached, a 2-foot square of cardboard.
I spent the rest of the day trying to conjure up the scenario that would have allowed a shipper to think a headlight looked like a flat piece of cardboard.
Inventory control is not always boring.
by Kathy Brasby | Nov 25, 2013 | Hope
I’ve closed out The Bible as Literature series for the moment, although I might throw out a post when the inspiration strikes. In the meantime, the columns are archived in the “The Bible” tab at the top of the page.
by Kathy Brasby | Nov 19, 2013 | Hope
I admire those people who wrap their gifts with crisp corners and elegant bows. Those Christmas settings with deep red and green boxes under the tree, shimmering in style and beauty, inspire me.
I just can’t wrap like that.
When I get out the roll of wrapping paper, I can’t cut it straight. Plus, I end up with all this extra paper that gets hacked off. Yeah, it looks that way.
The idea is that I can turn the edges under and still have a nice gift wrap.
Huh. Somehow mine come out like they were first tossed under the delivery truck. Extra tape doesn’t help, either. I’ve tried that.
When gift bags came in vogue, I was all over that. Just stuff the tissue paper in there and I look like Martha Stewart, right?
Not right. I can’t stuff the paper elegantly, either.
My family has adjusted. On one of my husband’s birthday, the first gift came to him in a cute red “Happy birthday” gift bag. He fished out his gift, set the bag aside, and thanked the child responsible.
Then came his next gift from child #2 – in the red “Happy birthday” gift bag. Child #2 had snatched it, scurried to the kitchen and re-loaded it.
The birthday guy got four different gifts that evening in the same birthday bag. Talk about creative recycling on the run.
Some Christmas bags have been re-used so many times they’re part of the tradition. “Oh, you’re getting the Nutcracker bag. Who had it last year?” We use a marker to cross out last year’s name and add the current recipient to the list.
I may stop crossing out names because we’ve had so much fun recalling the bag’s history.
But my family has also descended to slap-your-hand kind of gift-wrapping. The operative question every birthday is, “Do you want your gift now or do you want it wrapped?’
We’re an impatient bunch. We accept gifts double-wrapped in Walmart bags. We snatch gifts from under a newspaper umbrella. We are happy to open a brown box – especially if the outside of the box doesn’t match the inside.
We figure the point is to disguise the gift as long as possible.
Just don’t tell Martha Stewart.
