Overheard In Providence

Merry Christmas to all! For the first time ever I’m spending Christmas in Florida with (GASP!) my girlfriend Jessica’s family. For the first time in years I was woken up at (GASP!) 7AM. Since this was my first time spending Christmas down south, I feared that the lack of snow, or even cold, might dilute the traditional Christmas experience. I was a fool, since it turns out that the Purmorts/Hoods celebrate Christmas with far more zeal than the Rachlins, plus I got to drive around in a convertible.

I was by no means a deprived child, but I was quite taken with the abundance of gifts underneath the tree (pictured above), the 10 supplemental stockings, and a very substantial second round of gifts midday. Also there were santa hats, and a dog wearing a costume. In contrast, my dad stopped buying a tree after the year our trunk broke during the transportation process (although we did have a tree at my grandmother’s house).

If you haven’t spent a major holiday with a family other then your own, you really should give it a try. Ideally, you’ll be able to select a family to which you are somehow strongly connected. For example, a girlfriend of four years will do nicely. Also if you’re an only child with two male cousins (and aren’t we all?), why not find a girl with 3 sisters and 2 nieces. You’ll definitely be a little nervous at first, but trust me, you’ll end up having a really great time. Also, it always helps if your Christmas celebration includes 4 dogs, 5 puppies and a cat.

On a related note, here’s a picture of a whole bunch of dogs, followed by one of a cat named Holly looking a lot like a panda.