Holiday Musings

Let’s start this month by reflecting on November’s long-awaited, four-part sequel to the classic series “Gilmore Girls” (note: No use of the word “The” in the title).  If you are not familiar with the series, first you must watch the 153 episodes before you tackle the “Year in the Life” revival on Netflix.  Just like in college, you need the prerequisite before you can move on to the advanced course.  After watching all seven seasons, you will come to know the pop culture-spouting, coffee-crazed, warm and funny Lorelai and her teenaged daughter, Rory, a bright and driven girl destined for a stellar career in journalism.  Lorelai’s parents are the wealthy and ever-so-proper Richard and Emily, an imperious woman accustomed to controlling the world around her and always judging her daughter’s life and choices.  You’ll get to know the denizens of fictional Stars Hollow, Connecticut, a mostly motley crew of quirky and crazy folks whose loveable antics will win your heart.  And then you can watch the sequel and have it ripped out.  I cannot remember anything that was so anticipated but so ultimately unsatisfying (OK, maybe the movie version of HBO’s “Sex and the City,” especially the second one…).  Don’t take my word.  Take a couple of months to go through this entire exercise and then we can discuss.  There have been numerous analytical articles on the fate of the characters, matched by lengthy discourse by my GG friends on Facebook.  One educator I know wrote that she wished students would dissect Shakespeare the way they study GG.  It is worth the time to watch and reflect, even if you are ultimately disappointed in the outcome.  The people we know and love in real life don’t always do what we expect them to do, either. 

Speaking of Netflix, is there anything more frustrating than settling down to watch a movie or show on Netflix on the big, 60-inch TV only to be thwarted by the spinning circle and the warning that either you aren’t connected to the internet or you don’t have sufficient bandwidth?  I ended up watching a movie on my phone – small, but continuous viewing – rather than watch the spinning wheel go around and round.

I just spent 60 seconds watching a video of an infant trying to get his foot into a boot.  There’s a minute of my life gone for good.  But it made me laugh for a minute, so I can’t really object.

Don’t you hate it when you accidentally leave a tissue in your pocket and discover it when you go to throw the wet laundry in the dryer?

And speaking of cleaning up a mess, it is the holiday season, and you know what that means – plenty of holiday cards covered with glitter.  I think that millions of years from now, after our society and planet have changed significantly, scientists will still find remnants of all that glitter.  Make it stop!

I was about to order something on line recently, but the information that came up on the screen was so badly written and so grammatically incorrect that I changed my mind.  No one who writes that poorly gets any of my business!

At the holidays (and plenty of other times), I realize that there are whole sub-cultures in this country about which I know nothing, such as children’s toys.  The other day, a friend of mine who is the father of young kids said on Facebook that he ordered a Hachimal for his daughter and paid dearly.  I had to Google what a Hachimal is.  Now it’s your turn.

I hate winter – and it hasn’t even officially started yet – but we know it is going to be cold and there will be snow (at least where I live), so why do people always sound surprised?  “Wow, it’s cold out there,” someone will utter as they enter a building.  “We might get some snow,” someone will invariably assert on a dreary, gray day.  I’ve spent my entire life in New Jersey, and this is what we deal with, folks.  Get used to it.  Or go to Florida.

I went to renew my driver’s license recently, fully equipped for a 2-hour stay.  I had my phone, my Kindle and enough to do to keep me occupied.  I also brought enough ID materials to cover everyone in the Motor Vehicle Office.  And I was in and out in 10 minutes.  The last time I had my license renewed was soon after I retired.  Then I waited 2 hours and was the only non-surly person in the place because, well, I was retired and had nothing better to do!  Today took 10 minutes, a major improvement.  Except for the picture, which, sadly, they do not retouch.  I look a full 10 years older – they wouldn’t let me wear my glasses, which help hide my wrinkles – but at least I am much thinner than I was in the beginning of 2007. 

Have I mentioned my love of Dusty Springfield?  She was a British singer in the 1960s with blonde hair and a wicked eyeliner technique, with a powerful voice and plenty of soul – kind of like Adele but without quite as much heartbreak in her songs.  If you haven’t listened to her work, look her up. 

I’ve been doing a lot of flying lately, some of which I reported on last month.  But I have a few more observations to share.
•    My passport picture is SO BAD that even the guy checking it at the airport said, “You look much better in person, Tina.”  I wasn’t exaggerating when I told you it was bad.
•    I have to admit that I miss reading the discontinued “Sky Mall” catalog.  There’s nothing like sitting on an airplane and reading about electronic products or outdoor furniture or Irish sweaters.  Of course, the absence of Sky Mall on an airplane is more than compensated for by the dozens of catalogs that arrive pre-holiday.  Just in case I want a hover board, or cheese from Vermont, I think I’m covered.
•    Is there any moment more filled with anxiety (not counting the plane’s landing) than that wait at the luggage carousel, where we stand by, craning our necks to follow bags and fervently hope that ours will arrive next?  There’s always one bag that just keeps circling the carousel, hoping to be claimed.  What a relief it is to finally see YOUR luggage finally come out of the shoot.  You are afraid to hit the restroom on the way to baggage claim because you might miss it and find someone walking off with your bag if you aren’t there.  Don’t laugh, because it happened to me once.  And my bag was a gold one that was different from most everyone else’s except the dopey person who thought mine was hers. 
•    I can throw the carry-on in the overheard compartment, but retrieving it alone is never easy.  My arms are too short to grab it.  Almost anyone is taller than me and, thankfully, most people are kind enough to give me a hand.
•    I finally bought the “spinner” variety of luggage with the wheels that go 360 degrees around.  I have to say it very easily glides alongside me, requiring little effort and no yanking, dragging or pulling to move around the airport.  Well worth the investment, especially since it was half-price at Kohl’s, where I had a 30% coupon and a $50 gift card!  They practically gave it to me for nothing.
•    United has announced plans to charge for carry-on bags in addition to charging for checked bags.  I guess I’ll just layer my clothes on rather than packing anything.  Hand me the seatbelt extender:  I feel like Heidi.
•    When you travel, it is easy to wake up in the morning and not know where you are or what day it is.
•    I always get alarm-clock anxiety, wondering whether the alarm will set properly.  I don’t like getting wake-up calls and I don’t set my alarm on my phone, so I carry a small travel alarm that I have had for years.  I have changed the battery just once in all that time.  I keep wondering if the next trip will be the time the old girl just gives out completely (the alarm clock, not me).
•    It is hard to be in hotel rooms, wake up to use the bathroom and not remember where it is.  I leave the light on and partially close the door.
•    Rental cars are a challenge.  Instead of putting my latest one in gear, I turned on the windshield wipers repeatedly.  But at least I was smart enough to get a red car (with Texas plates), so finding it was easy enough.

I know I’m late to the Uber game, but using this car service in Chicago was a godsend.  You just order up a car – which, at least in Chicago, was never more than 2 minutes away – they give you a price, the name of the driver and make of the car, and, like magic, it shows up and you jump in.  You don’t have to tip or haggle over the fare.  It’s fun to watch the little Uber cars race around the map on their way to pick you up!  Now, I doubt Uber drivers are standing by around Somerset, NJ, just waiting for me to order one, but I would consider scheduling a ride in advance or checking the fare from here to the airport or even to NYC.  What a great service!

I have been publishing on this blog space at least once a month since I started writing it, back in January of 2007, right after I retired from Johnson & Johnson.  Sharing my observations and eccentricities has been fun and therapeutic for me, and, judging from your feedback, many of you take note of some of the same things that I enjoy or that drive me crazy.  The difference is that I write them down and share them!   As a retiree without access to the conversation around the watercooler (or, in my case, in the office kitchen), I appreciate having my blog as well as Facebook as my outlet to vent and express my ideas, quirks and comments.  So here’s a shout-out to my faithful readers of this blog.  Thanks for reading and for your feedback.  It’s great to know I’m not the only one who sees things with a question mark in the bubble over her head.

Have a great holiday season and a wonderful new year.