Uh, did you keep the receipt for this?
I've never understood the mentality of having to return unwanted gifts the day after Christmas.
What's the rush? Are people afraid that the junk is going to grow on them if they keep it more than 24 hours? That maybe someone will think they actually like it if they retain possession of it?
I despise the commercialism of Christmas anyway. Especially in our consumer, gotta-have-it-now-whether-I-can-afford-it-or-not society. I personally don't want or need much that I don't already have. My life is too cluttered as it is. I certainly don't need more stuff to make it complete. I don't want to fight crowds to get stuff and I sure don't want to fight them to take stuff back.
Can I redeem my gift cards online?
We moved into a new house this summer and I bought some furniture for Zelda's birthday/Christmas (don't panic, ladies, that's what she asked for). So she wouldn't feel left out on Christmas morning I bought her a small gift for under the tree: Frank Stitt's Southern Table cookbook. Stitt is owner and chef of Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, and many people credit him with catalyzing a cultural renaissance in the Magic City when his restaurant opened in the early '80s.
Now, Zelda and I are both from simple stock. The closest we come to old money is when the convenience store gives us faded, wrinkled bills in change when we buy Icees, our thrice-weekly late-night treat. But I promised Zelda when we were dating that I'd show her the world, and for the most part I've done that. Our families thought we fell off the end of the earth when we moved to the big city. They think they need a passport to visit us. They'd die to know that we spend the occasional $50 on a single meal at fancy, smansy restaurants where the silverware isn't shrink-wrapped in plastic with individual salt and pepper packets. Why, we've even been know to order appetizers: you know, food to eat while you're waiting on your food.
I didn't have any vacation left for the holidays this year, so we treated our hometown as a mini-vacation. Last night we took in Zoolight Safari at the Birmingham Zoo. Half a million Christmas lights and a cold train ride that we look forward to each year. Nothing says Christmas quite like staring at an outline of a multicolored rhinoceros from a slow-moving train in 27 degree weather.
One of our favorite places to eat is Silvertron Cafe in the Forest Park neighborhood. We ate lunch there today. It was one of those laid-back, discussion laden lunches with my family that I really needed. The noon news was on TV over the bar, and Lovett and I discussed this past weekend's travel fiascoes with US Air and Comair, the Ten Commandments Robe, and of course, the Sumatran earthquake and tsunami.
Which makes wanting to stand in customer service lines instead of spending time with my wife and kids all the more mysterious to me.
What's the rush? Are people afraid that the junk is going to grow on them if they keep it more than 24 hours? That maybe someone will think they actually like it if they retain possession of it?
I despise the commercialism of Christmas anyway. Especially in our consumer, gotta-have-it-now-whether-I-can-afford-it-or-not society. I personally don't want or need much that I don't already have. My life is too cluttered as it is. I certainly don't need more stuff to make it complete. I don't want to fight crowds to get stuff and I sure don't want to fight them to take stuff back.
Can I redeem my gift cards online?
We moved into a new house this summer and I bought some furniture for Zelda's birthday/Christmas (don't panic, ladies, that's what she asked for). So she wouldn't feel left out on Christmas morning I bought her a small gift for under the tree: Frank Stitt's Southern Table cookbook. Stitt is owner and chef of Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, and many people credit him with catalyzing a cultural renaissance in the Magic City when his restaurant opened in the early '80s.
Now, Zelda and I are both from simple stock. The closest we come to old money is when the convenience store gives us faded, wrinkled bills in change when we buy Icees, our thrice-weekly late-night treat. But I promised Zelda when we were dating that I'd show her the world, and for the most part I've done that. Our families thought we fell off the end of the earth when we moved to the big city. They think they need a passport to visit us. They'd die to know that we spend the occasional $50 on a single meal at fancy, smansy restaurants where the silverware isn't shrink-wrapped in plastic with individual salt and pepper packets. Why, we've even been know to order appetizers: you know, food to eat while you're waiting on your food.
I didn't have any vacation left for the holidays this year, so we treated our hometown as a mini-vacation. Last night we took in Zoolight Safari at the Birmingham Zoo. Half a million Christmas lights and a cold train ride that we look forward to each year. Nothing says Christmas quite like staring at an outline of a multicolored rhinoceros from a slow-moving train in 27 degree weather.
One of our favorite places to eat is Silvertron Cafe in the Forest Park neighborhood. We ate lunch there today. It was one of those laid-back, discussion laden lunches with my family that I really needed. The noon news was on TV over the bar, and Lovett and I discussed this past weekend's travel fiascoes with US Air and Comair, the Ten Commandments Robe, and of course, the Sumatran earthquake and tsunami.
Which makes wanting to stand in customer service lines instead of spending time with my wife and kids all the more mysterious to me.
posted by Chris @ 9:45 PM
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