Dark man rule and Thanksgiving

So here we are in the middle of the traditional Canadian Thanksgiving weekend Sunday 11th of
October 2010 and Paul and Mary-Anne are due to arrive in the next few hours. Turkey is now
in the oven lovingly prepped by Mom and there are two pots on the stove and two casserole
dishes filled with her stuffing and two holiday pies (pumpkin and apple) waiting to be eaten and mom is already onto her third round of frantic why don't we just call the whole thing off. I would agree with her except she loves having Paul and Mary Anne over and will sit and listen to them talk and talk untill 99 minutes after Paul's arrival they leave. I call it the Darkman clause. You see in the film Darkman after the scientist applies the special skin he has approximately 99 minutes in the light until it melts. Paul has a tendency to stay with his wife at the house for a visit for about 99 minutes and then says mare's getting tired so we better go and that's the last we see of them untill the next gathering.

We used to get one possibly two visits a year at their place but now we barely get one and that's Christmas time. For the last five years the personal gifts for the occassion has shifted from a shirt or a personal book or CD or DVD to a Gift Card and a scratch lottery ticket. We personally hate Lottery Tickets especially Scratch lottery tickets because we have no idea how to use them and no idea how to check them. What's worst is what do you do if you win big? I mean here's a shirt for Mare and a bottle of wine for her mum and a nice DVD for Paul and thanks for the $100,000.00 I'll use it to pay off the bills and fix some stuff up and if there is anything left over I may go for a trip, enjoy your shirt and DVD!

Sheesh it's a loaded trap that all they did was here is a $20 GC and a $2 ticket and they were done sometimes on the same day as the occassion. Then if the ticket loses it's a worthless piece of paper. My mum has a collection of over $140.00 worth of these gift cards for the book chain that her son Paul works for and she has used some of these over the years. Grocery Gift Certificates usually get used on the next special occasion or the next big grocery trip so there will never be a collection of them. It's fun the HBC cards that I figure Mare picks up usually get used to buy presents for Mare and her mum or sister so we always give back more than we receive from her.

The problem is after a few years of bath sets or Old navy t-shirts what do you get for someone who has everything (my brother Paul)?

So increasingly each year it gets to feel like the laws of diminishing return are yanking away the ball before we can kick it ala Charlie Brown & Lucy. Well I think Paul and Mary Anne are getting a Shirt,and DVDs this year and I sincerly hope Paul doesn't give us anymore

lottery tickets and I really hope he doesn't give me any of the toys on sale at Rob's. Well

maybe that Creeper or Blue Devil figure.....;)
Actually I wonder if they will bring my birthday present over early this year. it would give me a good gage on how to plan for the holidays. Thanksgiving is always a rehearsal for Christmas. Birthdays are birthdays. Last year for my birthday Paul and Mary Anne gave me a Gift Certificate for Excalibur Comics bought on the day of my birthday. With a lottery ticket added to the card. I got Paul a DVD and a Shirt to go with his card for his Birthday. So I try to put some thought into it with a red shirt (Star Trek Joke) and Fanboys! I think if I can get Mark to cave I will see about a Bon Appetit GC and a DVD for him this year. Well at least a DVD.... maybe The Flash collection.

Some people out there do not realize that Canada has Thanksgiving twenty years before the Americans as a holiday and over a month earlier. When I hear all these Yankees next month what are you thankful for this holiday I will say the same thing, a) Thanksgiving was last month, b) rampant consumerism, c) Canadians got it right! Right now I am thankful for me and my family's fairly good health (all things considered), a roof over our heads, and the ability to enjoy what little we have. have a happy thanksgiving everyone and my Mother just broke a bowl. Good luck.