Christmas Memories…Nosing around

I’ve decided, after talking to a friend today, that I’m going to blog about some of my most favorite Christmas memories. I have so many, and it’s a shame to hole them up in my head. Some are heartfelt and others are down right hysterical. I might weave a few non-Christmas posts in between now and December 24th, because, it’s inevitable… as soon as I figure out what I want to do and go in that direction, I lose all interest. Call it ADHD if you want, but it’s just me, and how I am. Perfect example was NaBloPoMo… I post all the time, but when I commit to posting every single day, all of a sudden I’m dried up.

So here goes…

I have a few nosing around stories because, well, I’m nosey. And I’m not patient. While I love surprises, if I know there is a surprise, I’ll spend hours, sometimes days, consumed in trying to figure it out. I’m a challenge oriented kinda gal, and figuring out what I’m getting is definitely a challenge.

My father is where I get my creativity and pretty much every other personality trait. He doesn’t like to shop. For years he would drop my brother and I off at the mall with a list and money and tell us to get it bought, wrapped, and when he would be back to pick us up. As years went on, we were trusted with his debit card. Truth be told, if we still lived near one another, I would probably still help him with these things.

Despite the fact that my brother and I would do the majority of his shopping for mom, he always bought all of us something. Dad’s gifts were always the best! He’s a kid at heart so we never got clothes or stupid toys. We got cool things, and more often than not, things that deep down, we knew he wanted to play with, too.

But Dad can’t just wrap a gift and put it under the tree. That would pain him because what’s the fun in that? Everyone just wraps gifts and plops them under the tree. No, my father has to involve a scavenger hunt or puzzle and we work to get our gifts.

One year, Dad was working in the office and I went to get on the computer. He asked me to wait a minute and told me he would be done soon.

Nosey me asked, “What are you working on?”

“Something for Christmas,” he replied.

That’s all it took. While I waited patiently outside the office my mind was reeling with what he could possibly be doing.

This was before online ordering, so what he was buying didn’t come into play. But I thought and I waited. I waited and I thought.

And I determined that as soon as that man walked out of the office, I was going to scour that computer until I found whatever it was that he was working on.

He finally finished and walked out of the office. As he passed me, he smiled and said, “It’s all yours!”

“Thanks, Dad… just have to get a head start on my homework.” Total lie. I needed to get a head start on figuring out what I was getting for Christmas.

I waited until he had gone downstairs and then I started searching.

It didn’t take me long until I spotted a document called “Christmaswhateveryearthiswasthatescapesmeatthemoment”.

My first clue should’ve been that the document was in plain site and clearly labeled. He could’ve called it “military war strategies” and I would’ve never found it.

However, I double clicked on that document, and as I waited for the 128mb of RAM computer to pull up the answer to my Christmas morning, I could hardly contain myself.

And then it was there.

And it said….

Heather,

Do you really think I’m that stupid?

Love,

Dad

“Aw man!” I said aloud and then there was a roar of laughter from in the hallway.

Later, as in on Christmas morning, I determined what exactly he was doing in the office…

but that’s another memory and another post…

Until next time…

Heather