Bah Humbug

The head cashiers at the bookstore started wearing a variety of Christmas-y hats during the holidays, so we can find them more easily (they have to give out change, do returns, deal with yellers, etc.) Anyway, a few days ago one was wearing a Santa hat which had "bah humbug" written across it. My Dominican co-worker turned to me and said, "what is bah hoombug? I have no idea what that means."

Now, try explaining Ebenezer Scrooge, the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, Tiny Tim, and Bob Crachitt to someone who has no reference for them at all. It's like when David Sedaris moved to France and a Morrocan woman in his language class didn't know what Easter was, and they were trying to explain crucifixtion, rabbits, and resurrection in a really limited vocabulary (I think the best line was, "and then he died, on two morsels of lumber"). I didn't have the vocabulary problem, but I did have a time problem, since we were checking out at the same time. So I am babbling about, "well, he was bad, and all he cared about was money and he was SO mean to poor Bob Crachitt and wouldn't give him any coal, and then the ghost of his employer shows up and then more ghosts show up and then he is changed..erm." Sounds pretty feeble, and she said as much. "It sounds like the Grinch, but not as good." He's the *original* grinch, I said. She just looked at me dubiously. Dickens probably rolled over in his grave.

But no bah humbugs from me! I am home, home, home, for the first time since June. And so far I have baked, slept (lots! in my own bed!), and decorated (well, put up ornaments and then watched my mom move them around). I will write..sometime..about the NYC Blizzard, which made my last day of work very interesting, and made getting to Metro North pretty crazy as well (and I have the bruises on my knees from hauling my suitcases over snowpiles to prove it!). Now I have to go frost some cookies.

Merry Christmas to all of you. And in the words of good ol' Dickens,
god(dess) bless us, every one!