Monday, December 12, 2005

This year, I bought a lot of Scotch tape. I wonder where I put it. . . .

My sisters and I have an annual gift-wrapping 'thing' going, for Christmas Day. It started when one sister brought her gifts in, to put under Mom's tree, and we noticed that she had gone all-out with ribbons, glitter, etc. The next year, another sister joined in. The third year, the third sister finally woke up, realized what was going on, and decided to blow the other two out of the water.

Nobody has ever mentioned the word 'contest' or 'competition' when speaking of all the outstandingly beautiful gifts under Mom's tree each year, but we know what we're doing. We know who wins every year, too. (Sometimes one sister, sometimes another; it's never said out loud but it's like keeping score at a biddy ball game: nobody keeps score, but everybody keeps score.)

Having fun with the wrapping is one way to dress up a very low-budget gift exchange. Personally, I love wrapping gifts for people. It's the artistic part that comes a little harder for me.

This year, I've improved my chances slightly by making sure we had plenty of Scotch tape in the house. Last year we ran out, and all that silver duct tape is, I'm sure, the only reason I came in dead last, last year.

Are you laughing? It was SILVER, at least. Silver is a Christmas color. I mean, it wasn't like I used BANDAIDS again, was it?

That was only a rumor. A person would have to be hard up indeed to use Bandaids to seal the Christmas presents.

Well scheisse, they were Smurf bandaids! Things don't get much more artistic than Smurfette on the bottom of your Christmas present.

Oh all right, I was the last of the sisters to catch on.