BUT, there still would be the earlier children's 6 pm display and we, my friends, happened to time our journey unknowingly into town at that time. We had the 16 minute viewing the entire river drive into town. How lucky was that?
But our 'luck' did not end there because the night was just beginning and as a result of team game playing I would come home with not one, but two White Elephant prizes. For those unfamiliar with the name, White Elephant gifts are items you have for which you have no use nor desire to have in your home any more. Got it?
Okay so first , I need to mention the other group prizes. One was 2 cut glass objects formerly gifts from some pharmaceutical company- a sticky pad holder, (who knew they could have such a fancy holder?) and a 5" vase. From across the room I spied the familiar green sticker. It was Waterford. You know I googled that as soon as I got home and it was dang close to my estimation of $70. The next 2 parter gift was a plain tall water glass used by our host at work for some 20+ years and a small wooden carved figure. Its recipient stated it was a Cambodian bottle opener. How did she know? Well, she had gifted that very same opener to the hosts 15 years ago? Let me let that sink in. That little carved opener was the definite highlight of our laughter that evening.
What could follow that? The hostess actually had won one game but excluded herself as a prize recipient. Remember this was her White Elephant which needed to go home with somebody. Who knew luck would make me the arbitrary group recipient through a process called Horse and Hoggle whereby a winner is chosen by the group's members holding up between one and three fingers, the total added, then that total is counted off to decide the team's prize winner. AND yours truly won. Out of a big box the host pulled out a bar mitzvah gift of his from 1959. Are you ready? Drumroll, please.
Yep, a well used (duct tape binding's no longer holding it together) 1959 dictionary. An antique. The word 'internet' does not exist and a 'computer' is a person who computes. How could he let this gem go? I knew I had to do it right and give it purpose once again and not as fuel for our fireplace... The thinking cap was on.
Meanwhile what followed is something I am not proud of because when the next group gift landed on me again, I should have passed it on to someone else. The excitement of random winning overcame me. I never win anything but also it must be that greed which has been rampant in our country, right? When I saw the portfolio case appear I thought maybe I was winning a sketch from our artistic hostess but no it was giant graph paper from the retired financial CEO's cache. The grandchildren would love it for their art projects when they come over. I didn't pass it on. Me bad but hey, I have 2018 to try to be better and less greedy...
HAPPY 2018!
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