View from the Loft: Christmas is over, time for summer!
By Jim Coleman, Special to The Paper
Whew!, I’m glad that’s done. I love Christmas, but I dread December 26th through January 3rd every year.
First of all, I might slap the next person who shows me a sugar cookie, a piece of their grandmother’s fudge or anything with cream of mushroom soup in it. And by the way artichoke hearts, mayonnaise and parmesan cheese heated in the microwave does NOT resemble crab meat by any stretch of the imagination.
While I do enjoy partaking during the holidays just like anybody else, as I’m taking down the Christmas tree on December 26th I often ponder the reasoning behind celebrating our dear Savior’s birth by running up our blood sugar, elevating our triglycerides and shocking our liver into malfunction for the next three months with libations that a normal person would never consume. Even though you sprinkle a little nutmeg on it, it’s still milk, heavy cream and raw eggs with liquor in it. Think about it!
For these reasons I like to head to a warmer climate this time of the year for a little R and R. This year it will be aboard one of the “fun ships” departing from Tampa on December 30. People ooh and ahh and ask me where we are going. The truth is I don’t know and don’t care. My purpose for going is to enjoy the 80 degree weather, float around in the turquoise ocean and be waited on. Mexican crafts that are stamped “Made in Vietnam” and sold by locals at the dock don’t interest me and if I want a bottle of liquor I’ll go to LaGrange and pay the tax in lieu of standing in line at U.S. Customs.
My only dilemma is packing. I convince myself that I have a system and that I’m organized. Just before I close the suitcase, I take one last look and realize I have 5 pairs of shoes, 6 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of long pants, 9 t-shirts and a hanging bag with 6 more linen and silk shirts in assorted tropical prints and solids. It’s a six-day trip and one of those days is at a Ramada Inn at the Tampa airport that allows you to spend one night and park for 5 more days for $99.00. I don’t think I’ll need silk or linen for the free breakfast there!
My favorite thing to wear is a bathing suit and a sleeveless shirt that says, ATLANTA, GEORGIA in bold letters on the front. I wear it so when northerners ask me where I’m from I can just point without having to put my hurricane glass down or risk poking my eye out with the umbrella in my coconut shell.
Oh … and as for New Year’s resolutions, I believe in setting achievable goals. I’m giving up dieting!
Happy New Year!
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Jim Coleman is twice retired as a financial advisor and flight attendant. A theatre geek, musician, arts administrator and preservationist, he lived a relatively obscure life until he crossed paths with Corby Winters. Jim chose Newnan as his new forever home five years ago and is dedicated to making our community the best it can be.
