Saturday, November 19, 2022

White Elephant

Yesterday’s bingo turned into another food fest for the seniors.

Instead of five games, a snack break, five more games, it was ten games straight through followed by turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pies, cakes.

I’m assuming either Red Light or The Baker cooked the turkey and stuffing, pies were store bought and it’s possible The Baker made the cakes.

I didn’t stick around to find out who cooked what because 1) I couldn’t eat anything anyway and 2) these back-to-back-to-back-to-back parties are a bit exhausting — too much of a good thing as I said a few posts ago. So, as soon as they started serving, I snuck out.

I didn’t win any games, but the glass oil pourer I’ve been eyeing on the prize table for a month and a half hasn’t been picked by anyone yet. It’s still there waiting for me to win it.

As far as I know, the next bingo (Dec 2) is regular bingo BUT the one on the 16th is yet another party — a Christmas Party, no bingo.

Not only that, but Red Light wants to include a White Elephant Gift Exchange, with gifts priced around $10 or more, and she stressed "brand new, not something from your unit".

I recall the few times I was involved in a White Elephant Gift exchange that it was a lot of fun.

I’m assuming we all know that a White Elephant Gift Exchange is where every participant brings a single wrapped gift, which gift is anonymously placed in a pile. The first participant chooses a random gift to unwrap from the pile, hoping it’s something they like. If they don't like it, too bad, they're stuck with it. Except, the next player has the option to choose a wrapped gift from the pile or take the gift that was just unwrapped and so on and so forth as players choose from the pile or steal an unwrapped gift another player has chosen.

At any rate, my thinking is $10 is a lot of money for all but a handful of those of us who will participate.

Seriously.

I don’t think anyone is going hungry, thanks to the food pantries in the area — or at least I hope no one is going hungry, but one resident recently shared with me that her income is only around $600 a month.

Of course, the county pays her rent, but with utilities, groceries, incidentals et al on $600 a month, wasting $10+ on a white elephant gift might not be in the budget.

So, anyway, I’ll arrive with a white elephant gift, something that jumps out and speaks to me when I’m out and about; but hopefully, it’s not just The Baker and I.

In fact, I'll wait until the last minute to purchase a gift, check with Red Light to see if white elephant is still a go or not.

My initial thought is one of the Gingerbread Decorating Kits I’m seeing everywhere I go. That seems like something a senior would like but not waste money buying for herself. They can build it, then eat it later.

Remember back when I was lamenting the loss of my Wonder Woman tumbler? Returning from that Pride Parade visit in Long Beach I could not find it, thought I'd left it in the hotel room.

Cleaning out the trunk of the car this morning, in preparation to store all of what I'll need for a week's hotel visit in Long Beach, starting Tuesday, what did I find but the tumbler.


Who knew!

16 comments:

  1. The Wondering Woman in you found your tumbler had tumbled around in the truck, eh? Maybe you can suggest sushi for a party? Have a good turkey day! I'd always heard White Elephant gifts had a "limit, up to $10," or whatever. Skimpy me even thinks the "not from your apartment" rule is bizarre. Linda in Kansas

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    1. I took sushi as my meal during the break when others were being feted with other goodies once and all of a sudden what I was eating became an issue. It was like no one had seen or eaten sushi before. One senior asked "What's that" and when I said sushi she turned up her nose and said "Ewwwww, I wouldn't eat that" without even knowing what it was ... rice, carrots, avocado rolled up instead of spread on a plate. Others were interested in what the green wrapping was (nori/seaweed).

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  2. Oh! I know! I know! Get a little jar of olives in case that neighbor comes to the party that collects them from the grounds. Linda in Kansas

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    1. She hasn't been stalking the Community Room since the last time she stepped in to look for Dream Lover, but didn't recognize him because he was in a dinosaur costume. And now that you've mentioned it, I don't think I've seen her out picking up olives since she was told she can't let her cat run around loose without a leash.

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  3. I always find stuff I gave up looking for when I'm looking for the next missing thing. Oh, and, PIIIIIIEEEE!!!!

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    1. THAT is soooo true as I recently found some important paperwork I couldn't find, thought I'd accidentally tossed and would have to have done again. Plus, after tearing up the place looking for something I wanted to give my Grandson in Law, I ran across it in plain sight. I guess the key is patience. Sooner or later what we're looking for will turn up, LOL.

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  4. So happy you rediscovered the tumbler. $10 does sound like a lot of money for some for a white elephant gift, but your idea of the gingerbread kit is great. I’d be happy with that.

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    1. If she'd not said $10 or more, I'm sure those who do their shopping at the Dollar Store would be more likely to participate.

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  5. You are so generous, good idea about the kit as it is a a gift, a fun project AND edible. JanF

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    1. Problem is, if I wait until the last minute just to be sure we're still doing white elephants, the kits will be on sale. Probably less than $10, but OH WELL. Red Light won't know what I paid, LOL.

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  6. The white elephant gift exchange sounds fun. I would do that.

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    1. When there's a large group it's fun. Not so fun if only a handful of folks decide to participate. We'll see how it goes, if it goes.

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  7. Glad you found your water bottle. How funny that it was in your car all along. Wish I could find my watch that has been missing for over a year. I know it's somewhere in this house, taken and hidden real well by one of the cats when they were rambunctious kittens and would steal my socks and a few other things. Terry has taken apart a couple of rooms but with nothing found.

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    1. You may have to go hidden camera on those cats to find their stolen treasures spot. LOL. Hope you find it. You might try the prayer of St. Anthony. I've had great success with it. Only reason I didn't use it to find the tumbler was because I didn't think I'd lost it, but rather left it behind.

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