Making Tracks
By Kat Bryant
Happy Whiners Day!
No, really: Dec. 26 is National Whiners Day. Today, we’re free to vent about overeating, or going back to work, or cleaning up after our holiday guests — as long as we’re thankful for what we have.
According to NationalDayCalendar.com: “Many people are less fortunate than others. Some are struggling to put food on the table or a roof over their heads; some may not have family and friends. Another family may not have had one gift under the tree. Others may be fighting disease and illnesses, and some may have coped with all of these. You may want to whine about something (and today you are allowed), but remember to be thankful for each gift you did receive and all that you do have. (And help others when you can.)”
This is clearly not to be confused with Festivus, which includes the Airing of the Grievances but nothing, really, to counterbalance it. (No, the Feats of Strength don’t count.)
So I’ll dive right in here and do my part to celebrate Whiners Day. Get ready to call the waaambulance!
Whine 1: I’m not coming back to work on Dec. 26; I worked on Christmas Day. That’s right: I laid out this page — and the rest of today’s “A” section — while many of you were watching your kids and grandkids tear into their gifts.
But you know what? I’m OK with that. I volunteered to work on the holiday because my parents always host our family someplace nice for a “late Christmas” in January, when time off is easier to get and travel blackout dates are no longer in effect.
Plus, my brothers live just a couple of hours away from me now, so we had a nice pork roast at my place on Saturday — and my son drove up from Arizona, scooping up his sweetheart in California along the way. We all had a terrific weekend together, playing cribbage and Cards Against Humanity as our dogs romped together and my cats hid under beds.
So … I guess this whine has been rendered moot. Oops! Moving on:
Whine 2: I’m the only member of my immediate family who has no “significant other.” At age 52, I’ve had a few long-term relationships, but none that stuck for the really long term; so for the past few years, I’ve been sleeping alone.
Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I have three cats and a dog, all of which share my life (and, yes, my bed). They’re all “rescues” in one way or another, though heaven knows I needed them just as much as they needed me. And each one has a distinct personality, so there’s no such thing as a dull evening at my place. My household is full of joy, warmth and fuzzy love.
Damn. Let’s try this again:
Whine 3: …Nope. I got nothing.
Guess there’s something to this after all. Maybe if every day were Whiners Day, there’d be no more whining at all from us fortunate folks.
Wouldn’t that be something!
* * *
On a completely different note: We ran an Adoptable Pet feature last Thursday about Jingles, a Shih Tzu who needed a new home. We reported that the little guy had been “left in a box on the doorstep” at PAWS in Aberdeen.
Well, I got a call that afternoon from a gentleman named Daniel from Hoquiam who asked me to set the record straight. He told me he had been out walking one morning and discovered Jingles in a box, abandoned near the railroad tracks by the Hoquiam River. He told me he had rescued the shivering Shih Tzu and delivered him to PAWS so he could find a good home.
And now, I’m happy to report that Jingles was adopted this past weekend. Merry Christmas!
Kat Bryant is lifestyle editor of The Daily World. She’s grateful for friends, family and furballs, but rest assured she’ll find something to whine about eventually. Reach her at kbryant@thedailyworld.com or on Facebook at Kat Bryant-DailyWorld.
