I Swear I'll Stay Away from Strike Coverage for One Night

No strike coverage tonight. 50% because I may have had my fair share of strike-related media coverage. 50% because I haven't seen any good stories today worth mentioning. And 50% because I don't want to jinx my trip into the city on Thursday night. Yes, that's 150%.

- So this is that awkward time of the year when a Jew like myself feels isolated among a world of people celebrating Christmas. (No, I won't break into that song that the kid from "South Park" once sang about being a lonely Jew on Christmas.) However it's interesting because it's a festive time of year...I enjoy the spirit and I often find myself humming Christmas songs simply because they are so damn catchy. I've even gotten to the point that when people wish me a "Merry Christmas", I've given up on the whole "I don't celebrate it" explanation, because it's just too much effort to explain myself.

I do give credit to many people who I find now wishing me "Happy Holidays", and maybe I notice this because of the uncertainty in their voices when they extended these holiday wishes. I notice people pausing, probably thinking in the back of their minds, "Oh wait, he's got that dark hair, big nose, and I remember him not eating one day back in October, and then eating funny cardboard-looking crackers back in the Spring. Doesn't look like he'd be one that I'd run into at midnight mass on Christmas." I do appreciate the effort. Also, I was surprised by the number of people who knew that Hanukkah actually starts on December 25th this year, which is very rare since Hanukkah doesn't usually begin this far into the month. Of course, then I realized that it may just be because "First Night of Hanukkah" was listed right there under Christmas on your desk calendar.

But hey, Christmas gives me an opportunity to sit in the house and do nothing. I get to watch TV all day, maybe go to the movies, and eat some chinese food. It's standard protocol. I remember when I was younger and my family used to go down to Florida to visit my grandparents every winter break, so of course, we'd always be down there over Christmas. It should be noted that we'd be in Palm Beach County, FL, which may have the highest Jewish population outside of New York City and Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, there were things to do. The flea markets would be open. Other stores were open. Many of the delis would be open. Doesn't seem like much, but gave you more options than what you have elsewhere. But when it's all said and done, I always end up attempting to think of something to do on the 25th, and then just throw my hands up and say, "The whole world's shut down, might as well just sit here and watch 24 hours of A Christmas Story on TNT."

I did have the idea a couple weeks back that Christmas Day might be a great day to go down to the casino. I haven't been down to Atlantic City since May (for the Bobby Hipp Bachelor Party Bonanza - another story for another day), so it's been 7 months since I've been to New Jersey's finest city. We're talking about major withdrawal symptoms here. I was enticed by Harrah's, who had sent me an offer for a free room. Normally, the comp rooms are good for Monday through Thursday, but in December, Sunday the 25th was also included. After talking to Jared, who's also had the gambling bug, we thought that we might be able to swing a trip down to AC. I also threw the idea out to Brandon, and he seemed down for it. So I go online and try to book the room......the comp rooms are sold out! I thought people celebrated Christmas at home, with the family, or traveled to vist relatives. When trying to make sense of it, I figured that the folks may take the trip down to gamble after doing their whole "holiday thing". Then it hit me. It's my fellow Jews who were on top of those free rooms faster than a TWU member running to a picket line (eh, I couldn't get away from the strike reference). Yes, we can add casinos the list of things that are open on Christmas Day, and thus the Jews will be there. In fact, they might as well replace the buffets with potato latkes, Manischewitz wine, and some gefilte fish. They might replace "777" on the slot machines with caricatures of 3 guys named Goldman, Goldberg, and Goldstein. It'll be like the high holidays have moved from Northeast Philly down to the Trump Taj Mahal along the Boardwalk. You get the idea....

Anyway, let's run some housekeeping items for the next week or so:
- I'll be in the city Thursday night: No post
- Heading back to the Philadelphia on Friday: No post
- I'll be home through next Wednesday, 12/28: I'll get a post or two in there
- Back up here on Wednesday, then hanging out here and in NYC through New Years: TBD.

By the way, I'm taking off of work next week, which would explain the extra time I'll have on my hands to run around. Hey, gotta use those vacation days that the company gives you. Use them or lose them. Any case, do me a favor and check in every now and again to see if I've put up anything good. I know that I'll have plenty of free time on Christmas, so I'm thinking I'll do a little Christmas running diary similar to Thanksgiving.

Stay tuned, friends, I'll be returning shortly with holiday wishes and other typical nonsense that you've come to love from The Ross Press Release.