Virgil Winston:Marketing Guru
Unless you have the patience of a kindergarten teacher, the saintliness of Mother Theresa and the bank account of Oprah Winfrey, you are probably feeling the pressure that often accompanies the Christmas season. The realization that December 25th is just around the corner and that there are still stockings to be filled, hams to be glazed and bikes, dollhouses and train sets to be assembled, can leave you feeling a bit grumpy. And that’s okay, because December 21st is Humbug Day. The creators of this day did so in order to allow everyone preparing for Christmas to vent their frustrations. It is a day especially created for grumps, grinches and disgruntled elves to complain about everything from the high price of video games to the arrival of the in-laws. So, if you are feeling stressed out about what to buy your picky boss, having to attend the neighbor-who-borrowed-your Allen-wrench-nine-months-ago-and-still- hasn’t-returned-it’s annual eggnog get together, or the arrival of your in-laws, December 21st is your day. So go ahead and gripe, whine, complain, moan, cry and have a fit…all day long. It’s perfectly fine. In fact, it’s more than okay; it’s preferred—at least by the fine folks at wellcat.com who came up with the day in the first place. Just remember that at 12:01AM on December 22nd, the pity party is officially over and it’s time to get back into the holiday spirit.
I can help you feel the joy of the season by offering up a few top-notch last minute gift ideas for your persnickety boss. If he (or she) is the type who works wherever he goes, the High Sierra Tahoe Computer Travel Set is the perfect companion for the busy executive on the go. Since each set includes a 1-piece High Sierra gift box, your presentation will be as good as the present. If your boss likes to roll up his sleeves, then the WorkMate Home Tool Set is the ideal gift. This nine-piece tool set includes a zippered case, fiberglass hammer, bit holder with bit set, torpedo level, 10′ tape measure, utility knife, pliers, wrench and hex key set and is perfect for small repairs or projects. Finally, if the person who signs your paychecks likes to do so with a fine writing instrument, the Sauvage Ivory/Python Pattern Ballpoint Pen with an engraved monogram is the only present you’ll need to impress the higher up on your list.
Now, please excuse me while I go fill my kids’ stockings with coal and eat the cookies my wife baked for Santa. Until next time, remember the words of the man who invented Humbuggery in the first place, Mr. Charles Dickens, who said, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” Indeed.