European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Columns Christmas is coming and stress grows to. It i a. By John Windrow Magurne editor Christmas roars Al us All a Lilter. Time grows Short and As usual i Haven t bought the first gift or mailed card no. 1.1 got 50 worried about it the other night hat i decided to hang out in the press club with my pal frenchy to get it off my mind. Frenchy always gels soul rely around yuletide. Food is his passion and he becomes a bit intoxicated Wilh Alt the Holiday treats. And his wife mails four Volkswagen loads of stuff Back to the Bayou country Down in Louisiana every year. Shelling out Alt thai postage does t help him any. So frenchy eccentric to begin with was in a highly excitable stale when we walked in and ordered our Beers. To feel a bit peaked he said wiping the foam irom the Beer off of his Beard which grows in All directions at once like Kudzu. I had a Ham and yams meal last night just before i Ham and yams i said in inking of my Roomer s table Back in Tennessee one of my not Ham and yams frenchy said a Ham and yams. It s a Good thing there was a big Bone in it or i might have Over indulged myself. I should t eat so much after supper he said with some concern feeling about his midsection with both hands. What d you eat after dinner t asked. Can you hear Good he said. I be told you twice i ate a Ham and yams after dinner. We had Spaghetti for the Barman switched on the to. Ii was a Public service announcement saying we had three minutes to get our gifts in the mail or everyone Back Home would Sll around a cold Hearth crying their eyes out on Christmas Day. Frenchy went face Down on the bar and emitted a Low groan of pain. Of no he hid. Tomorrow s my appointment at the Apo to mail Tammy s 8 to her folks in red stick. I la have to sell the children to pay the cheer up and have another Beer i said. Another an spot came on just then. The heartbreaking tale of a Man who drank too Many Beers got caught behind the wheel and could i go Bowling because he lost his base driving privileges. Frenchy got wild eyed. Forge it he said. I can t risk it Bowling is my he ordered soda water Ullh a to isl of Lemon. T had another Beer. Co ahead frenchy said Wilh a scowl. Vou Don t like Bowling. What do you have to lose i promised to control myself. What d Tammy buy her folks this year i asked trying to change the subject. Frenchy moaned again. A Manger scene he said bitterly. Each piece is made of Wood very dense very heavy it a can t be that heavy 1 said Consolin Gly. Frenchy gave me a Long reproachful look. The silence became uncomfortable. Finally he whispered it s hair life size he roared. The three Wise men Are All about 6 foot 4.1 can barely lift the camels and cattle. I might As Well Start mailing Home airline tickets so the family can come Over Here to unwrap their gifts la d be cheaper. What i can t figure out he said looking around us with a menacing snarl is where in the Devil she found the it was t me frenchy 1 said quickly. Hey Man the bartender said you better Hope she Don t find a life size Santa and Sleigh set next year. Those eight tiny Reindeer Don t Fly frenchy grabbed me. They got those Over Here too he said with a quiver in his voice. I be never seen one frenchy i said trying to Calm him. I be been Here four year and i be never seen one you Don l shop you fool if there s one Between West Berlin and Kaiserslautern Tamm ii find it she and her girlfriends go out in packs so they can cover More ground. They never sleep. You re exaggerating frenchy i said. Of yeah i went to Mainz haste once with her to look for Tennis shoes. I stood around so Long a Saleslady came out and Hung a reduced lag on me. The bartender was enjoying All of this and he decided to give the knife another twist. Los Len he said in a very confidential manner i heard these life size santas and sleighs Are made by the Hummel people.". The Hummel people frenchy said fearfully. They make those Lille figurines they sell in the pm " the bartender said. They Ain t cheap. 1 can l imagine what a life size Reindeer would "1 think he s making this up frenchy i said. Another an spol came on. It starred a pleasant looking Man named moms who drove a truck for cafes. The announcer said he was one of the Drivers who drove five and a half million Miles for cafes every year. A pro. Did you hear that frenchy shouted. That Guy drove five million Miles last year is he handcuffed to the steering wheel has he had his eyelids surgically removed does t he Ever sleep either frenchy i old Palling him gently on the Arm. I think he s one of a Fleet that drove thai distance he did t hear he s hauling merchandise Day and night at a thousand Miles an hour frenchy hollered. Tammy s buying it and wrapping in Al the Speed of Light. The Guys who drive for the Apo must go thai fast too. How can i keep up with pm i la have to work three shifts a there s one week left until Chris Mas. I Don t know if frenchy will make it. All this hoho Hoing certainly can get stressful at limes 1 How to politely Tell overbearing friends to Back off by miss manners United Feil Urc Syndicate dear miss manners what to the proper Way to Teh Mother couple to ease off and top forcing themselves on my husband and met we have tool Allied Wilh Mil couple occasionally Over the Lart Lour Yean and until now have enjoyed their company. But they Are wearing out their Welcome by dropping Over every weekend sometime both saturday and sunday Juit at i m preparing supper for my Jally and they nuke every attempt to plan our free time and even our vacation to that they will be included we Are flattered that they obviously enjoy our company to Modi and we realize the May aim be lonely but if they Lack other friends i can certainly understand How they might have Loit them. Gents Reader h is sad when friends do not rather naturally fill into a proper rhythm for seeing one another but you cannot allow these people to smother and intimidate you by letting a schedule you find a Burden. At this Point the Best thing to do it to inform them that you find yourselves heavily occupied whether Ullh other engagements work or the need for it you should nol specify do not fall into the trap of believing you must have an excuse for nol seeing them and won t be seeing them for a while but will Call them when you Are free. If they show upon your Doorstep do not allow them to Cross the threshold but say pleasantly of dear t wish you d called we just can t visit now and firmly shut the door. That you should have done a Long Lime ago. Dear miss manner my Boyfriend is asian and i am caucasian. One night we went to very Nice French restaurant. We Are professional people and were appropriately dressed. Al another table a caucasian woman began talking very loudly criticizing orientals for eating unusual foods. She Al of mad other racial Luri commented to my Boyfriend about her obnoxious behaviour but we did nol confront her Peak to the management or take any other action. My Boyfriend feelings were Hurt by her loud remarks and his evening was ruined. Should we have done anything such As asking her to quiet Down How should i racial slur be handled in this kind of situation gents Reader technically these people were talking for their own Benefit and one does nol complain about the conversational subjects of strangers. However ii does sound As if this were amplified with the mention of making their disgusting opinions known to you. And you could certainly inform the management that the loud boor Shneur of others was ruining you meal. Public accommodations Laws do not require restaurant to tolerate disruptive and obnoxious behaviour. Dear miss manners what Are your feelings about a Bride keeping her Maiden name before her new surname for example Anne Marie Smith becoming Anne Marte Smith Taylor to be known As Anne Taylor or mrs. Whoever Taylor what about a Mother s Maiden name being placed within Newborn s name in that same silent third position finally what Are the rules concerning surname Stringini when woman is remarried As in Acqueline be Boutler Kennedy Onassis genre Reader miss manners tries very hard to stay out of these controversies. It s not that she does t have her own ideas on what is right but she. Believes even More strongly in the idea that one s own name is now one s Choice. She therefore refuses to dictate to brides what they should Call themselves or to parents what they show a name their children. Nor will she allow anyone to consider four names laughable. Five yes i however the cannot quite control herself to the extent of allowing the stringing of sequential husbands names to pass without her expression of horror. Although a lady traditionally changed he name when she married therefore dropping the Maiden surname in Exchange for the husband s excellent argument can be made for keeping � my manners can also see an argument for keeping previous husband s name professionally after remarriage if one has established one s business reputation under it. But the idea of stringing along one s collection of married names one after the other As a mini biography is More than she can stand. Tripti Raff Piaf Daft Mytr it 1986
