“Put it on the penultimate and not the dipthonic.” – Animal Crackers
The penultimate death at the end of Die Hard was the best one. Hans down.
Penultimate Day. This is a particular institution of the Wilder family. It started over a decade or so ago. The Mrs. was having problems with her Blackberry® phone (the one with the cool trackball) and wanted a new one. I wasn’t working, and the closest place that sold phones with our carrier was 90 miles away.
So, we popped the kids in the car, and headed south to buy a phone. We went to Best Buy®. We ended up not buying the phone (the deal was awful) and decided to eat at Olive Garden™. As I drove home, I decided to have fun with the kids, and told them that this was the Wilder holiday – one that no one else observed. The day before New Year’s Eve would therefore be forever known to us as Penultimate Day.
The next year, we remembered, and did the exact same thing.
What are the rules of Penultimate Day?
- Wait for December 30,
- Drive 90 miles south,
- Look at cell phones,
- Under no circumstances whatsoever, buy a cell phone, and,
- Have some Italian food a casual-dining chain.
While it’s not a tough holiday, we’ve missed one year entirely (2023) and only Pugsley and I celebrated on 2022. Oh, yeah, and then there was COVID.
So, we try to observe it when we can. This year we had to have several exceptions:
- Wait for December 30 27,
- Drive 90 miles south 120 miles to Modern Mount Pilot,
- Look at cell phones,
- Under no circumstances whatsoever, buy a cell phone, and,
- Have some Italian food that incorporates pasta at a casual-dining chain
But, for the first time in years, all of us were there. So, while we did keep it, we didn’t manage to keep it wholly, so I guess this doesn’t count as a wholly holiday. The reason for the change is simple – life is complicated, where some people celebrate holidays like Christmas when everyone is available – many years my kids had multiple Christmas celebrations – one at home, on Christmas, and one or two with grandparents, so the practice isn’t all that unusual.
And as to the variations? Well, when we were all available and had to be in Modern Mount Pilot, we just went for it. I think we all had a good time. The time, though, is very different than it was the dozen or so years ago when we started Penultimate Day. Back then the kids were little. Now, not so much. I did the math in my head, and realized that by the time one of my kids is 10 or so, they’ve spent about half the days sleeping under my roof that they ever will in their lives. The celebration was different – The Boy, The Mrs. and I shared a few beers and Pugsley drove, and the conversation was good, even in the crowded restaurant.
Time goes by very quickly. Don’t wish even a minute or an hour away. And don’t forget to enjoy the things and people that you have in your life. Heaven is being grateful for what you have, Hell is being envious for what you don’t.
You can choose Heaven, and you can also still work to make it better. I have more full-family Penultimate Days behind me than in front of me, and that’s okay. I’ve had the ones that we’ve had, and hopefully we’ve made a memory or two and in fifty or so years, one of my children will look back on December 30 and smile at the thought of Penultimate Day. But that’s their choice, and that’s for them in the world that they make.
As I write this, it’s still 2024 for me. I’d say that I won’t miss 2024, but I still have plenty of memories from 2024 to look back on fondly. Here, then is my wish that all of us have a wonderful and prosperous 2025.
Happy New Year!
When you do something for the first time, you know that it’s something special. When you do something for the last time, it may be years before you realize that you’re never going to do it again. Live well.
Lathechuck
Are you describing sex?
Well said.
Here’s a pensive mashup of 1927 images and 1969 song that I remember from my teen years over 50 long years ago, about a future now exactly 500 years away – or maybe much sooner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQfxi8V5FA
As Saint Augustine (and my soap-opera watching grandmother) were so aware…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98T3PVaRrHU
Happy New Year, everybody!
Happy New Year!
That’s a lot of work John. But a great tradition. We broke our New Year’s Eve tradition this year, as sweetie was under the weather.
Ours? Uber downtown to the piano bar of our 1st date, six years ago yesterday. Split a lobster roll & truffle fries. Alcohol involved.
She’s better today, so rinse & repeat late afternoon. The lobby adjoining the bar has a 5′ high, 30′ long snowy mountain w/ 4 trains and a ski lift.
Merry New Year to all!
Nice tradition. Ours will probably evolve into going to bed at 10pm.
John – Pre-Plague and now pre-move, we spent many New Year’s Eves with the parent group of our youngest, Nighean Dhonn. With The Plague lots of that changed and with the move, it all changed. Last night was me and Joy the Rabbit enjoying Japanese Anime in the relative quiet of our apartment.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
One of these days we will figure out what we are going to do for *ante penultimate day*
But not yet.
Nice!
“Put it on the penultimate and not the dipthonic.” – Animal Crackers
I had a box of Animal Crackers once, but I couldn’t open it. It said on the front of the box “Do not open if seal is broken”…. the hippo and bear were fine though.