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I Sleigh Myself

With a few bags full of leftovers and unsolicited presents, I returned to my apartment Monday evening feeling contented by the most uneventful Christmas in recent memory.

Is it bad that I’m at a point in my life where I’m feeling guilty when a day passes me by with no commitments or obligations to fulfill? Normally, those instances are so few and far between that I don’t have to worry about it much, and it therefore felt strange to spend a large portion of Christmas Day within the confines of my grandmother’s house on Buffalo Street.

Thankfully, by the time people were rolling out I had made peace with the circumstances and, now looking back with the benefit of hindsight, I’m proud of myself for having made an exception for the holidays. In fact, I’m grateful that, for probably the first time since my teenage years, I had no expectations of me other than I sit at the table for the opening of gifts and that I eat my fair share of food.

All in all, that’s a pretty successful day, when you think about it.

For the past decade or so I’d found myself pulled in so many directions come the holiday season. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I could expect to spend more time driving from location to location rather than sitting still and just enjoying a relaxing holiday for what it is and should be.

Two years ago was my first Christmas since 2008 in which I had a chance to spend the entire Christmas holiday with my family and my family alone. But even that wasn’t without it’s share of drama.

It started off nicely enough. It was a green Christmas, if you’ll recall. I remember wearing my fall jacket that day, and strolling through the snow-free ground of Lake View Cemetery with some of my family. Then things turned on me when I returned to grandma’s house around dusk to find my keys missing.

A night-time search ensued, to no avail, and a Boxing Day morning search yielded the same results. I had to have my car towed from grandma’s house down to the Fluvanna Avenue Subaru dealership to buy a new key and have it programmed. Super lame, right?

Of course, a couple of hours later we found that my keys had been turned in at the cemetery office. So, many hours, nearly $200 and a lot of headaches later I found myself with an extra car key and access to my vehicle and apartment once again. And, perhaps ironically, this was my second favorite Christmas of the last 10 years. What does that tell you?

Cruelly, my family still isn’t letting me live this one down. It pretty much pops up in conversation at least once whenever we convene throughout the year. But then again I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, given the Lafferty family humor that runs deep in us all.

Suffice to say that no one is safe from ridicule, even if you think you’re immune. In fact, that’s when you set yourself up for the biggest fall of all.

But I digress. Yes, I think Christmas 2017 has surpassed even the adventure-filled saga of Christmas 2015. When given that alternative, there’s really not much to complain about.

And now, here’s some of what you can expect to find in the area this week.

HIGHLIGHTS

Annual ‘Over 100 Under 100′ Art Show On Display Through Friday: The annual “Over 100 Under 100” local art exhibit, currently on display at Reg Lenna Center for The Arts, will run through Friday. The show, which is usually displayed in 3rd on 3rd Gallery, is located on the mezzanine at The Reg. Participating artists include: Gallery Curator Debra Eck, Jennifer Randall, Lisa Schmidtfrerick, Karen Glosser, Katherine Stuart, Barbara Del Monte, Catherine Walsh, D’arsie Manzella, Connie Bahan, Yu Kanazawa, Cam Glosser, Heather Kanazawa, Lisa Conklin, and more.

Each piece of artwork is priced at $100 or lower in order to encourage holiday gift-givers and art lovers to shop locally. More art shows are being planned for the mezzanine in the coming months as the 3rd on 3rd Gallery is in the process of being relocated to street level into the former Reg Studio Theater space at 108 E. 3rd St.

“Over 100 Under 100” is sponsored by New York State Council on the Arts. It is open to the public Monday through Friday 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and one hour before upcoming events at Reg Lenna Center for The Arts.

HAPPENINGS

To include an upcoming show or event in this column, email gpaterniti@post-journal.com or call 487-1111, ext. 243 by Monday.

Tonight

Jules-R-Us Karaoke: 8 p.m., Good Time Saloon, 590 Fairmount Ave. in Jamestown

Comedy open mic: 8 p.m., The Q, 104 W. Second St. in Jamestown

Karaoke with DJ Xcite: 9 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Karaoke with Felony Entertainment: 10 p.m., Forte, 114 E. Third St. in Jamestown

Friday

The Misty Trio: 6 p.m., Brazil Craft Beer and Wine Lounge, 10 E. Fourth St. in Jamestown

Deep Fried and Dipped in Honey with The Winterfellas: 6 p.m., The Wine Cellar, 309 N. Main St. in Jamestown

Jules-R-Us Karaoke: 7:30 p.m., Lakewood Legion, 174 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood

Take Two: 9 p.m., Big Shots, 674 Route 394 in Kennedy

Karaoke with Felony Entertainment: 9 p.m., Shawbucks, 212 W. Second St. in Jamestown

Wasted Whiskey: 10 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Saturday

Strange Kind of Sunshine: 8 p.m., Big Shots, 674 Route 394 in Kennedy

DJ Karaoke with Eternalnyght DJ: 8:30 p.m., Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Jamestown

DJ Tim Reed: 10 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Sunday (New Year’s Eve)

Kates Brothers Band: 8 p.m., Jamestown Eagles Club, 329 E. Fourth St. in Jamestown

Rustic Ramblers: 8:30 p.m., Lakewood Legion, 174 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood

Crossfire: 8:30 p.m., Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Jamestown

The Scroggins: 9 p.m., Frewsburg Legion, 9 Meadow Lane in Frewsburg

Jules-R-Us Karaoke: 9 p.m., Good Time Saloon, 590 Fairmount Ave. in Jamestown

Splitfoot: 9 p.m., Big Shots, 674 Route 394 in Kennedy

JB Martin and Smokin’ Dog: 9 p.m., Vietnam Veterans of America, 41 Bigelow Ave. in Jamestown

Sabrina White and Co.: 10 p.m., Jamestown Moose Club, 405 E. Fifth St. in Jamestown

Slow Motion Breakdown: 10 p.m., Mojo’s Music Bar, 104 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Pressure Sensitive: 10 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

We Speak Canadian: 10 p.m., Shawbucks, 212 W. Second St. in Jamestown

Tuesday

Karaoke: 10 p.m., Mojo’s Music Bar, 104 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Wednesday

Bluegrass Jam: 7 p.m., Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Jamestown

Karaoke: 10 p.m., The Q, 104 W. Second St. in Jamestown

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