My kids had it dialed in. They were earnest and sweet and unquestionably manipulative. And for my part, I always fell right into their trap. It was certainly nothing new: poor, helpless children can’t go Christmas shopping for family and friends without a kind-hearted adult who takes them to the mall. Please, please, please they say, doe eyed. Feeling very St. Nick-ish, parent obliges.
It’s not that the kids don’t trust Santa. It’s just that, you know, he has a lot on his mind. And while shopping for a pair of cat socks for grandma, it just makes sense to check out the Switch games that Santa possibly forgot about and about 300 other things because, well, grandma is old and has plenty of socks. Then there’s candy and the food court all wrapped in the guise of shopping for friends and loved ones. It’s really pretty remarkable how quickly a 9 year-old can decimate your credit rating.
You leave the mall with a plan that grandma will get a hand-drawn picture for her present – so sweet – and that friends really don’t need presents cuz Santa will bring plenty. And all that stuff you purchased jacked-up on Nerd Clusters? The kids are now calling that “Early Christmas.” Makes sense, right? Santa brings everything else. C’mon Dad.
It’s a good gig, buying something for a loved one while also getting something for yourself. Or in the case of my kids, pretending to do the former while definitely doing the latter. But as adults, it’s a little harder to forgo actually buying presents and just loading up on things for yourself. Kinda looks bad when all the gifts under the tree are for you.
At Acme, we think that we’ve found a pretty good middle ground. From now until the end of the year, each time you purchase $100 in gift cards we’ll throw in an additional gift card for $20 just for you. To be clear, there’s no stopping your giving those freebies to Uncle Gilroy or that neighbor with the weird dog – ‘tis the season and all that – but it might also come in handy one chilly night in January when you’re feeling peckish. And, well, think of it as a little present from all of us at Acme. It’s certainly better than a pair of cat socks.
See? Friday the 13th can be lucky after all.
We still have about 20 of our Christmas Feast To-Go meals for those of you who may be sitting on the fence about enjoying a cooking-free holiday. It is really quite a revelation. The feast for 2 hungry souls is $95. The menu is below.
Christmas will be here sooner than you think. Like I need to remind you. Below is a list of happenings at Acme through New Year’s Day that just might spark a little December joy. And starting tonight and running through the 23rd, we’ll be handing out tins of marvelous Christmas cookies to two lucky guests each evening. Don’t worry. I’ve thoroughly tasted every batch that’s come out of the oven. It’s the least I could do.
Well, that’s all the news from Carrboro. The staff at Acme look forward to serving you soon.
Cheers,
The Staff at Acme
