Finding the Silver Lining in Mid-Week Holidays

Perhaps you are reading this column on the day it appears in the newspaper and is dropped on your

doorstep. It may be a day or two later when you read it after the paper arrives in the mail. Or it maybe

you are reading this online a few weeks or even months or years after it is published.

Regardless, I think we can all agree on one thing: holidays on a Wednesday are just a bit different and,

let’s be honest, a wee bit inconvenient.

Whether it is Christmas and New Year’s landing in the middle of the week or Fourth of July happening on

any day but a Friday or Saturday, the timing is a bit awkward.

For those working on Christmas Eve, you may be on the job but have so many questions running through

your head like are all the presents wrapped or will you be off work in time to get to church or is jellied or

whole cranberry sauce better? We can all have our opinions but there is little satisfaction like getting the

sauce out of the can with the smooth ridges in tact.

And then you enjoy the next 24 hours but the next night as Christmas day winds down, your older

children have likely returned to their home and you head to bed early because everyone has to get up

early the next day for work.

The next week, it happens all over again.

On New Year’s Eve as you sit at your desk, your mind wanders to thoughts about plans to ring in the new

year. Do have the ability to stay up until midnight or will you have to celebrate pacific time zone so you

can be in bed before 10 p.m.?

And if you can keep your eyes open until midnight, you likely will have to make up for it the next evening

by turning in early for work the next day.

All of this presumes that your family has been able to return home for the holidays. With such a short

turn-around, many families shifted their celebrations to the weekends before or after to eek out a few

more hours with each other or because there wasn’t time mid-week to return home and get back to work

the next day.

It would be great to have more time set aside to celebrate the holidays with our family members.

Thanksgiving is a great example because most people have four days to travel, celebrate and return

home.

But we aren’t moving Christmas off Dec. 25 and it seems tricky to have new year’s day on any other day

than the first day of the new year. So instead of lamenting the limited amount of time we have with friends

and family over the holidays, we need to take a moment to appreciate the short window of opportunities

we have provided.

It is the time we get to snuggle up on the couch and stay up late for a movie on Christmas Eve even

though there are presents still needing to be wrapped or breakfast will be delayed in the morning

because we were working the day before.

It’s the sounds as you try to go to bed at your regular time but your older kids and their friends stay up

late playing a game of Texas Hold-em at the dining room table that at first make you want to ask them to

be quiet but then make you treasure the moment knowing it will be over in the next day.

It’s the pile of shoes by the front door that you trip over coming into the house, cursing at first but then

realizing it won’t be like that in a few days because they’ve all left.

It’s the non-stop dirty dishes and constant cleaning up from one meal as you get ready to start on the

next that is unusual because you rarely cook a dinner every night much less three in one day like you

have the past two days but that it is worth it even for the shortened time together.

Having a holiday in the middle of the week may have its inconveniences, but it is outweighed by the

opportunities it provides to be with friends and family members that we don’t get any other time of the

year.

And if you are still looking for a reason to appreciate these mid-week holidays, think of it as four

shortened weeks for most people: a weekend, work a few days, take a day off, work a few days,

weekend again, work a few days, a day off, work a few days, weekend again.

Having the holidays may not be perfect but we just need to look for the silver linings in the situation.

***

Whether you have friends and family in town or not over the next few weeks, there is plenty to do with

your extra time and to celebrate the upcoming holiday.

The McCook Rotary Club is hosting its second annual New Year’s Eve party, one of its annual fund-

raisers, on Tuesday, Dec. 31 from 8:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. midnight at the McCook City Auditorium. While

tickets can be bought at the door, organizers would prefer for people to pre-purchase tickets by visiting

the McCook Rotary Facebook page for a link.

With a western theme this year, attendees can dress up as much or as little as they would like, with jeans

the primary choice of attire. And for those who think midnight may be a bit too late to stay up in the

middle of the week, there are plans for a countdown at 11 p.m. when the eastern time zone rings in 2025,

although the champagne toast will be reserved for midnight in McCook.

The next day, the First Day Hike with the Nebraska Games and Park Commission returns to Red Willow

State Recreation Area north of McCook. Starting at 2:25 p.m. (in honor of 2025), walkers will take off

from Site 48 at the Willow Campground and walk the trails if there isn’t snow or the roads if we’ve

actually gotten moisture by then.

There is no registration needed or minimum miles you need to walk but everyone needs a Nebraska

State Park sticker or find a friend who has one. It is a great way to start off the year on a healthy and fun

note and you can still get to bed early enough to get to work the next day.

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Getting Outside to National Night Out

By Ronda Graff • August 4, 2025

Getting Outside of National Night Out Nearly everyone can tell you their last interaction with the police or the fire department. And unfortunately because of the nature of the organizations, it is usually not at a positive moment. My last contact with the McCook Police Department was just a few weeks ago, when I was pulled over on B Street in McCook…on my scooter. I pulled into the wrong lane when making a turn, which is illegal. But in my defense, it was an act of self-defense to just get through the intersection of East B and Sixth streets alive. Since the drivers haven’t seen a stop-light since Holdrege, cars and semis regularly run the traffic light, which makes me a wee bit vulnerable as I pass through the lanes. I got off with a warning but the true punishment were the texts throughout the day from everyone who saw me with my scooter and the police officer. Since most exchanges with police and fire are not on good terms, National Night Out was created to have an evening of positive interactions, to remind the public that the police and fire departments are just normal people, doing their jobs, looking out for their friends and neighbors, trying to create a safe community for everyone. National Night Out is designed to simply join your friends and neighbors for an evening of fellowship and fun. It is an opportunity to meet local law enforcement, creating safer and more caring neighborhoods. McCook is joining thousands of other communities across the country in hosting National Night Out, which typically takes place on the first Tuesday of August every year. Planned for Tuesday, Aug. 5 from 5:30-7 p.m. in and around Norris Park in McCook, the night includes a bike parade, a walk, awards for bike decorating, desserts and more. In other words, it is simply a block party to hang out. Numerous organizations have come together to make the evening possible. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the McCook Rotary Club are hosting a bike parade that starts at 6 p.m. Linda Maiden with State Farm, a bicycle helmet advocate, will also be in Norris Park. The streets around Norris Park will be shut down to provide a safe area to ride, as well as more space to cruise around the block. Participants are encouraged to decorate their bike, scooter, roller skates or anything on wheels. This could mean streamers, pompom balls, markers or even the old classic - playing cards in the spokes of your wheels. Some supplies will be available at the park for use if you show up and realize you are the most underdressed person at the party. If your bike has an inch of dust on it, this is a great time to get it out, wipe it off and get it rolling. And if your bike needs minimal fixes like a flat tire or a brake adjustment, bike tools will be on hand along with myself and my hubbie, who know just enough about bike repair to be dangerous but did manage a 300-plus mile bike ride last week so we must be doing something right. But let’s say you don’t have a bike or biking isn’t your cup of tea? Then you are still encouraged to join the “Walk in the Park,” hosted by Community Hospital. Designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle, walkers will stroll around the park and the neighborhood at whatever pace you feel like with strollers and dogs on leashes welcomed. And perhaps most importantly, there will be a chance to meet members of the McCook Police and Fire Department, getting to see police cars and fire engines close-up in a non-emergency manner, always the best way to see them. And if the weather cooperates, there may be a fire hose, water and spraying involved. If you have been at the Culbertson Fourth of July parade, you know it is up to you to stay out of the line of fire if you want to remain dry. We all have excuses for why we don’t want to go out at night, especially after a long day at work. But National Night Out in McCook on Aug. 5 is a great reason to get out your bicycle and lace up your walking shoes. Hang out with your friends, get to know your neighbors and meet your first responders. That is what makes our communities just a little bit better.