"Ho, ho, ho" but not really

As I held open the back door at Hy-Vee for an elderly gentleman this afternoon, I commented on his red suspenders that said “Ho, ho, ho” on them.

“Getting ready for the holiday season early, huh?” I said.

It turns out he was just holding his jeans up with the nearest thing handy. “No, my brother-in-law died and these were in a pile of his stuff and I needed something so my pants don’t fall down.”

This was more information than I was anticipating. I said something about yes, the suspenders look like they are doing their job quite well.

“I’m really not looking forward to the holidays,” he said. “It’s getting too expensive.”

I had to agree with him on that.