Christmas Plans in July?

With the Fourth of July behind us summer's about half over, and for many of us our thoughts turn to cooler days in autumn and football season on the horizon.

In my world among the super rich this is also the agonizing month when Christmas preparations begin. By that I mean it's time for high society to start staking out dates for their holiday parties and galas.

While this might seem a simple task on the surface, it's actually a freak-out nightmare! Like working an intricate jigsaw puzzle, whatever date you select must correspond to when your events planner, your caterer, party rental company and valet parkers are available all on the same date. Not so easy.

But wait. It's even more complicated than that! Your party dates cannot conflict with other high society parties within your social circles. And this is where it gets really tricky.

In most cities and rich communities across the country the reigning queen has first dibs on her party dates. Then deferring to her, the hierarchy of lesser rich has to wait for her decision and then fall into place as best they can.

So July is the month when everyone's desperately abuzz, trying to find out when a certain Mrs. Huffenbitch is throwing her grand gala. It starts with phone calls, luncheons and cocktail parties, with anyone and everyone offering whatever bits of information and gossip they have. (No one dares ask Huffenbitch herself, of course.)

But in polite society the reigning queen, knowing her power and position, is gracious enough to announce her party dates in mid-to-late summer so all the underlings in her world can get on with their plans.

With this accomplished, it just leaves the in-fighting among the lesser rich for choosing their party dates - and again corresponding to when their events planner, caterers, vendors and valet parkers will be available to oblige.

So if you think planning Christmas parties in the world of the rich is an easy task, think twice. It can be a knock-down, drag-out fight for power and position.

Thanks for dropping by this evening.

I hope your Christmas plans aren't quite so complicated and nerve shattering, with ladder-climbing ambitions at stake.

Andrew