Bah, Humbug.
Dec. 1st, 2006 10:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bjarvisToday is December 1. I can now mention Christmas without nauseating myself.
I just can't bring myself to think about Christmas prior to December 1. I know many folks like to start at US Thanksgiving; some start immediately after Halloween. Some neighbours apparently start on Dec 26 the prior year as they haven't taken down the xmas lights yet. I'm mulling over organizing members of our civic association into a posse of vigilantes, sneaking around yards in the wee hours of the morning cutting the power cords to the arrays of decorations in mid-January.
In any case, Christmas is going to be a daily topic of conversation for the four weeks prior to Dec 25 so I actively resist any attempt to extend the period to six, eight, ten, 12 or more weeks prior to xmas.
The weather has a lot to do with it. I can't get into any sort of holiday spirit until it gets cold and we have at least a prayer of seeing snow. At the moment, it's 70 degrees F outside with a light drizzle, hardly the stuff of Christmas cheer. Until the sweaters come out of storage, it can't be xmas, no matter what the calendar says.
I'm mildly amused how the most strident atheists and church-and-state-separation activists heartily embrace baby Jesus' birthday. He was apparently not good enough to be our lord & saviour, but He's just fine as an excuse to go shopping.
We plan to go stalking & killing a tree on Dec 10. That gives me a few days still to clean up the house enough that we can place a slowly dying plant in the living room. I wonder how much our county spends in special tree collections & mulching every January...
Now the pressure is on to create a wish list to ease the shopping burden on others. The wish list is harder than you might think, really. I'm (nearly) 40 years old: if I needed something, I probably already have it, and if I don't have it by now, it's probably not that necessary. Still, purchases of real estate or bearer bonds would be received with tremendous gratitude and/or sexual acts not involving blood relatives, pain or animals.
Shopping for others is always a traumatic thing for me. I have some ideas but I'm starting much later in the year than I usually do. Fortunately, we have the Internet. Apparently, it can be used for more than simply pr0n, such as shopping for pr0n. I'll spend a little time this weekend spelunking through eBay and various search engines to see what I can find.
I'll save the topic of xmas cards for another post.
I just can't bring myself to think about Christmas prior to December 1. I know many folks like to start at US Thanksgiving; some start immediately after Halloween. Some neighbours apparently start on Dec 26 the prior year as they haven't taken down the xmas lights yet. I'm mulling over organizing members of our civic association into a posse of vigilantes, sneaking around yards in the wee hours of the morning cutting the power cords to the arrays of decorations in mid-January.
In any case, Christmas is going to be a daily topic of conversation for the four weeks prior to Dec 25 so I actively resist any attempt to extend the period to six, eight, ten, 12 or more weeks prior to xmas.
The weather has a lot to do with it. I can't get into any sort of holiday spirit until it gets cold and we have at least a prayer of seeing snow. At the moment, it's 70 degrees F outside with a light drizzle, hardly the stuff of Christmas cheer. Until the sweaters come out of storage, it can't be xmas, no matter what the calendar says.
I'm mildly amused how the most strident atheists and church-and-state-separation activists heartily embrace baby Jesus' birthday. He was apparently not good enough to be our lord & saviour, but He's just fine as an excuse to go shopping.
We plan to go stalking & killing a tree on Dec 10. That gives me a few days still to clean up the house enough that we can place a slowly dying plant in the living room. I wonder how much our county spends in special tree collections & mulching every January...
Now the pressure is on to create a wish list to ease the shopping burden on others. The wish list is harder than you might think, really. I'm (nearly) 40 years old: if I needed something, I probably already have it, and if I don't have it by now, it's probably not that necessary. Still, purchases of real estate or bearer bonds would be received with tremendous gratitude and/or sexual acts not involving blood relatives, pain or animals.
Shopping for others is always a traumatic thing for me. I have some ideas but I'm starting much later in the year than I usually do. Fortunately, we have the Internet. Apparently, it can be used for more than simply pr0n, such as shopping for pr0n. I'll spend a little time this weekend spelunking through eBay and various search engines to see what I can find.
I'll save the topic of xmas cards for another post.
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Bingle Jells
Date: 2006-12-01 04:22 pm (UTC)is there a dysjunction between these two statements? I think, m'self, that they go together well. You haven't done shopping yet because it only turned December this morning. NOW you can go forth and commit retail (or eBay, or whatever).
Some neighbours apparently start on Dec 26 the prior year as they haven't taken down the xmas lights yet.
I would consider this an offence only if they turn them on. I can see a certain sense to installing lights (especially the energy-efficient LEDs, which tend to be rather discreet when not illuminated) in September when the weather is fair, and just leaving them up (mayhap permanently). Come the actual festive season, then (and ONLY then) connect them to a power source.
Still, purchases of real estate or bearer bonds would be received with tremendous gratitude and/or sexual acts not involving blood relatives, pain or animals.
there'll be something in the mail this weekend. I've already had the gratitude, so I'll expect sexual acts!
Re: Bingle Jells
Date: 2006-12-01 04:31 pm (UTC)I buy presents for friends & family when the opportunity arises rather than waiting for Hallmark to declare the official Gift-Giving Shopping Season. Thus, I have a few items which are suitable for giving but become xmas presents only by reason that I've missed the birthdays & anniversaries.
Re: Bingle Jells
Date: 2006-12-01 04:45 pm (UTC)Do you have a Donny and Marie jigsaw puzzle? that's good for almost ANY occasion, I would think.
Me, I bought the cards and stamps, and printed the labels. I'm just afraid that this start will lull me into a sense of false security, "Oh I've already started the Xmas prep", and I will get no further until December 20 or thereabouts.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 05:43 pm (UTC)If you think that it's hard to get in the mood until there's a chance of snow, I guess you wouldn't like the Bay Area . . .
But, we did get snow up in Ashland a couple of days ago. Some pics on our website.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 06:47 pm (UTC)Or Australia.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 05:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-01 07:06 pm (UTC)