Feliz Navidad

Afternoon

It is getting close to Christmas, that wonderful time of year when we all bow down and worship the god of commercialism. I recently tried to buy a congratulations card for my niece, and couldn't find anything other than Christmas cards in the stores. I asked one of the assistants, and she looked at me as if I had spoken to her in Swahili. Ok thank you! I finally got one in the grocery store! But this is the price we pay I guess. That and having to listen to awful music like "The Christmas Shoes". ARGH I hate that song. Not quite as much as "Christmas Eve in Washington". That one had me running for the radio covering my ears and yelling lalalalalalala to drown it out! I lived in Washington DC for 4 years, and for a whole month between Thanksgiving and Christmas one of the local radio stations would play nothing but Christmas music. Which was fine, except that they only had a limited play list, and that bloody Christmas eve in Washington was at the top of the list, so probably came on once an hour! That and the Little Drummer Boy! Oh man is that song ever over played? When you consider how many great songs, and singers there are out there, I have to wonder why a radio station would play songs by tacky session singers? At least the radio station here in the Peg plays a decent selection of Christmas music.

And why does every shop you go into have Christmas musak playing over the PA? Crap musak, played on the xylophone, or worse still, computer generated! Every shop has different musak playing, and sometimes so loudly that you are bombarded from all directions by several different songs at once. No wonder people get frantic! I have to admit though, I do love the atmosphere of Christmas. It took me a long time to get over hating Christmas because of the trauma of living with abusive parents who got worse at Christmas, but nowadays I enjoy the season.

Now I love the giving, and receiving of gifts, when and only if, they have been purchased specifically with me in mind. I hate those stupid damn secret santa things, when someone who doesn't know you has to buy you something, and they don't even bother to try to find out who you are! But if someone has put thought, and consideration into the gift, then I love to receive. I love to spend time looking for gifts for other people too, finding something special that they want, that they will be pleased to receive. Of course, I also love the food, a good turkey dinner is a must. None of this tofurkey crap, and it has to have the trimmings, roast potatoes (no other form of potatoes thanks), brussel sprouts, bacon, stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, sausages (well chipolatas really), all smothered in good thick gravy. Yum yum! I also love the lights, tinsel and trees all decorated. It is great really. People around here really seem to go in for the light displays on the outside of their houses! When I lived near DC there were small pockets of lit up houses, but here it is virtually every house!

So if anyone actually reads this, I wish you a very happy holiday season! May you get everything that you wish for and deserve ;-)