Now, don't you be worrying about lil' old me and the lack of alcohol- made up for that by buying out all the pumpkin ale and Malted Corpse ale at the store the next day... mmmmm
I'll be over as soon as I can after work!
Anyone else need a lift that direction?
__________________
A Huge dose of reality in one bitter little pill.
I don't know about the stores in everyone elses area, but around here it's almost as if the Christmas goods were piled high and deep against a flimsy wall of Halloween, and now that the best holiday is over, all the Christmas stuff is just pouring out - almost disgustingly so.
I mean seriously...can't we wait at least a week before Christmas decorations are literally piled on every horizontal surface available?
And I have to laugh that they're already discounting Christmas decorations...30% here, 50% there.
Ech. I guess I have never really come to terms with the "consumerism at all costs!!!!!" mentality that seems to permeate every bit of Christmas. I know not everyone shares that thought process, but the constant bombardment from every media source can certainly make one think otherwise.
Ah well...and I know, there's nothing original in any of those thoughts - even for me. I get this every year - have since I was young. I always wonder if Christmas would be such a big deal if gift giving wasn't part of it...just a mid-winter holiday to keep spirits up when the weather's worst.
Now, that's the part I do like. Warm fires, family, and friends.
Rant rant rant...I'll shut up for now...but, JUST for now...
__________________ Hell is an eternity of getting up at 4am to nothing but decaf coffee...
Around here in London Ontario, they didn't even wait for Halloween to pass before the wall was breached. The ribbons,decorations, paper and gee gaws were out the week of Halloween. One aisle had Christmas on one side, Halloween on the other.
Almost like some sort of Mexican wrestling movie. Holiday Vs. Holiday! Viva Holiday!
The guys in the big box stores were telling me how they worked all through the night of Nov. 01 to get the stuff on deck for that next day. They might as well have been describing troop movements.
I try and get the gifts bought by the middle of this month, or the end of it. That way, I have December to lay back and enjoy. To THAT end, I start buying in the summer..so while I hate the commercialism, I guess I'm also fueling it...
But it's the traditions that seem to count and matter the most. Next weekend, my son and I will have some pancakes while we listen to The Ventures Christmas lp...I'm making the yearly pinata shaped like a Christmas tree the kids will break and get cool toys and novelties out of...and WHITE CHRISTMAS is playing in December here in town on the big screen.
But when I was a kid, it was mixed up too....you'd have the K Gordon Murray Mexican imports like the NOSTRAMDUS series playing for most of November or December, and replaced right away with SANTA CLAUS..where Santa and Merlin the Magician defeat Satan. THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY or one of the James Bond movies was always on the tube during the holidays...or a war movie like THE GREAT ESCAPE or THE DIRTY DOZEN...how WEIRD is THAT?
I think Tim Burton had a point with NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS where he had this grey waste land betrween the holidays...it IS a weird time of the year...
Joe, love that last pic! You're totally right though- I don't know ANYBODY who is so obsessed with the Christmas season and the commercialism that we would be led to believe is out there (though obviously they are out there, otherwise we wouldn't have people being trampled to death in Wal-Marts). Most of the people I know would be more than happy holing up with friends and family to celebrate, but it is the media and stores that drive us to this point. What can we do about it? How can you fight off that kind of influence?
Seriously, I'd love to know, because I'm made to feel like a horrible person if I don't have a list of things to be bought for me, or to buy for other people! Help!
Sorry I haven't been around much, Halloween and work stuff. I am now a supervisor and am working lots of hours along with a longer commute due to construction everywhere.
Hope all is well. LHALLOW seems to be doing very well.
love the cemetery pics, Joe, I do so love cemeteries, I went walking thru 3 odler ones in the area, loved it, took lots of pics too,in the spring I am going to look up a couple other older ones in the area.
well, it has been so nice here the past few days, keep waiting for the other shoe to fall. so to speak, and the snow start, I got the outside christmas lights up while it was nice weather.
Hubby goes to the doc tomorrow to see if he needs more surgery, keep you fingers crossed that he won't!!
Great pics Joe.
Hi Everybody, quick fly by Hi! I just posted this over in "events" It's the kids and I doing the Ghost Trolley the night the girl scouts came to help out and we made it on TV Enjoy.
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