The Christmas Tree Is Up, Don’t Ask About the Stockings.

I am finishing putting up my tree, and it looks nice in my home. I didn’t put it up last year, because I was working in the Cardiac Unit and had no time. So this is the first year it’s gone up in my home. I am listening to the George Winston classic December as I hang the lights and feel warm and remember Christmas on the farm. Going up into the timber to cut down a sapling and hauling it back on my sled. Grandpa popping corn to string as grandma and my sister made orniments out of construction paper. We’d sip hot chocolate—grandpa’s had Peppermint Schnapps in it. Maybe mine did too, just a tad.

So I am thinking about memories of christmas on the farm, and now the lights are hung and I’ve finished trimming the tree and am looking at the bottom of the decoration box and see the three stockings. The names on the stocking are mine, my ex’s, and my dead dog’s.

If you’ll excuse me, I have to go write a country-western song.

While I am doing that, I encourage you to visit the very urbane Urban’s enjoyable blog, Drunk Monks. He’s written a Christmas letter for all his StarBucks’ customers who have been complaining about the Christmas decorations that went up before Thanksgiving, he quotes them as saying:

"Isn't Christmas like, two months away? It seems that every year they are starting this earlier and earlier. I can't take it! This is ruining my life!"

Please, all of you, shut the fuck up. This happens every year. It has happened every year since I can remember and therefore does not need commenting on like it's some amazing new development. Bitch about something else. Red colored cups don't change your life.Holiday music doesn't change your life unless you work in the mall and then you are 15 and I dont care. So stop. Please. Stop.

Merry Christmas!

And speaking of Merry Christmas, Tim tells us about a campaign to save him/it.