It's Christmas Again....Already?

Here we are in the middle of December and this morning I awake yet again with the dizzying, dreadful, blood draining realization that Christmas is just mere heartbeats away...My heart in my throat, (Well, right up until I had my morning coffee). The cause of these dire physical symptoms of angst? I am no where NEAR to being ready for this winters pivotal, solstice celebration.

Unlike these many years past, where I started my holiday shopping...Pretty much on December 26th. Oh yes, I DID, right away....the day after Christmas. Heck, the freshly torn wrapping paper and crisp ribbon bows had barely hit the floor and I was up, off and running.... Yet again, to pursue the next years parcel of pressies. I admit, it does seem to come as a sort of 'knee-jerk reaction' to the never ending inundation of tinny holiday tunes and tacky plastic, badly decorated christmas tree displays that we are all over exposed to when retailers decided to get an early start on the season..... at Halloween! But now, with my head hanging low (Oh...so low), in shame, I admit it....I did NOT do that slightly unusual, yet responsible thing this year.

The saddest part of this whole thing is figuring out that my quick-start, 'sale search system' extravaganza works! And, it actually IS the best way for me to get the right gifts at affordable prices, for each person. See....Silly me, I decided that this year, since money was so tight for us all and the economy had taken such a serious nose dive, I'd be able to put off the present purchases until later in the year...Figuring, that with all the dire and dour economic forcasts given day-to-day, going on week to week, prices would surely be rational, reasonable and possibly even better after July...Right...right? Ummm....Wrong! As a result of that sort of mindset, I'm still nearly presentless at this point.

We are counting down now..... And we are now at...T-minus, 10 days to 'Gift-Off'.......NASA....We have a problem....!! I walk around store after store in a disbelieving haze of anger.... Swearing (to myself), that I will NOT pay twenty five dollars for a pair of mittens that are barely worth five at best. Yes, I guess I really called it bass-akwards on those retailers needing to present us with reasonable price points, set to the entice buyer interest, tease their dearly held few dollars from them and make sensible sales. Oh, I was wrong, sooo very, very wrong.

This year, I even went AGAINST my 18 year-long, standing rule of 'NO Shopping On Crazy Black Friday' and did...(I think I was already starting to react to the impending present giving/purchase pressure)...And no, I dont think I'll ever break THAT rule again. That day was crazy indeed...The shoppers that is, not the promised low, low, rock bottom, 'Super Sale' prices the stores had all promised and believing them, I had expected to see. Sure, those 'Come-On' item prices were great I suppose...but I didnt actually see any of those items myself, as they were all sold out (to the other Black Friday Crazies...I call'em Mom-bies), probably by 5 am or before.

So, what have we all learned here? That I, myself....MUST get-it-together, get fired up mentally and get out there shopping immediately 'post christmas' (Pronto!), to get it all done in an orderly and affordable way...I, hereby (places hand over chest) swear to uphold my holiday duty and with this in mind, promise to always scan every flyer and scour every website...SoHelpMeGawd!

Or else....Risk..... Becoming another mindless 'Mom-bie'. We ARE the scariest creatures you'll likely ever meet, and you can always tell when one of us is around...By our empty, vacant, ash-rimmed and bloodshot eyes....that seem to be searching.... searching, endlessly, here, there and everywhere.... for that perfect, precious christmas present.... Heh heh...BOO!

Happy Holidays to you and yours...Wishing you well....Until we meet again...