Not a bad December, so far

I was just musing on how relatively enjoyable this December has been, compared to Decembers of years past. Annual Gift-Giving Day has thus far imposed very little stress upon my fragile psyche. Most of our gifts have already been acquired. Our pagan tree has been purchased, erected, and festooned with lights and fanciful ornaments. Our set of Christmas china has been fetched from the storage closet and washed. It's been a disturbingly smooth December. I am a bit frightened by the unfamiliarity of such a thing.

In years past, something always got put off or forgotten until the last possible moment. A recipient was left off the mental gift list. The perfect gift for so-and-so was not located until the 24th. The living room was still without a tree a week before the big day. Long ago, when I was still under my parents' roof, I would be sent nearly every year after being a licensed motorist to the frenzied shit-storm known as Crabtree Valley Mall on Christmas Eve to fight the vulturous throngs and retrieve some trinket to give to some relative somewhere.

This year, the bulk of the shopping was completed this past Saturday, when the local shopping center was noticeably busier than other times of the year but not nearly as hectic as the last week before the big day. The rest of the shopping has been taken care of by my fabulous bride during her convenient down-time while the little darlings are in school. Practically everything I've purchased for her is coming through the mail, eliminating the need to mingle with the diseased masses. And talk about savings! The books and DVDs I bought for her online with free shipping cost less than I would have paid with a 10% member discount at Barnes & Noble. So on Saturday, as the shades of evening drew, we bought our Christmas tree and set it up, then chowed down on delicious pizza (delivered, of course). The next day we decorated the tree while munching on popcorn, sipping hot spiced wine, and playing seasonal tunes. It was a grand time filled with holiday cheer and no stress. For the first time in a few years, I find myself looking forward to Christmas, instead of wishing it would just hurry up and be over with. If only I were going to have more than $130 in my account after my car insurance gets paid . . .

I do, however, yearn for the days when I had 3–4 weeks of vacation time during the Annual Gift-Giving season. In my glorious university days, exams would be over around the 15th or so, and classes didn't resume until at least the 6th. Those were the most precious weeks of the year, because unlike summer, there was no pressure to get a job, nor was there any expectation to get fresh air and exercise. I had every excuse to go to bed late, get up at 11AM, and loaf around the house or hang out with friends all day. Christmas shopping was done at my leisure, in the middle of the day when the corporate drones were toiling away in their cubicles.

This morning I dragged my ass out of bed at 7:30 and walked out into the 40-degree chill to get into my icy car and go to my soul-sucking cubicle, and wanted nothing more than to go back to bed, get up in another 3 hours, and sit on the couch all day in my PJs, slurping hot chocolate, chomping down popcorn, and looking at my pretty tree.