Sunday, December 21, 2008

4 More Days (now I'm just going with it)

You will all be THRILLED to know (because I know you have all been waiting, breathlessly, for an update on my Mission: Impossible list from Thursday night), that I got most things finished. Let's have a look:
  • Last present was knitted up
  • Laundry was completed, AND put away that night
  • ANOTHER Heather's Christmas box was mailed Friday morning (I'm telling you, there are many of us!)
  • Gas for my car was taken care of before I wrote the list- doesn't count
  • Work presents are waiting in a tote bag on my front door knob so I can take them to work tomorrow.
  • Christmas cards were mailed Saturday
  • Talked to my Grandmother for an hour on Thursday and I have a little package to mail to her tomorrow. It'll be late but that just stretches out the festivities, right? Right.
  • Cleaned the bathroom yesterday. It was pretty grotty. Now it is sparkling. Merry Christmas to me....
  • STOPPED EATING THE CHOCOLATES. Yeesh. I need to give them away.
  • Watched 30 Rock AND The Office, even though they were repeats, while I was knitting my hands off.
And I even had time to create something fabulous yesterday. I'm pretty sure I'm giving it away so I can't talk about it yet. Shhhhh.... There will be pictures, later. Patience, my little chihuahuas.

You know, I think people are being sort of Scroogey this year when it comes to Christmas decorations. So far I am not impressed. Last year around this time a lot of the apartments in my complex were all decked out for Christmas. This was probably due to the fact that there was a balcony decoration contest and if you won you'd get a sizable chunk taken off of your rent in January. They're still doing that this year, but charging $10 to enter the contest. WHAT?!?!? So I don't know if people are protesting by not putting up anything (I at least strung some lights around my railing) or if people don't care or what.

Even when I'm driving through neighborhoods I've been really struck by the lack of decorations out. Is it the economy? Do people throw away their lights and garland and buy new every year (which I've never done and I'm baffled by) and now they can't afford new ones? Is the country so overwhelmed by the task of getting the economy back on it's feet that putting up lights seems hopeless? I didn't get around to putting up a tree this year but I'm going to be out of town for the main event so it just seemed a little pointless. But then again I really haven't been in the mood either. There have been other years when I put up my little tree even though I knew I wouldn't be at home on Christmas day. Maybe Scroogey mood is catching.

But there is one thing I've seen this year that is a very important part of the Christmas of Heather. I found a house that had one of those big tacky plastic light up nativity displays, including the lighted baby Jesus in a lighted manger. I immediately called my sister so we could talk about "liltinyplassicbabyjesus" in bad Southern accents. It's a tradition. It's what we do. As she said (in her VERY impressive bad Southern accent) "It is just such a relief that in this GOD-FOR-SAKEN country the Christmas spirit is alive and well somewhere." She is so funny. Even if she DOES hold DVDs hostage.

1 comment:

The Nester said...

oh, reading your list makes me want to get motivated and START MY WRAPPING!

I have yet to wrap ONE gift!!!!!!

And thank you for the nomination!!!