December 21, 2007
The Christmas Rush
For most people, the Christmas rush starts the day after Thanksgiving. They battle the malls for presents. They're out on the coldest day of the year hanging lights. They panic because they can't get their damn kids to cooperate for a photo by the tree to send out with their cards.
For me, the Christmas rush hasn't started, yet.
I started Christmas shopping in August and was 75% done by Thanksgiving. God bless Amazon and Sephora. One of our Christmas trees was up on the day after Halloween. I suffer no delusions that my idiot dogs will sit still in front of the tree without licking themselves, so I don't even try.
Which means that during December, I've had time to do the things that actually get me in the Christmas mood. I've sung in several Christmas concerts. I baked and decorated gingerbread cookies with Younger Step Daughter, Nephew, Girl Child and Boy Child. And my house looks like Saint Nick moved in and brought all the elves.
(Yes, Garrance, I will have a Christmas tree photo blog within the next few days.)
So I've been pretty chill. Work today will undoubtedly be uneventful. People have been taking the last of their vacation days (lest they loose them), and there was a mass exodus yesterday evening. The lights aren't even turned on in the department next to me, and a tinsel tumbleweed just drifted by.
No, my Christmas rush starts today when the clock hits 4:00. This evening, I will start the Mad Cleaning Frenzy that will continue until 15 minutes before my family arrives for Christmas Eve dinner.
Tomorrow, my fellow second soprano SS and I will be getting henna tattoos on our hands! I'M SO EXCITED! A new spa opened up next to Dr. Hottie's office, so I stopped in a grabbed a brochure. I'm not much interested in the threading, tanning or airbrushing, but then I saw
Henna Tattoos - $10
That's a mere 20% of what they cost at the damn Renn Faire! And what could be better than the opportunity to cause the entire family to engage in simultaneous eye-rolling when I serve Christmas dinner with henna designs all over my hands? Hee!
After that, Nat is coming over to introduce her 6 mo. old weiner dog to my monsters. That will definitely be taking place in the kitchen.
Somewhere in there, I'm going to bake cookies and Rice Krispie treats and eat dough until I'm sick.
On Sunday, Egrau, J, PJ and Ramone will be over to celebrate a bit and exchange presents. Because, you know, why NOT have a bunch of people over the day before I'm hosting Christmas Eve? What could be less stressful than that?
And by hosting, I don't just mean cleaning the house and cooking dinner. Hosting also includes herding the dogs so they don't spaz out and barf on the presents and bodyslam The Spare; creating an individual, age-appropriate treasure hunt for each niece and nephew (except for The Spare -- he can just hunt for the stuff he hid last time he was over); and oiling my rusty fingers well enough to get through some carols on the piano.
Even the dogs are getting into the action. At 4:45 this morning, in preparation for the big event, one of the dogs -- I don't know which -- contributed some lovely sphincter syrup to the dining room carpet. Shaped like a bell. How festive.