Is Everyone's 'Hood Like This?

As we were returning from our little 'visit' over the Thanksgiving holiday, we pulled into our subdivision and were struck with visions of sugar plum fairies and reindeer and all that other crap!

I swear to God, more than half the houses are ALREADY DECORATED! The freaking pressure is on! I think the neighbors actually have a race to see who can get their houses lit up before everyone else, and I also think all the neighbors on my street said, "Okay, Manic and her family are gone. Let's really screw with them and have all our decorations, lights, white sleighs and glowing reindeers, tinseled trees and icicle rooftops all done before they get back."

And some were telling me they have like four or five or even six trees to put up or have already put them up. Trees for the kids in each of their rooms! Trees for the bathrooms! A tree for the basement! The foyer! Heck, I even think one neighbor has a tree in their hallway closet just so those putting away their coats can get festive!

And what am I doing? Well, I'm fretting that I'm not going to get everything done in time! I am trying to dig out of the laundry mess, and purge old toys and old school papers, and cluttered cabinets and closets just to make sure there is space for all the new crap that will be making its way into our home in the next four weeks. It's a never-ending process. Get stuff, stick it in a closet for a year, open closet, realize that has been unused in closet for a year and know that more stuff is on its way, throw out stuff, wait for new stuff to get here so the whole thing can start all over again.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a scroogy person at all. It's just so commercialized and hyped and the leftovers from Thanksgiving aren't even all gone yet.

But maybe, just maybe, all these neighbors are getting me into the spirit of the season and I'm freaking out so I can be right along side them, ringing jingly bells, baking cookies, wrapping gifts I hope everyone will like (of course, I think I have to buy them first!), drinking festive concoctions that warm the insides, singing Christmas carols around the table (which Diva aka BitchDoll suggested we do tonight), finding the perfect family card to send to friends and family, and then, after it's all said and done, recovering from the enormity of it all and realizing it's all just really about a teeny little baby left in a manger while some smart dudes on camels followed some bright shining star to honor the little guy they would be calling King.

(What the hell is Frankencense anyway, and why was it such a hot commodity back then, when it can be purchased for seven bucks a quarter pound?)

Tune in later this week when I continue my homage to this glorious overly-commercialized, yet somewhat meaningful and spectacular holiday event that is beginning to cloud my already-post-Thanksgiving-pre-holiday-I'm-scared-to-go-shopping brain!

Cheers!