christmas comes creeping

The first signs of Christmas that creep into my consciousness each year are usually those red and white decorative disasters that the city hangs on the lamp posts. Once I've seen them, I know it's about time to avoid all the stores on North Roosevelt like the plague.

Still, sometimes I find myself, like I did early last week, in dire need of stuff that you can't find in Old Town. So I dutifully drove out to the region of retailers where at this "most wonderful time of the year", Winn-Dixie and Walgreens, K-Mart and Office Max, Radio Shack and Pier One Imports (where I specifically needed to be) are festooned for the festivities, knee deep in more merchandise than they'll ever sell and all to the piped-in background caroling of the Living Strings Orchestra.
(Don't you get a sense that I got in and out of there quick?)

My first hands-on merry making for the holiday season comes, as it did last night, with the Christmas Parade. It's kind of an annual tradition for my girl Sara (no H) and I to see the parade, then celebrate the start of our Christmas season, at her place or mine, with generous tumblers of eggnog and rhum, all to the piped-in background caroling of, musicians more to our liking.

Now if any of this sounds just a bit cynical, well it probably is. But there seems to be hope.

This morning there came an unexpected Christmas surprise. . .
Netflix finally cleared the way for instant movie viewing for MAC users too. So nogged to the brain cells with good Christmas cheer, what do you suppose was the first instant movie I viewed instantly? Tim Allen in "The Santa Clause 3". (go figure)

Now, once again has Christmas come creeping and the next thing you know, I'll be donning my gay apparel.