Bye-humbug

In the words of John Denver, "I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again." Except, John Denver died in a plane crash so that's a little weird, and I have a return flight booked so I do know when I'll be back again - next year. So in the words of me, "I'm going away for the holidays and I'm not going to blog unless something hilarious and/or monumental happens to me. And, no, buttoning my pants does not count."

The sad part of all of this holiday travel is that I'm already over Christmas. I know, I know, I only have myself to blame. In my surprise over my sudden holiday cheer, I let myself embrace Christmas a good week before Thanksgiving. Decorations were up around the same time, holiday music was blasting 24/7 and I was all aglow with Christmas spirit.

But sometime last week, I suddenly couldn't handle the sight of lights, couldn't stand the sound of Bing and couldn't bring myself to think about eggnog or wassail. Instead, I found myself daydreaming about summer - barbecues and swimming and flip-flops. (Never mind the fact that I'm going to be having a baby smack-dab in the middle of summer and will thus be disqualified from swimsuit wearing due to public decency laws.)

Actually, I hold the cold responsible. At first, all the holiday sights and sounds made cold weather bearable; gave it a purpose somehow. But now I'm just annoyed by the frigid air and piles of snow and consider any holiday elements to be accomplices.

Seriously, whose brilliant idea was it to put the holidays in the middle of the worst season? Is it because it gives us a reason to rejoice amidst terrible weather? If so, why didn't they postpone Christmas until February when most of us are ready to wrap ourselves to death in a wool scarf? (Or in the case of Chicago, mid-May, when snow is often still falling.)

I know, I know, this is the point where all of you who live in warm weather climates get to brag and what not about how you are wearing a flirty skirt and peep-toe wedges to your church Christmas party, but I don't remember you offering Mr. Dub a job out there so what good does your bragging do me?

Luckily, free food and lots of family is a quick cure for my bah-humbug attitude. Also, buttoning my pants, but that's becoming increasingly difficult and the aforementioned binging ain't gonna help.

So with this random post, I bid you all adieu until 2008, which is going to be a huge year for me and, apparently, reality TV. So we've got that crisis to resolve when I get back.

Any New Year predictions?

* Still looking for the perfect gift for the little one in your life? Go here to read about Andy's Airplanes, a new DVD series that I'm digging. And no one paid me to say that. (By the way, is anyone interested in paying for me to say things? 'Cause I'm willing to consider that.)