I'm not ready.

Photo taken by Emily.

I don't think I've ever been so ill-prepared for Christmas.

Our tree isn't up.
The eaves are unlit.
The liquor cabinet is bare.
No sweets have been baked.
There is no stuff for the stockings.
Half the gifts have yet to be bought.
The gee-gaws are still nestled in their bins.
Our annual letter has not been composed.
Our cards have not been written or stamped.
Of the gifts that have been bought, only three have been wrapped.


I feel like the family in John Grisham's "Skipping Christmas" - a light novel about a couple of empty-nesters who decide that, rather than going through the whole hooplah of Christmas, they will take things easy and put the money toward a cruise. As you would guess, there is lots of social pressure to join the frey, and in the end they have a tree, lights, and a massive party. Everyone pitches in to help them out. And they donate the cruise tickets to an ailing neighbour and her husband (in fiction, such tickets are never non-transferable).

But, getting back to ME, I am not a "conscientious objector" to the whole Christmas thing. I just didn't get the nostalgic hankering this year. Plus, I am a dreadful procrastinator, and the excitement of my new job kind of took my focus away.

As a consequence, I will spend the weekend shopping and chopping, hanging and nagging. I will be one of the many idiots circling the mall for a parking spot, any parking spot. I will stand in long lines with arms full of goods. My oven will be on for six hours straight.

Gosh. I sound so Scrooge-a-rific. But really I'm just feeling kind of stupid, as if I've left the term assignment until the night before it's due.

On the bright side, I finally found a cleaning lady who will get the house spic & span.

Better yet, Steve's parents arrive on Monday, so there will be two extra pairs of hands to help out, and two people to add to the festive atmosphere.

All I have to do now is make it through this weekend ...