Saturday, September 8, 2012

It's September! Where's all the Christmas Stuff?


That's right. I've turned into one of those guys.

You know, the person who buys Christmas ornaments on the very day they become available at Walmart or Costco or the $1 Store down the street. The person that causes the stores stock up on their Christmas fluffery earlier and earlier each year. You know who I'm talking about. You've seen them. You know them. You loathe them.

Normal people are focused on back-to-school shopping, or maybe a last-minute summer BBQ now that Labor Day has passed. There are even some who are getting an early start on finding that perfect Halloween decoration that will have all of the neighbor kids wanting to knock on their door.

But not me.

I'm way past all of that.

I have one focus.

When will the stores start stocking their freaking Christmas stuff? Come on - it's almost half past September. Get on with it!

Oh, there are a few places that have gotten on the ball. I've been to them. Hobby Lobby had a few Christmas baubles out the second week of August. Costco has dedicated a couple of aisles to holiday wrapping paper and huge outdoor lighted reindeer. But that's not enough.

I want more.

Lucinda and I went to Tai Pan last weekend to see if their flocked trees were in yet. There was one employee, covered in flock, who had already set out a dozen sample trees - a few of them flocked - but not the one we needed. Is it too much to ask for a 7 and half foot flocked tree to be ready for me to buy by Labor Day? Is it?

You know, I wasn't always like this.

I used to be much like you - not even thinking about Christmas until the Thanksgiving turkey was just a happy memory. I mean, we've still got to get through Halloween, we've still got to get through Thanksgiving, we've still got to get through Pearl Harbor Day...

But this year it's different.

This year we've got an excuse (four excuses to be exact) to be on the look-out for Christmas decorations - and I fear that I may be carrying it a bit too far.

Remember that Christmas tree that we put up in our front room? The one that was only supposed to be up for a few days so that we could try out some of the decorations on it? It's still in my front room. If you drive by, you can still catch it all lit up right in front of the window.



Look closely, there it is.

I'll take it down. I promise.