Bah humbug!

I'm just going to get this puppy out of the way to leave room in November and December for Christmas spirit. Lights on the tree, buying gifts for a family in need, Frank Sinatra on in the CD player and roasting chestnuts by the fire.

Maybe not the nut roasting part because who do you know that still roasts chestnuts anyway? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I have a love-hate thing going on with holidays. It's my favorite time of year, time for family, giving, sharing the spirit of Christmas. This time of year also manages to bring out the Grinch in me. I have to bring up some of my holiday 'Favorite Things'. (oh, pipe down, Oprah)

Bundling up with hats, coats and sweaters, dressed in layers and topped with winter scarves to head out to the store and shop.
Translation:
Taming hat hair, spending shopping money at the pump on the way there. No parking within a football field of the mall even if you're going in just to get friggin' diapers.

Sipping a concoction of the most delectable mix of spice, pumpkin, coffee and cream from a busy Star$ while watching people shop and bustle about in downtown's Pioneer Square.
Translation:
You do know this delight, as someone once said, also has crack as the secret ingredient. This is the real reason I end up forking over 4 bucks for this irresistible diddy while watching dim bulbs spend their mortgages on their kids. You see these shoppers would prefer to keep up with the Jones' Christmas spending habits than keep the power on at their house or instead sponsor a family that year. And they don't even like the Jones'. The Griswald's would be proud.

Family dinners filled with good food, Christmas music and talk about the kids, cousins, aunts and uncles and don't forget the grandkids.
Translation:
Talking to immediate family (okay, not bad) that I haven't seen for a year, to the day, while trying to get my toddler to sit down to eat in a less than child-proofed house and listening to...oh, lord help us, Mannheim Steamroller so many times that it encourages self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the head. Hubby asks 1.4 million times if we can go now. Okay, good food though.

Cute Christmas Plays at Church.
Translation:
Now I'm going to get reamed for this but PULEEZ! I understand that many need the message of salvation, the manger depiction, etc....... I won't fight on that point. People need that!

I do, however, complain to being subjected to 2 hours of kids wiggling in their seats if they actually do sit down, SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH repeated a billion times to then have someone take the paint off my car blaring their horn when we leave because I'm apparently driving the wrong way out of the *field* they turned into an overflow parking lot. Yes, and that would also be a football field away from the auditorium. Nice fish on your car dude! Did that come with your horn?

I so have issues. Is the glass half full or half empty? Depends on what's in the glass, I guess. Maybe a trip back in time and around the world with Death would change me? Bah humbug.