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Good Grief, It's Christmas Again...

It's that time of year again, when all of a sudden, I start wondering, "where has this year gone?", and one thing I'm finding to be true is that as I age, is that time zooms by faster than ever before. I don't look forward to holidays anymore; they don't hold anything special for me. I suppose in a larger sense, Every Day that I'm Alive is a holiday, because after all, I've Got Life, and yeah, I know I should be thankful for that. And I am, really, I am. I'm living in a great part of the country, with the Ocean at my beck and call, I have my wits about me (well, sometimes), and we're all getting rid of George W. Bush, never mind that the mess he's left this country in will probably take the next ten Prezzidential Administrations to clean up, and of course, other stuff will be happening once he's gone, so basically, the Mess goes on and On and ON. But, this isn't a political post; I don't want it to be, so I'll move on...

...but it's hard to move away from that. Who in their right mind would think that President-Elect Obama would have anything to do with that ultra-corrupt Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich (I hope I spelt that right), trying to sell off Obama's now-vacated Senate Seat? Who would place his PRESIDENCY in jeopardy for a Senate Seat? I don't get it. We all know worse stuff than that has happened in American Politics, but after This Miserable Bush Administration is all done (1 in 4 Americans now think Dick Cheney is the worst-EVER Vice Prezzident, while Bush hopes his approval rating hovers somewhere above Zero), I want My New Prezzident to be Squeeky-Clean. I certainly hope he is. I haven't lost all faith in my country, but things during the Bush administration got so bad that I've (almost) ceased to care. As long as I can keep getting up, go ahead and knock me down some more, but one of these days I won't get up anymore, and that's kinda how I feel about politics. But, this isn't a political post; I don't want it to be, so I'll move on...(didn't I just type that?)

I've managed not to hear many Annoying yuletide songs this Christmas Season. (Note that I didn't say "this holiday season" or whatever Corporate America wants to call it). As for "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", nope, haven't heard it once. Thank GOD. In addition, I managed to zap "Feliz Navidad" 20 seconds after it began playing on the car radio, and I didn't even run anyone over in the process, so I'm especially proud of that. No "Frosty The Snowman" either, which probably doesn't get played here on the Oregon Coast because there IS no snow, something I rejoice over Every Single Winters' Day. And, No "Jingle Bells"; nope, haven't heard it at all this time around. Honestly, does ANYONE know by heart the second verse; you know, the one about Miss Fanny Bright (or Bryce or Blight or whatever) seated by his side as the horse stumbles over scattered snow-berms and freezes its hooves off as they crashed thru the icy coverings of frozen potholes in the road? Brrrrr. Just plain-old BRRRRR.

I did, however, endure one listening of "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" recently, mainly 'cos I couldn't jump high enough to rip out the store-intercom-speaker I heard it over...a song that makes me wonder, if the song's idyllic couple actually spends hours and hours "goodbye-ing", and he's had to trudge thru the snowbanks (and/or slip and slide on the highways risking life and limb) to GET there, what kinda deal is that, making him head back all the way home, forcing him to risk life and limb again...that doesn't sound like 'holiday spirit' to me...at least let the poor shmuck sleep on the COUCH, and he can go home in the morning. "If you'll really hold me tight, all the way I'll be warm." That line is an outright LIE. Yer gonna freeze yer jewels off no matter how enamored you think you might be.
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This is pretty much how I feel about Christmas anymore...sorta ambivalent...
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I kinda think, though, that I'd take up ol' Burl Ives' offer of having a "Holly-Jolly Christmas", especially if it involves a Cup of Cheer, although I never figure out what people see in that worn-out holiday concoction, the venerable "Tom and Jerry"...although the name might be accurate, since it tastes like hot water that a cat chasing a mouse both swam in, mid-chase. "Tom and Jerries" taste absolutely AWFUL. So that's one Holiday thing I Just Don't Get At All. What does the Tom and Jerry have to do with the Holiday? Was the stuff poured over houses in village hamlets to ward off evil spirits? It would definitely work for that. No evil spirit is THAT evil. The average "Tom and Jerry" would corrode your entire automobile if you poured the stuff into the radiator. Ackthpf. Something else, involving the "holidays" seems to be on the wane; the popularity of Mistletoe is declining. I can see why, especially if Everyone's had the same degree of luck under it that I've had. Kind of an exercise in futility, hanging it up if it Ain't Gonna Work, which in my case, it never has. Never Ever.

I can look back on Christmases past, and actually remember some good times. Christmas is more for Kids anyway, isn't it? Some of the Christmas Presents I asked for, and got: One year, an Etch-A-Sketch; another year, a tape recorder. Presents in other years were a race car set, Record Albums that I wanted ("All Things Must Pass" by George Harrison, for instance), and waaay too many Sweaters I never wore (I can't stand sweaters; too clingy for me), as well as too many socks and pairs of sweat pants, but I did my level best to feign Genuine Thanks for those. Waaay back in the Very Early '60s, I got a Huge Deluxe set of Crayola Crayons (200, I think). One year, I found a Guitar under the tree. I didn't ask for that. And wondered what I was gonna do with it. I had no idea how to play it way back then. Still don't. But I never thot I'd be bashing the guitar long after my crayons were worn to nubs and all the mercury had drained itself out of the Etch-A-Sketch. Drip, drip, drip...
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I've tried to ignore politics on this post, but I've just gotta say this...you've seen the footage of the guy throwing SHOES at George W. Bush's head...and you'll probably see it several hundred more times before the Day after Tomorrow. If you do, notice that our Prezzident doesn't change his facial expression AT ALL as he's dodging the Flying Footwear. As a matter of fact, he has NO expression, just that same old Vacant Space-For-Rent Dubya-Stare. What, me worry?