Must stay away from mall...

This is my third attempt this week at posting something that doesn't make me sound like a grinch. I really do love the holidays, I'm just feeling a bit inundated. Overwhelmed. Holiday-ed out, and I haven't really done any shopping yet. It's the commercials, the Muzak, the decorations that have been up since Halloween, the non-stop screeching of "deck the halls" and "favorite things" from holiday carol CDs in the office, the "buy buy buy" TV commercials and inane news stories about making your own gifts or recycling gifts or buying better gifts on the morning programs.

And all of that does sound a bit grinchly, does it not? I do not want to stand in line, spend too much, shop until I drop, or enjoy great! holiday! savings! I don't want a last minute deal. I don't want to know what the rules of regifting are.

I really just want to hang out with my sisters and nieces and do family things. I want to make the chicken liver spread my sister Katie loves and sit on a fat couch with my fat nephew on my fat lap. I want to ride on my sister Karen's girlfriend's motorcycle until I can't feel my face because of the cold. I want to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street" with my niece Keri. I want to sing with my sister Kristin in our cartoon voices until the cat freaks out and hides. I want to start a "who's going to cry?" family betting pool.

I'm going to enjoy the hell out of my time off this year.

Summertime and the living is easy...

And I can't seem to catch the holiday spirit when it's almost 80 degrees outside. I haven't even put up the sparkly pink tree yet. I love living in Charleston, but I thought we had a deal: I only have to suffer through the heat three months out of the year.

I have a few holiday soirees to go to this weekend and I'm hoping I'll get inspired to drag out the tree and its disco balls. Either that, or I'll just drag in a pine branch from the side of the road, throw some ribbon on it, and have a Charlie Brown Christmas.

And tonight we (by we, I mean me and all the cool women I work with) will be at Muse Restaurant & Wine Bar for a "Sip With Skirt!" December event. 5-7, $20 at the door, and I promise to be entertaining for exactly two hours or until my Xanax wears off. Hope to see you there!