November 30, 2009
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Bah, humbug
Every year right after Halloween I start getting excited about the upcoming holidays. I’m usually done with my Christmas shopping by now. (Well, not really done, because even when I’m done I continue to shop.)
I just can’t seem to get in the groove this year. I even filled my iPod with nothing but Christmas music (550 songs – and that was only a fraction of our Christmas library).
I’ve purchased a few gifts. But they are sitting, unwrapped, on the bed in the guest bedroom. I haven’t got a clue what to get for Mac because, like me, he is in the habit of buying what he wants when he wants it. Neither of us need clothes. I don’t need <gasp!> shoes or purses. I am supposed to make a list for my mother-in-law. I have two things on my list. Trouser socks and a blanket like the one we used at her house over Thanksgiving. She usually buys me some pretty neat sweaters, but now I’m too embarrassed about all my weight gain to tell her she needs to buy size 2X or 18W in the plus sizes.
I’m not even sure what I’m going to be doing this year during the holidays. I want to visit my family, and I know Mac will want to visit his. I’m going to take the week between Christmas and New Year’s off. We were given Dec. 24th as our floating holiday this year so I’ll have an 11-day stretch to visit people.
Maybe it’s because I work in the Financial District of Chicago instead of the Shopping District. I have to walk 6 or 7 blocks to get to the nearest store, and about 10-12 blocks to get to a department store. When I worked in the Shopping District, I only had to cross the street to get to a mall that had all the major stores. And I was seconds from the Magnificent Mile. Now, well, there’s not much you can buy at the Chicago Board of Trade except lunch in the Ceres cafe.
I think I just need a good dose of shopping to get me into the spirit
(The best shopping center in Chicago! Right at the start of the Magnificent Mile)
Comments (5)
Next year, you’ll have to come visit me in San Francisco.
Going to the shopping district there at Christmas is wonderful (at least I remember it used to be). I’ll be working in the Financial District there, which is probably a good thing (I’ll be a mile away from the nearest Nordstrom).
I’m guessing of all people, your MIL would understand your health challenges and would be very supportive of everything you’re facing.
Have fun shopping!
Since neither of you need anything, how about buying a toy for the toys for tots or something?
@Tyche - I do have to come to SF once you are settled in. I’ve never been there. You can show me around the shopping district
@nevragn - We give lots of stuff to charities at Christmas. It’s just that we both love Christmas and the thrill of opening presents on Christmas morning. I think the challenge is to find each other interesting, useful gifts that are not expected so that we can both be surprised. We are like little kids on Christmas morning.
San Francisco is gorgeous…all the more so at Christmas. Walking around Union Square is great.
Alllllthough, I have to say, nothing beats Magnificent Mile holidays. I am thrilled to pieces that we have n-o-t-h-i-n-g planned on Friday. My mother and I plan to walk ourselves ragged once we’re on the ground.
(Ugh…always so homesick for big cities with “real” downtowns this time of year.)
Ooooo – shopping in San Francisco! I love it! Shall we all meet there?
I am away from all the Christmas hubub downtown now and I don’t really feel like it’s Christmas at all. Doug put up lights last weekend so that helps. We will put up our tree sometime this week probably. No idea what we are doing over the holidays though.