Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Oxymoronic Holiday

Being in the desert during the Christmas season is extremely unsettling. I can understand the native desert dwellers not knowing what Christmas is supposed to be like, but the people who move here, especially the ones from the East coast, how can they possibly think that this is what the Christmas season is supposed to be like?

Malls decorated with holiday garb, festive tunes blaring from the speakers outside, Christmas Trees sweltering in the desert heat while waiting to be picked from the parking lot of Target; all while the temperature rises into the high seventies. It's just not right.

In truth, it's just all a little weird. There is a lot of traffic on the roads, even more shoving in the stores and the normal swarm of snowbirds that always come during the winter. Which only means that when you're rushing to the mall, you'll likely get stuck behind some eighty year old man doing thirty miles an hour in the fast lane. They have all day to shop since they're retired. Why do they have to go during the after work rush hour??

Today while my mother was decorating her tree - an artificial, scaled down version of the ones we had as children - the cat decided to get in on the action. He climbed bravely to the center of the tree and sat there while nibbling on a clear white bulb. He didn't come down until Ed shook him loose, and even then, his claws would not let go of the scratchy fake pine needles. I can't wait to see what the cat is going to be up to once my mother has all of her ornaments on the tree. Most of them are glass, so I suspect a lot of shouting will be done.

If it weren't for all the Christmas decor, both in the stores and now in my mother's house (she decorates like a madwoman for the grandchildren), it feels just like a Tuesday in March. You would never know Christmas is less than two weeks away. You have the same weather, the same people schlepping around town in shorts and flip-flops and the same 'ol cactus dotting the side of the road. How can one possibly look at this and get into the Christmas mood? Yes, many will say Christmas is a state of mind, but what the hell do they know?

I personally think you'd have to be out of your mind to look at these weeds, dirt and green crap and think "Oh, how festive! Please pass the figgy pudding."

6 comments:

Twisted Cinderella said...

It really must be strange to be celebrating Christmas where it doesn't look like Christmas.

That pic of the kitty in the tree is too cute.

Anonymous said...

OMG, why the hell don't you go some place cold for the holiday?

MamaKBear said...

I love that pic of the kitty!!

The ones I used to have liked to curl up under the tree for naps. :)

Amy said...

Thats how I felt the year my ex and I were hotshotting to Miami every other week. It's very odd to have palm trees with Christmas lights and Nativity Scenes in the front yards near yucca plants.
As much as I hate the cold weather, I'll keep my Christmas in the North, thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hi! Jimmie Wheless . payday loans

Anonymous said...

toronto payday loans This website is the well known I appreciated it a lot
AAA Toronto Payday Loans 1172 Bay St #101, Toronto, ON M5S 2B4 (416) 477-2817