Humbuggy Goodness

When I logged onto blogger this morning, the fucking cheery little Santa hat over the "o" (hehe, "o") reminded me that I'm supposed to be merry and festive and wide-eyed and all that shit. It's not shit; I didn't mean that. I just meant that I'm having a little trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year, what with the (now finally over) transit strike and the eighteen-page list of work things to do and the blowing of the nose seven times a day and winding up with a tissue full of bloody mucus each time and the weird lightbulb that went out and that I don't know how to change and the sweaty feet resulting from my wearing tights under my pants because I don't own a pair of long underwear like a normal person and it's so frickin' cold (mom, don't you dare rush out and buy a pair as a last-minute Christmas present; I'll do it myself, now that the subways are up and running). I don't even understand the Christmas decal over the Google logo, and I haven't had any peppermint schnapps yet today. YET.

In flagrant violation of everything my excellent college creative writing teacher taught me ("Show us, don't tell us!"), I am posting this picture, taken last night on one of the fun hipster streets in the Greater New York Metropolitan Area, complete with explanation, as a metaphor for the way I'm feeling:



See how the lights are all distant and fuzzy and hard to see through the smeared glass barricade of the windshield? Get it?

Since I seem to be in the mood for flagrant violations, I'll also post this picture of the ornament that I made for my ornament exchange person. I'm feeling guilty because I suspect it won't arrive in time for Christmas, given that I only mailed it on Wednesday (after spending over an hour on line at the post office, most of it spent waiting in front of the stamp machine that I would have gladly used had it not had a big handwritten sign saying "Sold Out" taped to its front--good timing, right?):



So, there it is, good and decent women who wait for their ornament recipients to be genuinely surprised and don't provide a preview on the Internet, in all its cozy, Christmassy domesticity. I apologize for what is likely the breaking of several Craft Exchangers Codes; I am a mean, cruel urban bitch and I am new at this, but I did draw and cut out a picture of a kitty, see? The kitty is happy, all curled up on the couch by the fire. You can't see it, but off to the side, in the next room, is a woman happily roasting chestnuts and stringing popcorn and definitely NOT choking anybody. I'm not all bad, even if I did order lavender bath products for someone else as a present and then kept them for myself.

In contrast, here, in my she-who-has-much-to-learn-about-posting-photos fashion, are the TWO beautiful ornaments that I received in a timely fashion from Mignon, who writes nice posts to her daughter and organizes ornament exchanges and packs her ornaments complete with green tissue paper and a very sweet card:



These ornaments make me very happy. I think this year I will focus on the fact that I have made several new Internet friends, that people read my writing and comment. I am safe and healthy and have a wonderful husband who made me loin of pork with sage, family who gave my husband a ride during the transit strike, and a Jewish best friend who fashioned an angel for my nativity scene out of paper towels. I am very lucky. In fact, I am truly blessed.

I am feeling a little bit better now. I hope that, whatever difficulties each of you are facing this time of year, that you are able to say the same, that you are truly blessed. I intend to keep posting fairly regularly next week, but, just in case, I want to wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Happy Kwanzaa, a Happy New Year, and a happy Any Other Holiday That You Might Be Celebrating.

All the best of the season. I hope you are able to take some time to enjoy it.