iHateGreenBeans

Everyone knows I love the holidays. I am in the best mood from Thanksgiving, through December up until New Year’s Day. (Of course then I go through a little depression when I have to take my Christmas stuff down, but that’s a post for a different time.)

Yesterday as I was sitting at my desk working on a story about my recent trip to Oklahoma and trying to figure out a way to delicately tell the district manager that, no, I can’t put BOOMER SOONER as the title of the main article, when my colleague Nicole comes in and announces that it is snowing outside.

Como say come again?

Sure enough, it was our own little miniature Houston blizzard. And it was fabulous.

Driving home was a trip. People in Houston can’t handle any anything more than scorching heat when driving home during rush hour. A little rain causes them to freak out. I’m going to go ahead and let you imagine what SNOW did to the crazies on the road. But I didn’t mind. I was busting out to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” at the top of my lungs. Christmastime is indeed here!

I arrive safely home and mentally prepare myself to run as quickly as I can to my door. Of course I didn’t bring a coat to work because it was 68 degrees when I left my house that morning, so I was prepared to feel a little chilly. But it didn’t matter because it was snowing. I race out of the car and up to my stoop. I stop suddenly. No it wasn’t a dead rat. It was a package!

I forgot that I had purchased Straight No Chaser’s CD from Amazon weeks before. And it was here! Another Christmas miracle!

Now I can listen to their rendition of “12 Days of Christmas” any time I want!

My night consisted of music, hot chocolate, watching snow fall and practicing my lines for the Christmas variety show I’ll be performing in this weekend. That’s right. I said VARIETY SHOW! I can hardly contain myself. Here’s a picture of me from last year’s performance:

I was a present for one of the acts. This year, my co-host Jill and I have several more appearances. And we sing in the opening number. I know. Everyone needs to give me a little “bless her heart” and send up a prayer right now that I don’t blow it. Show starts tonight. WISH ME LUCK!

In the meantime, enjoy my boys below:

Everyone knows that Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the message, the music and the memories of my sister telling me I wasn’t getting anything under the tree from Santa in 1982 because I wasn’t acting “sisterly” when I chose not to run downstairs at her request to get her a drink and the big bag of cheese Doritos while she timed me to see if I could beat my score from the day before.

I finally caught on after the third time. I raced through her bedroom doorway, excited with anticipation, as Jamie looked at her clear Swatch watch and uttered with pity to her sweet, adorable, naive little sister, “Oh…almost. Better luck next time.”

I digress.

My point is that I love to celebrate the holidays. And I understand that places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels have to stock their Christmas items early. It’s a little discerning to walk in to Garden Ridge in September in order to find a harvest cornucopia for your kitchen table and you have to ask a dude who is stocking garland and ornaments in the front of the store where to locate said copia. But we’ve come to expect that.

This past weekend, while on a quest to find the perfect pair of red shoes, I found myself near the River Oaks Shopping Village. I was surprised to see a huge wreath with a ginormous glittery bow welcoming me to Shepherd Street. I convinced myself that River Oaks must be having some festival and they broke out the holiday decorations for the occasion. As I drove along the street, I noticed red bows on the top of each store front. It soon dawned on me that these jokers have already decorated for Christmas.

This is UNACCEPTIBLE!

The next thing you know, we’ll have people putting up lights on their house and we haven’t even observed Halloween/Fall Festival (pick your poison) yet! And what about Thanksgiving? Do you expect me to eat turkey, watch football and make Indian headdresses out of fall-colored construction paper as I wear a poinsettia sweatshirt and comment on how I’m happy my parents decided to flock the tree this year?

You see? It just doesn’t go together. September is harvest. October is Halloween. November is Thanksgiving. And December is CHRISTMAS!

Now…should you find yourself jonesing for a holiday fix in the months leading up to December, there is ONE exception to the rule. It’s perfectly fine to have a countdown on your computer/Blackberry that let’s you know exactly how many more days until the new Harry Connick, Jr. holiday CD is available for purchase.

This also includes, but is not limited to:

Kristin Chenoweth

Casting Crowns

Shane & Shane

and Straight No Chaser. Watch “12 Days of Christmas” on YouTube. And then buy the CD.

However, you must keep in cellophane wrapping until the day after Thanksgiving.

I’m off the soapbox! Now go out and buy you some Halloween Oreos before they are gone for the year!