It's Never Quite How We Plan It

I make no excuses except that it's been an emotionally and physically exhausting week here and I'm a little late with the blogging. I blame mai kitteh. (See: I Can Has Cheezburger under "Friends of the Show.")

As we enter the holiday season, I've become convinced there are three types of holiday people...Humbug, Cheer and Meh. I'm pretty sure you can put 2 and 2 together to figure out what means what. I'm pretty sure I fall somewhere between Cheer and Meh.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the holidays. I've been moving from city to city the past 9 years, and that makes seeing my family especially important during the holidays. It's the only way that they can ensure I'm still alive...and the only opportunity to ask me why I still don't have a girlfriend/fiancee/wife/puppy. I think getting my cat a few years ago at least calmed the questions about the puppy.

But I have this sense of melancholy. Not to get all religious on you readers who aren't, but I DO know the true meaning of the season. I grew up in a Lutheran church and love the history of Christmas. It gives me a warm fuzzy. But with all the build-up to the big event, December 26th just feels like a let-down (no offense to my jewish readers, who apparently have 8 nights of partying...mazel tov). We spend weeks planning out what to buy for who, who's going to travel to who's house for dinner, which form of poultry (turkey, chicken, duck or turducken?), did we leave any presents/children at home by accident...things like that. Then Thanksgiving and Christmas come and go and...nothing. We're left with new stuff to play with, new clothes to wear, more family memories...but a certain empty feeling inside. Like having a delicious meal, then finding out later (the hard way) that it gave you food poisoning.

I'm looking forward to the holidays...but I wish it could feel like this all year.
Also, just to show you I'm not all morose and stuff, here's a special holiday treat...Alaska Governor (and can we PLEASE leave her there? alone??? I DON'T want to dread 2012) Sarah Palin giving an interview to a local TV station that includes a reference to pardoning a turkey. Please take careful note of the UNpardoned one behind her...and the creepy molester-looking guy who can't take his eyes off the gov:

Mmmm...who wants the drumstick?
-B-