is it just me?

has it really been almost a week since I posted? where does the time go?

what I want for Christmas is to be turned in to one of those people who starts Christmas shopping in July and is totally done two weeks before Thanksgiving. but, well, I am not that person. And so I suffer with the hordes and end up saying things like "I think grandma would really like a copy of American Pie 2 on DVD". sigh.

Last weekend we went shopping. Since I had basically nothing in hand, I figured it was time. I went to a store that is basically a hunting supply store. I will not bore you with the details of why I went there, but the sad truth is that there were several things on my list that merited a trip. Seriously. So, everyone in there is looking at me like surely I took a wrong turn at the Gap, but I bravely plow ahead. I inspect the gloves, look for kids' boots, and while searching for some binoculars I somehow ended up in the ammunition aisle (!). Knowing I was lost, I hung a right at which point I ended up at the gun counter, and I thought - it must be strange to work here and stand around showing people weapons all day. However, I had no time to waste, so I left them to peer through scopes and discuss the merits of the various methods of killing deer. While baby lizard played with the cabinet doors of a gun rack (I swear I am not making any of this up) I decided they really didn't have what I was looking for. So, while giving some thought to the purpose of blaze orange camouflage - isn't the WHOLE POINT of blaze orange that it is NOT camouflage? - I collected my things and left. Several fruitless searches later, we went home nearly empty-handed and much worse for wear.

One item I was looking for was a particular CD. I looked at a big box store, and since I was unable to find a young, unhelpful salesperson I simply gave up when I could not find it. The next day I decided to shop downtown, went in to a cool local record store, somewhat shamefully asked for the CD, and was told I can only get it at Walmart. NO SIR. What is this? Why must I buy music at Starbucks and Walmart? This is a great problem for me, because I had kind of settled on this as my gift, but I do not shop at Walmart. Ever. I have been there twice, once to pick up an international visitor who wanted to do some shopping for her kids, and once while in a town that has no other store. I do not care that they have the lowest prices. They have abhorrent policies and I do not wish to patronize them. And yet, now, because of this dumb CD I have to. You can also buy it directly from the band, which I would if I had time for things like shipping. And in general I would want to support the band, but the truth is I do not want to support a band that made an exclusive deal with Walmart. REO Speedwagon played at Walmart here. And while they will tell you that they are trying to reach people who still buy CDs, I say that playing Walmart has to feel like a career low point. ugh.

There's going to be a white Christmas here in Madison, though I am going to miss it. It will not stop snowing, so unless global warming hurries up and gets its butt to Madison tout de suite we are going to have a white Christmas. Seriously, the snow here is like trick candles. Just when you think it's over and you have carefully shoveled it all up, it starts again. So here we are, in the spit covered cake that is Madison, with giant plow piles and dirty snow, wondering why anyone ever thought a white Christmas was such a good idea. They have literally started hauling the piles of snow out of town in trucks. I cannot imagine where they take it, but I am sure I do not want to go there on vacation.

don't tell baby lizard but we aren't really buying her Christmas presents. Other people will, so we figure this is probably the last year when we can get away with not. I mean how silly is it for me to buy something, drag it across the country, wrap it up, hand it to her, watch her stick it in her mouth, and then have her lose interest while I am one-third of the way in to ripping off the paper that I put on there in the first place? So, yeah. No gifts for her. However, you will all be happy to know that in honor of the holiday season we are walking. All four of us.