Ugghhh. The news seems to be doom and gloom wherever you turn these days.
Stock market up a little, stock market down a lot, homes depreciating at alarming rates, foreclosures continuing to rise, jobs cut, unemployment up, states running out of money, government throwing $700bn into a bottomless pit, American auto industry teetering on the brink of (rightful) collapse, terrorist attacks in Mumbai, ice shelf the size of Manhattan breaking up in the Antartic, devastating fires in Southern California... it has seemed never-ending these past few weeks.
For me, professionally, too, it hasn't been a bundle of good news. I've 'lost' friends at work, incoming business is on a significant down-tick, competition keeps snatching deals from me, clients are going bye-bye, and other issues too complex or confidential to post here are not making life at work very fun or positive right now.
Also, since we're going to England for Christmas, Hubby and I are foregoing the decorating this year. It's not so much the time and effort to put it up (although that's certainly part of it) but facing having to pull it all down again when we return. Plus, it's not like we're hosting any major social shindigs this year, as we normally like to. My inability to down several martinis, coupled with my energy-fuse being shorter than norm, budget restraints and, somehow it already being less than 3 weeks until we leave, just makes it less-than a party season for us this year. Finally, this year we agreed with my parents not to buy more than one gift each since, instead, we'll be spending Christmas in a swank hotel in Edinburgh, being waited on hand-and-foot.
Normally by now I'm a tinsel and Santa fanatic, buying up a storm, giddy with ideas for gifts, planning parties, and deciding what to wear for this or that Christmas get-together. This year, not so much.
So, with all of this combined, I'm having trouble finding the pre-Christmas spirit this year. Which sucks because this will be my last Christmas where I'm not under the mental and emotional haze of motherhood (although I'm sure that won't stop me from returning to my 4-martini self in '09).
Anyway, just wanted to post and complain. Us Brits like a good whinge.
3 comments:
You were always the one to get me into the holiday spirit. I miss ya!
I think this Christmas is a good time to get back to the essence of it all: time with loved ones. Gifts can be bought next year or the year after that, as can decorating. This year, we all have serious business to deal with. Not to say we can't celebrate, but these are sobering times, and if it means that we are more reflective this Christmas than festive, so be it.
e, I agree with you in essence. It's not the gifts I miss, it is the decorating and the parties. The specialness of the season. it just doesn't feel special this year. It could be January for all I know right now.
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