Festivus . . . for the Rest of Us!

December 23 is Festivus! Happy Festivus to you all!

Since that Seinfeld episode came out, the holiday has just swept the nation. Or rather, it has swept through all of us with really warped senses of humor. Did you know there are all sorts of websites on Festivus now? This is one of the many featuring the holiday: (http://www.religioustolerance.org/festivus.htm). Here’s the wikipedia post about it, even though they have the true origin of the holiday kind of wrong. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus).

I love the whole idea of this. (I can be such a crank sometimes.) The stark aluminum pole, the airing of grievances (gather around the dinner table folks!), the feats of strength (which some people have turned into the playing of board games), . . . it all sounds so simple and so much fun . . . a catharsis of sorts, in which you renounce the consumerism and heavy spiritual baggage of the season and just get into the pure simplicity of getting together and being cranky human beings.

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You know, I am just exhausted. I was originally scheduled to take today and tomorrow off, but there is so much left to do that I nixed that idea. I could really use the sleep, though. Mr. Random still has a wicked cough, and last night kept both of us awake with it. It is getting better, but the dry air was just killing him and our humidifier was acting funky. I am so unmotivated to do any of the tasks before me. Most of the Random Non-Profit has gone on vacation already. I just want the week to be over!

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There is an amazing amount of candy at the front desk. I am trying to have some willpower here, so I am drinking about a gallon of water an hour. I’m getting plenty of exercise from all of the bathroom breaks . . .

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The Counting Crows have a song that I think of a lot this time of year. . .

A Long December

A long December and there’s reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can’t remember the last thing that you said as you were leavin’
Now the days go by so fast
And it’s one more day up in the canyons
And it’s one more night in Hollywood
If you think that I could be forgiven...I wish you would.

The smell of hospitals in winter
And the feeling that it’s all a lot of oysters, but no pearls
All at once you look across a crowded room
To see the way that light attaches to a girl
And it’s one more day up in the canyons
And it’s one more night in Hollywood
If you think you might come to California...I think you should.

Drove up to Hillside Manor sometime after two a.m.
And talked a little while about the year
I guess the winter makes you laugh a little slower,
Makes you talk a little lower about the things you could not show her
And it’s been a long December and there’s reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last
I can’t remember all the times I tried to tell myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass
And it’s one more day up in the canyon
And it’s one more night in Hollywood
It’s been so long since I’ve seen the ocean...I guess I should.

. . . As a side note, which makes this song quite meaningful for me . . .

After Mr. Random and I had been going out for almost a year, he went back home to Southern Cal for Christmas. He was considering whether to ask me to marry him. One night, he was just driving around his hometown when this song came on. Just for the heck of it he drove to the ocean . . . hung out for a while . . . and made his decision . . .

. . . January 4th will be the 9th anniversary of our first date and the 8th anniversary of our engagement.

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The next few days are going to get pretty hectic. My sister is coming home tomorrow, much gift-wrapping needs to be done, and I need . . . to take a few naps. Posts may be few and far between next week, since Mr. Random and I are taking a much deserved week off together.

It’s been a long December
And there’s reason to believe
That maybe this year will be better than the last . . .

I want to wish you all a very happy holiday season, no matter what – if anything – you celebrate at this time! May next year be a better one for each and every one of us.