Never Have I Ever...

                Today was a beautiful, sunny, California day with a high of 72*.  I am sorry for those of you that are still in winter, but come a few quick weeks from now, I will not be feeling sorry; it will be jealously inside of me.  It is starting to get progressively warmer with each passing day, even to the point that when we walked out of the gym this morning at 8:00am, we were disappointed that it wasn’t cold enough to cool us off.

                I finished work at the office this morning, went to two different meetings and had a nearly 3 hours before I had to go to the restaurant to work again (yes, I know, it is a lot of work for one day, but it only happens 2 times a week that I work both shifts and I enjoy it). 

So you ask, “What did you do with those three hours?”

Have a little patience, and I will tell you:

Well mom, I made it past March 1^st and trust me; I got flack for it here too.  Maybe flack isn’t the right word, but there was definite teasing on multiple accounts.  Needless to say, I took down the Christmas lights from my house.  Yeah, I know, laugh all you want, but we still had the lights up.  Just to clarify…the lights were unplugged and not on, plus the neighbors still have theirs’ up too (sorry Justin and Selleck, but I am proud of your equal admiration of Christmas).  I would like to tell you that this was because of a lack of time, with a crazy college student schedule…and part of it is…trust me; but the other part is that I simply didn’t want to take them down.  And not in the lazy sense of the not want to do it.  I simply didn’t want them down, they make me smile every time I drive in and out of the garage.  I have been keeping the Christmas Spirit alive…I’m sure my mom understands. 

For those of you that do not know my mom, she never wants to take the lights down.  I think, not think – KNOW – that is where I get it from.  Every year she states that there is a game around the lake for who can put the Christmas lights up first…she almost always wins, and if she doesn’t she is definitely second.  As soon as someone else has their lights up, she has her excuse to put up ours.  Over Christmas break, after the holidays were technically over, my dad would constantly ask my mom when he could take the lights down.  This is how my parent’s conversation would go:

Dad: When can I take the lights down?

Mom: March 1^st

Dad: (annoyed) Be realistic

Mom: February 28^th

*Conversation over.

I assume their lights are down, but I guess I haven’t specifically asked either.

Here you have it: NEVER HAVE I EVER…taken the Christmas lights down with flip-flops on while wearing sunglasses.  This was mind-boggling as it crossed through my brain.  Let me tell you, it is much more comfortable to take them down with the sun on your face, a breeze in the wind, and a new season upon you as the trees are in bloom around you.  Maybe you should try it dad…avoid the wet, cold, rain, snow, ice; you know. 

In my opinion, you can listen to Christmas music year-round and while taking the lights down is no exception.  So, while I was wearing flip-flops, with the sun on my face and sunglasses on my nose, listening to the three greatest Christmas albums ever: Amy Grant’s A Christmas To Remember and Straight No Chaser’s two Christmas albums Holiday Spirits and Christmas Cheers, the last bit of Christmas has been put in a box.  Don’t worry, Christmas will be in my heart every day of the year, and I am ready to put the lights back up.  Maybe I will make a game out of who puts Christmas lights up around the condo unit. 

*It is 285 days, 2 hours, 52 minutes, 32 seconds, until Sunday, December 25, 2011.

...It's just not the same without them there...