It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

The North Pole exploded in my house. My absence from this space this week is easy to explain. Monday morning I was sitting here in the office going about my usual "business" when I realized it was December and I had done nothing to get the inside of the house ready for Christmas. Sure, I had spent hours out in the cold last weekend stringing lights in the trees, inflating my snowman and illuminating my nativity scene, but inside the house, it looked like any other day. The house resembled a Victoria's Secret lingerie model. No, it's backside was not exposed, it was beautiful on the outside and empty on the inside. ( I write that not to denigrate the "angels" but as a sour grapes statement.) There were no signs of the season and I was thrown into a mini panic. I had either convinced myself that there was another week before Christmas or, that like in some Hallmark Channel movie, a Christmas fairy would arrive and trim my trees and deck my halls. By the time I realized that the boughs of holly were my responsibility, it was December 4.

Last year, I spent many hours writing about my immense dislike of tree trimming. I have an unnatural fixation on lighting the tree which sends me into a tizzy and extends the chore from hours to days. This year I decided that instead of procrastinating and justifying said procrastination by saying I was writing, I would suck it up and, in the words of corporate giant Nike, "just do it". I won't go so far as to say there was no panic, but it seemed a little less significant. "Wife", sensing that I could go over the edge at any moment, took a day off and helped with some of the peripheral Christmas chores.

I decided to set daily goals for the decorating. Tuesday I swore that I would have all the trees assembled. I know that seems like a minor goal, but Tuesday was already shot with other tasks. Wednesday I set the goal of lighting and trimming the trees in the living room (or if you're a true Chicagoan, "the front room") and the foyer. (Yes, we have a foyer. I'm fancy that way.) Check and check. Yesterday I told myself that I could not sleep until the huge tree in the family room was lit. I got a late start, but by 11:30 last night I was sitting alone in the family room, enjoying a beer and some Law and Order :SVU while basking in the soft glow of my Christmas center piece. Who would have guessed that if you set goals and stick to them, things can be accomplished? Someone should write a book.

There are still a few minor things left to do, but the house is decorated and I can go back to stressing about other things now. I'm sure the holidays will serve up plenty of opportunities.

I hope you can stay up late or wake up early Saturday night/Sunday morning. We're debuting a new feature on the big WGN Overnight show. I'm not going to give it away here, but I think it's going to be big. If not, then we'll never speak of it again. Seriously though, the show is going very well, so I hope you get a chance to listen from 1-5am. Have a great weekend. Later....Brian