Shane Life

It’s back to the old grind today.

Since I used up all my vacation galavanting around Italy and France this summer with my lovely wife, I am working this week.

It should be a relatively slow week. We closed out a couple huge projects last week and I’m getting ready to ramp up some new ones for Q1.

I got some great presents for my birthday and Christmas from my whole fam. Lots of fun books and DVDs, gift cards, clothes…all good times. I’ve been wanting to get a MacBook for a while now and am now chomping at the bit since I have some money burning a hole in my pocket, but after running down to the Apple Store on the Plaza today, I’ve decided to wait until after MacWorld in January before I purchase anything…that way I’ll be in on the latest and greatest.

Did you get anything fun for Christmas?

I’m not sure how many of you know, but my 31st birthday is a short NINE days away. Christmas is only 2 days after that. I know that my readers are wanting to buy me stuff. In order to help facilitate the gift-buying process, I’m going to provide you with this handy-dandy gift-buying guide as well as a nice fat link to my Amazon.com wish list.

Highlights of the things I want this year include (but are not reserved to):

The Old Standbys

• DVDs (TV Shows like Alias, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, and The Office)
• Comic Books (there are tons on my list, especially Pearls Before Swine collections - great “library” material!)
• Regular Books (I’m especially interested in the one called “The 4-hour Work Week” - who wouldn’t want that?)

Big Ticket Items

• Macbook
• Bose QC2 Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Complete Harry Potter Set
• Complete Calvin and Hobbes

I’m not very imaginative when it comes to gifts, although there’s plenty to choose from. Please feel free to buy me a present! I also like Starbucks gift cards and will be more than willing to accept gift cards to any major retailer. You also can just send me money on PayPal if you’d like. If you’re looking to buy a gift for someone else, might I suggest my Cafe Press store? That way, everyone wins.

I’m still here.

I’ve been at my new job almost two weeks and I’m still getting acclimated, although I’m much more comfortable now than I was a week ago. With the holiday season, there’s a lot going on. Lots to talk about, just haven’t had the time yet.

I’ll hopefully get to a “How My First Two Weeks Have Been” post this weekend.

I know that all 5 of you are on the edge of your seats.

Remember the reason for the season.

Luke 2:1-20

Worst

• Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
• Happy Christmas (War is Over) - John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band & the Harlem Children’s Choir
• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town - Bruce Springsteen
• Santa Baby - Kylie Minogue
• I Want a Hippopottamus for Christmas - Gayla Peevey
• Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer - Elmo & Patsy

Best

• Baby, It’s Cold Outside - Zooey Deschanel in Elf
• Tender Tennessee Christmas - Alabama
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings - Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan
• When the River Meets the Sea - John Denver & the Muppets
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra

I love this time of year. There are two stations in KC that play Christmas music 24-7 from Thanksgiving on. HOWEVER, there are some major offenders during that time as listed in the above list. As much as I like the Beatles, the two songs listed above are two of the most annoying songs that get played during this season. You would think that I wouldn’t think of stepping on more classic rockers’ toes, but the Boss’s rendition of Santa Claus is Comin’ is so awful that I refuse to listen to it all the way through. I just can’t stand it. And why would you mess with Madonna? I know that Madonna was not the first to record Santa Baby, but it’s tons better than Kylie’s weak rendition of it. But truthfully, there are no worse songs during Christmas than the Hippo song and Grandma Got Run Over… Musically, they are grating - like fingernails on a chalkboard. Lyrically, they are just as bad.

If you haven’t seen Elf, I highly suggest seeing it this season. It’s just a good holiday movie. Funny and sweet and features Zooey Deschanel singing the best version I’ve ever heard of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”. Just remember: “The best way to bring Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” I grew up on the Alabama Chrismas CASSETTE. I think we might have even worn it out. “Tender Tennessee Christmas” is the song that I remember more than any. And I don’t even like country. OK, so I know that the BNL/Sarah song is a recent recording, but those dang Canadians blend their voices so well on this song that it has to be on the list. Another album that we grew up on was John Denver & the Muppets Christmas Together. I think they even had a TV special. I love all the songs on this CD (yeah, I bought this one), but this one is my favorite. Frank. Christmas. Have Yourself a Merry One. Enough said.

Tomorrow night is our company “holiday party”. Our company tends to go all out for things like this and this year is no exception. We have gotten so large now that we have to hold our event in a ballroom at a hotel vs. having it at a restaurant like we used to.

I realize the desire to be “politically correct” but is there anyone who doesn’t consider it a Christmas party? It’s the Christmas season, everyone in the country still gets Christmas Day off as a holiday (except the geniuses that work at movie theaters).

Just call it a Christmas party.

2004 has gone fast. I can’t believe that there is snow on the ground already and Christmas is right around the corner. Winter is by far my favorite time of year.

I do, however, try to keep a consistent schedule of how I celebrate this time of year. All while I was growing up, my family never set up our tree before Thanksgiving (a tradition I had to break this year because of the busyness of this particular season). The day after Turkey Day (or Leftover Turkey Day), we would drag the artificial pine out of storage and decorate it, signifying the beginning of the holiday season in our household.

Each year, it seems like people are celebrating Christmas earlier and earlier. This October, I was at Target picking something up (I don’t remember what, but it could have been ANYTHING - you can get EVERYTHING at Target) and I saw “right next to the Halloween stuff“ Christmas stuff.

In October.
Before Halloween.
That’s a little ridiculous.

I know that these companies are trying to make a buck and all, but it seems like eventually, we’ll start celebrating only 2 holidays - Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Those are the two largest money-makers for retailers. Those will be the holidays that they force us to celebrate.