Okay, it may be a bit early for them,  but I've already watched a couple. I've been looking forward to this time of year for months it seems and now that it's nearly here, I just can't help myself. Part of it, is that I've been sick since last January and finally feel like the end is coming up in sight...Only two more chemo treatments and then radiation for a month. And then I'm done! Whoot! And last year at this time, I felt a lot worse, so even though I'm still sick, I have enough enthusiasm to pop stuff in the player and watch and get that stupid warm feeling the holidays give me. And plus, it even snowed a little bit here, so what's more Christmassy?

So anyway, I watched The Most Wonderful Time of the Year with Henry Winkler tonight and enjoyed it. A Hallmark movie, I bought it last year but didn't get a chance to watch it and finally did. Cute and sweet. Not long enough to get tiring and I think the actors all did a great job.

The other day I popped in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the real one, not the lame ass Jim Carey one. My nephew, who is 4, had never watched it before and this kid, who only watches violent cartoons like Power Rangers and Star Wars and anything with Ninjas, LOVED it. Wanted to watch it again. I feel like my job is done converting him to at least one decent holiday special!

So, anyone else start early?

Wow, you learn something new every year. June, I wouldn't have thought that. I would've thought closer to August. I've worked a lot of retail in my life so I am enjoying not having to listen to the repetitive holiday songs and jingles and other annoying questions and holiday shoppers this year myself, but never really thought about what all went into it and the 'poor' people who had to come up with the advertising.

I think that would be just as a bad as a job selling all this stuff right after Halloween!

Though, it's kind of like the lady who yelled at a co-worker about working on a Sunday and the reply she received, "if you wouldn't be here buying, the stores wouldn't be here selling."

I have learned, though, to really separate myself from work and from the holidays. Some years it's easier than others but I guess I'm eager to grasp the holiday spirit, I think you'd call it, that I try through movies every year. They're the easiest.

For me, holidays tend to suck, so it's what I make of them. My dad died on Christmas day about 4 years ago now and so we don't even celebrate on the day unless we want fighting. We find ourselves much happier celebrating the week or two before or after so we don't have to deal with those emotions. Family tends to explode in smoke and not be "perfect" whereas I know the Grinch will return that sleigh of prezzies every year and that the Peanuts gang forgives Charlie Brown and they start singing around the tree and in Santa Clause Conquers the Martians, he even makes the Martian kids happy before going back home.

I have never tried Christmas in July approach, but maybe I should...hmm, something new for next year!

Just finished watching The Road to Christmas, with Jennifer Grey. A made for TV movie, it wasn't too bad, though a bit long. They spend a lot of time getting from A to Z that may have been put to better use. I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 though. Worth the watch. I'm a sucker for Christmas movies, though, for some reason. I dislike sappy movies but put Christmas in it, and I'm there!

Watched Prancer and Blizzard last night. Both movies about reindeer. The first was made in '89 and it shows, but overall a cute movie though you repeatedly ask yourself, "is every adult in this girl's life mean to her?" The 2nd, Blizzard, was appropriate because we had a snow storm which cut out our tv so we were watching the movie. I liked this one a little more. It had a few more people you recognize as main characters...Christopher Plummer played Santa, even. A little more polished than the first, Blizzard was a cute movie about a little girl who moves and a reindeer that's a little different from all the rest.

Prancer gets a 3/5 and Blizzard gets a 3.5/5 from me.