Christmas Trees, AC's and Steamrollers

Well, it's the first week of December and that means it's time to put up the Christmas tree. This year I, Owl and her co-worker went shopping in Karama, Dubai for a replacement tree. My tiny, crooked and motley looking tree had finally bit the dust. For several years, I had been propping and mending and ignoring its many flaws thinking they added a kind of Charlie Brown charm to it but last year was the last straw and it went out to the trash when we packed to move here.

So, yesterday, out came the 8 large boxes of decorations. I was working hard and even worked up a sweat, so I turned up the AC to cool down. Yes, it's December and we are still running the AC's 24/7. How un-Christmassy is that? AND it really grates on my penny-pinching nerve that we still have to use the AC's so late in the year.

I tried to turn them off on December 1st, but that didn't last very long till we were all hot and sweaty and tripping over each other to get to the "ON" button. Today I've got the windows all open. It's humid and warm, but it's bearable. In case you from colder climates think I'm bragging, I'm not. I'm much too humble for that and bragging isn't nearly as fun as complaining. I miss cooler weather. In Islamabad right now the winter woolies would be out of storage and the little gas heaters would be warming the house. I would put pans of water with almond oil and orange slices and cinnamon on top and the house would smell wonderful and Christmassy. I'd be wearing my new Christmas sweater vest.

Packed with the holiday decorations was my collection of Christmas tapes. Even the normally anti-Christmas-music Owl is glad to have a change of pace from my usual music. The CD player in the kitchen has been playing Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" for the past two months now. Hah, if Vivaldi lived in Dubai it would be titled "Two Seasons-Hot and Hotter". I had to be careful not to play it while she was home, but as soon as she walked out the door *click* on it goes. Now I'll be playing my favorite Christmas music, Mannheim Steamroller,jazzed up electronic versions of traditional carols. It will be a week or so before she hits Steamroller overload and I have to change tapes whenever she is in the room.

Gotta go, lots of work yet to be done, I have to finish decorating the tree and dig out my winter clothes. Writing about my Christmas vest made me realize how much I really want to wear it. I REALLY like vests. I suppose I could wear it if I turned on the AC; anything to help me get into the Christmas spirit.