Let the dog in!

[It's official! I am blogging on the Seattle P.I.'s website. This is my first one. Click this link to see it there: http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/bainbridgebreezes/archives/109992.asp]

I can’t speak for everyone else, but I am ready to tear down this needle-shedding tree, box up those stockings and pack away all the little santas, snowmen, and gold-flecked snowflakes. And, yes, even delete those Christmas shows off of TIVO. Call me Scrooge if you must. It won’t be the first time. After months of buildup, by the time Christmas actually rolls around, I am done. I felt the same about the food. After all the excellent meals my spouse cooked for our houseguests in the days leading up to Christmas, I was still full on Christmas morning. The taste of pecan pie, which I love, became a reminder of stomach pain from overeating.

I just feel saturated by it all, the music, the shows, the food, the gifts, the stress. However, one thing I have not had too much of is Christmas lights. In fact, I’d say there was a down right dearth of them around here on Bainbridge. Maybe it was the ill-timed power outage. Even our house did not have lights on it this year. Maybe people were out of town. Granted, I have not driven ALL over the island looking for lights, but I just did not see much in the way of light displays. I must confess that there is a part of me disappointed about it. I grew up in Dallas, Texas and man, now there are some light shows. The streets were lit like Las Vegas, flashing strobes, music blaring, with a train of cars, bumper to bumper, slowly cruising the sights. That makes an impression on a kid. I haven’t been back lately, but there are probably water laser shows and a pirate battle by now. In some neighborhoods, you could bring a book and read, at night, outside.

Where is that extravagance now? Especially here, on Bainbridge, where there are so many families. There’s one house down the street that could be part of that Texas Christmas scene.

Back in Dallas, this would be just one of an entire street of similarly adorned homes. Texas IS a very sports-oriented place, and maybe the Christmas light displays there were just another competition. I guess we on Bainbridge have to ask, isn’t Christmas for the kids? And what would kids love more than brilliant, loud, singing, dancing Santas and reindeers with flashing lights strung across one-third of an acre? If you are my kid, just another peppermint patty, please.