Light My Fire

Hello World, And so here we find ourselves at the very utmost tail-end of November, as hard as that might seem to believe. Of course, everyone knows how I do so hate to be an alarmist, but I feel it behooves me to point out that Sunday is already the first Sunday in Advent, and we all know what that means - that is, except the godless communists and KGB agents monitoring my email, whose name is legion, heaven knows. The good news is that after Monday, it's merely a scant 3 weeks until the winter solstice (okay, settle down, all you Druids out there, and don't think I don't know who you are) when we can look forward to the days getting incrementally longer all the time, which I think is a direction we can all rally around. And that goes double for the Druids, I shouldn't wonder. Speaking of directions, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the weather lately around here, which has been all over the map and back again, so you basically don't know what to expect from one day to the next. It had been pleasant and fairly mild for a long while, and then suddenly it turned to bitterly cold that the poor birds were circulating petitions, and our juvenile delinquent squirrels were organizing protest marches. Around the house, I was wearing so much fleece that the friction alone could have started a fire - and which would not have been an unwelcome consequence by any means, believe me. A week later, it was 70 degrees and people were out in tank tops and flip-flops, which I don't mind saying is not a very appetizing prospect in the sweltering throes of Summer, much less in the middle of November, when even the novelty factor does nothing to improve its lack of appeal. Then 2 days after that, we had snow for Thanksgiving, which you can believe me when I say we were very much NOT thankful for, I can assure you. Frankly, I see no evidence of Affirmed's evil hoof-prints at work behind the scenes here, but I have the feeling that somewhere out there, the Druids are having a great big laugh. Of course, this week was Thanksgiving, and I hope that everyone observed the occasion in whatever they considered the most appropriate way - from the most hide-bound traditionalist to the most outrageously radical - and The Holiday Police notwithstanding. It sometimes happens that nobody is interested in seeing us for the holiday, but perhaps owing to new deodorants and better mouthwash (I already know it's not because we won the Lottery) it turned out we were wanted in 2 different places this time around, and always nice to feel welcome. I was glad to find out that my temp job was closed Thursday and Friday, so we could both have a 4-day weekend to look forward to. After all, that left-over stuffing and pumpkin pie isn't just going to eat itself, you know. Hard on the heels of Tom Turkey, along comes Black Friday ushering in the holiday shopping season in earnest - and if everybody would please get on out there and shop 'til you drop, the President's economic advisers would thank you, I'm sure. Not so fast! After years of out-of-control over-commercialization run amok, there's been a slow but steady Black Friday backlash movement that is gaining traction a bit at a time. Our newspaper has been awash with full-page ads from retailers large and small proudly announcing, in giant type usually reserved for declarations of war, that their stores will be closed on Thanksgiving so all of the employees can enjoy the holiday at home with their families, as it should be. Anyone on FaceBook couldn't help but notice numerous postings for "Black (Screen) Friday," where contrite consumers have pledged to keep their electronic devices and gadgets turned off all day, and not add to the rampant extravagance that has become a hallmark of the weekend. Another worthy idea is one they're calling "Blacktop Friday," where families eschew the high-pressure confines of shopping malls and big-box stores, and instead head outside to round up a game of pickup basketball with friends or relatives. My own personal brainstorm along these lines - and which I am happy to share with a clamoring public - was coming up with "Black Print Friday," which is when I finally get around to recycling the moldy old newspapers that have been taking up space and collecting dust in our attic since who-knows-when. I will not say that the items in question were so old as to be carved with reeds on papyrus, but one front page story was about Thomas Edison inventing the electric light bulb. So I suppose in a roundabout way, it was Edison who was ultimately responsible for the whole Black Friday craziness to start with, although I'll bet he never saw that one coming. But just between you and me and the doorpost, if I was him, I wouldn't turn my back on any Druids, that's for sure. Elle