It is official. This was the year without any Christmas spirit for me.

Since I have gone to work in retail, life as I knew it was over. This year though work has pushed the idea of holiday over the edge. I worked 51 hours over six days. The store has been closing at eleven or midnight, and opened by seven am. There is a marked lack of customers but that hasn't stopped the non-sense. I listen as other stores this year have gone twenty four hours a day till Christmas eve, like Toys-R-Us and Walmart.

My father didn't want the house decorated. There is no tree, no lights, and nothing other than Christmas music and the cards people have sent me to make me smile for the holidays. I've worked so much that the gifts I do have for people are in bags, on the floor, in my bedroom awaiting me to wrap them and mail them out. I have decided as long as the gifts are mailed for little Christmas (otherwise known as the Epiphany) on January 6th, I will be happy. Unfortunately between Dad's surgery in November, my back flaring up, strep throat, and wild work hours I still have gifts, wrapped and addressed to be mailed for birthdays that occurred in November. I am just totally out of it.

I am off on Sunday and I have to go buy gifts for my father. No idea what I am getting him. I did order him a ring but that won't be here in time so got to get something for him to open.

To everyone else, I hope your holiday is going better.