Shiny Baubles and Sweet Potatoes

The shopaholic wins again.

With the hopeful contender left behind biting the bitter dust having to content himself with his tawdry little shopping bag.

Come All Ye Faithful!
Somehow or rather ( providentially - I call it an early Christmas present ) I got the day off due to some silly scheduling snafu. Not one to look a gift horse in the face, I slipped off stealthily telling no one and headed to the mall. No doubt it's still a month away ( though it seems the red banners and the buntings are up infinitesimally earlier each year ) but there's nothing quite like getting the Christmas shopping done, is there?

So why not start early? After all I had mine done way earlier last year.

Sales We Have Heard on High!
I know Christmas is slowly but steadily stumbling drunkenly away from its humble spiritual beginnings but hell, isn't it just as fun to celebrate mindless materialism too? No doubt goaded on by the evil godless demons of advertising!


Buy me. You know you want to...
You just know Satan ( no doubt has a share in all those unholy credit card companies ) is gorgeous stubbled hunk in a slick Italian suit sitting somewhere in the depths of hell chuckling wickedly even as the sales register ring. Why wreak evil and havoc in the world when he can gain so much more from the masses by pandering to crazy consumerism? I mean, have you seen the mindless chaos during a midnight sale? Certainly more bloodshed and betrayal than a gathering of Borgias.

Hark the Sales Registers Sing!
So I ended up with four CDs, three books, one DVD series and a bunch of shiny red glass baubles. And shockingly, half of them are actually meant for me. Which is better than the compatriots I dragged along. Sadly after dozens of stores, all Jaunty Jared could come up on the shopping trip was a lil box of shiny baubles and some limp sweet potatoes.

Still, I'm glad to find myself almost halfway through Christmas shopping. Only stuff left for my father - have an eye on a book on satirical political humour for him. And perhaps some Osh Kosh B'Gosh for the toddlers two.

Not forgetting my friends and I are playing Secret Santa this year. Wonder who I'm gonna get. On that note, I better get to working on my wish list this year!