"It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like..."

The economy is struggling: you know it, I know it, and the guys in the Chinese factories painting Christmas toys with lead-based paints for Wal-Mart know it. Thanksgiving is almost three weeks away. The last smashed Halloween pumpkin has barely had time to rot in the streets (or get stuck in the derailleur of my bike). It has yet to snow more than a few flakes here in Green Bay (which is fortunate because the cold temps would have turned Packers' fans' tears to ice after today's Vikings game). All in all, I think these are signs that we are hovering in that restful time of year before things get totally out of whack and most people have yet to scream about the BCS bowl picture: I'm talking about the relaxed time before the holiday season...a time during which we can all pretend that it will be different this year. After all, we have just finished a two-year presidential election so there will be nothing on the airwaves to disturb our peace of mind. Well, not so fast...
We were driving back from Chicago today following a family visit, and I'd played all the compact discs I had in the car, so I thought a little radio tunage would be in order. The seek button on my car radio worked slowly at first (probably because it was surprised I'd called on it), but it soon honed in on the one thing that sent me into a frenzy. Within minutes, I'd become a raving lunatic, screaming and shouting loudly enough to wake up my wife in the passenger seat so she could once again attend to my driving. My seek button landed on "Milwaukee's station for Christmas music!" I'm not kidding...there was a station playing NOTHING but Christmas music. Now, I like Bobby Helms as much as the next person, but not on Novemebr 9th! (I careened into an adjacent lane checking my watch to make sure of the date) There are almost two months to go before Christmas; sure, the retailers are hurting, and the Chinese people getting paid $.50 an hour need the work, but playing Christmas music this early is going to get someone killed. It can't just be me that finds this horribly offensive. Had they played "The Little Drummer Boy," I'd have gone right to the station and done something drastic. Unbelievable!
It was at this point in my rant that my now-wide-awake passenger reminded me that we have tickets to see the Radio City Musical Hall Christmas Special on Tuesday. Well, yeah, but that will have the Rockettes in it so it's technically like, oh say, watching the Chippendales while the men are out supposedly hunting up nort' hey. Besides, the show will be gone in a day, and I can resume my peaceful life...it won't be playing 24/7 for the next six weeks!
If I'm like this already, how will I ever make 'til Christmas...or even Thanksgiving?