Attempting to Skate through the Holiday Season
Dec 10th 2007
Julia LondonWhen Goddesses Fall To Earth
I used to have a muckety-muck job where I was responsible for several different departments. I was a model of efficiency–I could juggle the facts for multiple projects in my head. I was very good at making sure a lot of things got done in a very short time period. When I left that life as a public administrator to write full time, I thought it would be a piece of cake. How hard could it possibly be to do one project at a time?
OH.MY.GOD. I don’t know what happened to my organizational skills, but I enter every holiday season in complete dishevelment, totally unprepared for the many tasks that lie ahead. I have no time! I mean seriously that I cannot squeeze enough hours out of the day! And this year, just to exacerbate things, I managed to wind up with a book deadline of oh…FRIDAY. So NOTHING has been done. No shopping, no decorating–I even snapped at my mother when she asked me what dish I was bringing Christmas day. I said something like, “HOW CAN I POSSIBLY KNOW THIS FAR OUT, MOTHER?!?!” Yeah, I am just a little stressed–fortunately, my mom learned to take me in stride a long time ago. 
So with all that hanging over my head, today I got a few hours of me time, and what did I do? Did I get the decorations down? Lord, no! Did I work on my book? A teeny tiny bit. Do any shopping? HAHAHAHA. Oh no, I screwed around on photoshop making fun holiday pictures of me, like I am not already totally into myself as it is.
I don’t know what has happened to me! It was like I finally had the time I had been looking for and I couldn’t face the responsibility of it! I totally blew it, and now I am even farther behind the eight ball. This is really so unlike me — I usually exhibit a degree of self-discipline, or my publisher would have fired me a long time ago. 
Today, I am busting it, trying to finish the book.
What about you? When it comes to the holidays, are you on top of it, or are you like me, using your time inappropriately? What scares you the most about the season: the shopping, the cooking, or the family all gathered in one place? Finally, what do you think Jack London would do to me if he discovered I had put his head on a figure skater? hahahaaa
37 Comments »
37 Responses to “Attempting to Skate through the Holiday Season”
Karen Hawkins on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:22 am #
Julia, for Christmas, I was going to ask that you do a few photshops of me, with Hugh. When you have time . . .
As for being ‘on top’ of the holidays — pulllleeeze! I’m just taking down my Halloween decoration (notice there is no ’s’ on that word) from three years ago. Yup, the skeleton is going back in the box. Finally.
I keep my Christmas decorations simple. I have GREAT ornaments, things the kids and I have been collecting since they were tiny. There’s a lot of history there, but other than the tree, I put up a strand of lights on the railing and THAT’S IT. I don’t do other decorations because I need a low stress holiday. I crave it. I MUST have it. Or I’ll snap.
I wish I could photoshop, though. All I have to do to waste time is play Bookworm. Thanks, Suzie E, for showing me that additcing game. Like I needed the temptation! As if sudoku and solitaire weren’t enough.
Sheesh! I’m surrounded by people trying to derail my Christmas spirit/work schedule/nap time!
Kay on 10 Dec 2007 at 1:28 am #
ON TOP OF IT?!!! HAHAHAHA You must be joking.
I don’t like to shop. I haven’t really shopped yet. I hate crowds & shopping online isn’t fun, either. DH has NO suggestions about what he would like, but he has completed his shopping for me.
I love the music, the decorations, & the cookies
but the shopping is the worst. Whenever I think I’ve gotten someone the perfect gift, they open it and look like they think they must have opened someone else’s present by mistake. I couldn’t have gotten that for them.
The tree went up today–no decorations on it, just the tree standing in a corner of the living room.
I do have almost half of the Christmas cards done, then I got tired of them. Maybe tomorrow, after everything else on the list is done (the list is NEVER done) LOL
Fortunately, we are going to relatives house for Christmas—no cooking for me
We are all happy we have snow, though.
ladydawgfan on 10 Dec 2007 at 1:48 am #
I know that some of you ladies are going to throw virtual items at me, but I have never been stressed out by the holiday season!! Christmas is my favorite time of the year, always has been, always will be!! So I take a live and let live frame of mind, and other than the cooking, the tree, and the shopping, whatever gets done, gets done, and whatever doesn’t, well, maybe next year. Instead I take time to watch my favorite Christmas movies, listen to carols on the radio, and drive through the neighborhoods of my city looking at the Christmas displays. All of this helps me to remember why we are celebrating this season in the first place.
ladydawgfan on 10 Dec 2007 at 1:51 am #
BTW, RE shopping, in our family, the rule is that wish lists must be turned in to my mother the first week of October. These are WISH lists, now, and not demand lists. We have the choice of either choosing an item off of the list or taking the list as a suggestion and finding a similar item or even going in a different direction altogether. It makes shopping so much easier to do it this way.
Of course, we also have another long standing family rule: you aren’t allowed to buy anything for yourself other than the essentials from Halloween until Christmas day. If you need something non-essential, put it on your wish list, and hope Santa listens. Doing it this way means no duplicates and no ruined surprises, both of which happened before the rule was started.
KariE on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:03 pm #
Oh, how I wish I was on top of it. I can’t seem to keep my mind on what needs to be done vs. what I should be doing. Case in point, responding to this vs. invoicing my orders and creating my BOL’s.
(I think I now know what my New Years resolution will be.)
Nothing scares me about the season. I know I will be with my family, my son will have some gifts to open up and we will have food on the table. It might not be a feast but it will be food. Money is tight so dh and I won’t be getting anything for each other. It’s the little things.
Jack London should be proud that he looks good in those skaters “tights”.
RachelG on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:04 pm #
Family. Without a doubt is the scariest. I just know someone will do or say something inappropriate and the fight will be on.
rachelg
SuzyQ on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:07 pm #
Julia, it’s soooo easy to get caught up in Photoshop. I can understand. We had our family portraits done recently and I bought the pictures on CD with a release form. I ended up editing the pictures to create our Christmas cards - which turned out really nice. You know, there is an action for sale that will give your skin a model look and you can even “powder” your nose. It’s very cool.
Anyway, on to the question of the day. The decorations are done - it’s the shopping that stresses me out. But I find I work better under pressure. I wait until the week before Christmas to get the bulk of my shopping done. I find that going out at 9:00 until closing (and most of the stores are open late then) I can get what I need without the crowds. I also find shopping late helps me in over buying. If I get presents too early I tend to keep buying later on because I find something I think they’ll like better. Unfortunately, then I have to wrap everything.
Lisa H on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:38 pm #
Julia LOLOLOLOLOL!
Can I help you with anything? I wish I was your neighbor, because I would be happy to help you with whatever is stressing you out at the moment.
Since I am far away, let me suggest, three things:
1. Hire a teenager for $7.00 per hour to come and deck your halls.
2. Buy everyone a nice gift certificate at the local mall or one of those American Express jobbies that can be used anywhere.
3. Order a cold-cut tray or shrimp tray to bring to Christmas day.
I do not get stressed out about Christmas, it is my favorite time of the year. I shop all year round and wrap everything as soon as I purchase it. When in doubt, I do gift certificates.
Cooking is planned and shopped for the week before and decorations go up the weekend before Thanksgiving. When ever I feel crushed for time, I let the non-essentials go.
I, however do not have a book deadline, so here’s one more suggestion for that—caffeine and lots of it! Saturday sleep all day!
Lisa H on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:39 pm #
BTW, you and Jack look deeply in love skating together!
Julia London on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:46 pm #
Lisa, you are one of those women I aspire to be. One year, I bought gifts through the year. I didn’t wrap them, but I put a few of them in a special place so I would remember. Well…found them in March. I could kick myself! I wish you were my neighbor, too, because I would definitely take advantage of your offer.
I can’t do gift certificates. You know Sabrina’s post about Ugly Santa? My family does that — we make a day of it. Its a lot of fun, but you have to come with the right sort of gift or get drummed out of the clan.
claudia dain on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:56 pm #
Julia, whatever happened to you, happened to me. I think it must be a virus. I used to be so on top of everything. Now the days roll by and I mumble, drooling, “It’s December what?? 11th??” I’m not sure what happened to November. This has nothing to do with the hoiidays, this is just me, all the time.
I do get it all done at Christmas, though I keep it simple. I tend to do a little bit every day, so it never feels like a job. I don’t do a lot of cooking and what I do cook I cook with the kids. Since I hate to cook, the motto is “I will not cook alone!” Having everyone in the kitchen, the carols playing, cooking as a gang makes it a fun activity and not a grueling ordeal.
Kim on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:56 pm #
UGH! I just started shopping. Luckily my list is fairly small so I’m about 1/2 done. Still no tree or decorations though. With the kitty, I’m dreading putting up a tree.
I still have to decided on a dinner menu. The worst thing stressing me is I still have to buy all my candy making supplies and find a day to make candy. My son will throw a fit if I don’t make fudges and peanut butter balls. *sigh* I need 30 hours a day and 8 days a week. Oh, and my husband wants pumpkin rollS, note the “S”? Yes, he wants several not just one!
dbrown3400 on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:58 pm #
Haven’t done much. I’ve been fighting a Trojan horse on my computer for three weeks now and am afraid to order anything online. I’ve purchased three gifts so far but from now on there will be many gift cards. I only have a few people to buy for which makes the gift giving simple and my place is small, so the docorating is done.
I’m spending a lot of time reading building up the courage for the annual clothes shopping trip my elder daughter and I take for her after the holidays. We do have a good time so I shouldn’t complain. It’s one of two times a year I go willingly to the mall. The other is for her birthday.
I do miss the days of thirty or so family members gathered for Christmas Eve then a different group for Christmas day. My daughter and I are going to a friend’s house for a Christmas Eve party but it will just be the two of us on Christmas day. Not much stress this year — only with my computer.
Freshechelle on 10 Dec 2007 at 1:44 pm #
I’m most afraid of being handed a gift for someone I didn’t think to buy a gift for. It’s embarassing and awkward and hard to control the look on my face that says “really? but I don’t even like you that much.”
This year I stocked up on a $10 gift called Gal Pals. It’s pink sponges that wipe off white marks deodorant leaves on your clothes. I swear I don’t work for this company, I just think this is a life saver when do that last glance in the mirror before dashing to work already 30 minutes late. I figure this gift is practical and the value isn’t so important and the usefulness of it.
Karen Hawkins on 10 Dec 2007 at 2:22 pm #
Shopping? NOW? Oh no! The REALLY good sales are all the day BEFORE Christmas. I thought everyone knew that. I mean, that’s what I tell myself every year as The Day approaches and my tree looks bare beneath. I say, “I’ll do that TOMORROW when they’ve had time to MARK IT DOWN.”
I’m good at avoidance. It’s almost to an art form. Julia, if you need any excuses for why you haven’t gone X-Mas Crazy, just call. I’ll talk you through a nice, logical-sounding Avoidance Speech, which will buy you a few days. At least!
Cookiedough on 10 Dec 2007 at 3:31 pm #
I tend to go bananas shopping right after Christmas, tuck things away and am pleasantly surprised by what I’ve accomplished when it come to wrapping time.
I love to wrap, and when my mom was alive, I used to wrap hers as well. She used to cheat and staple gift bags closed, stick a label and bow and hand it over. My siblings and I have been stabbed too many times by errant staples, so I used to go over to her place, wrap up her gifts ( and mine too sometimes) and help her with her baking.
This year, I’m unemployed and having to get crafty with gifts. I’m making a bunch of cozies for coffee cups. the paper ones from Starbucks are my template. Of course, I’m looking at a calendar and find I only have two weeks to make a couple of dozen by hand.
I’m working on a video of my great nephew similar to the one I made for my brother. His mom had put in her request when she saw the birthday one.
He’s aslo giggle boy/squeeky toy in the Goddess video,so I have lots to work with! I must start!
Karen Rose on 10 Dec 2007 at 3:52 pm #
I am never done with shopping early, but this year I AM.
I AM DONE.
It ain’t wrapped, but it’s on its way from Walmart.com and Amazon.com and all the other .coms I shopped at the other night when I was stuck on a scene at 3 am!
I AM DONE.
Okay, cackling phase of this comment is complete. Julia, I too have an approaching deadline. I feel your pain, darlin’.
Don’t hate me because I’M DONE. There are lots of other much better things to hate me for.
Judy F on 10 Dec 2007 at 4:23 pm #
I used to be on top of things with the holidays. I would be done by the end of October. I blame it on working a part time job in retail. This week I am working tonight, wed, sat and sunday to 10:30. Grrr. I will be out shopping the day before christmas I am sure.
I need a helper.
ct009ct on 10 Dec 2007 at 4:25 pm #
If I told you that my mother’s 70th Birthday Bash was in APRIL and I just mailed her photo-album/scrapbook that I made her TODAY. How on top of Christmas would you think I am??????
ct009ct on 10 Dec 2007 at 4:30 pm #
Actually, the outside of the house is finally done, the inside is as done as it’s gonna get.
Well, no tree up yet, but we get a real one that has to stay up until the 6th, so we usually don’t get it until about this time.
Have ordered some gifts from amazon.com as well as some other .com’s - so maybe half done.
Hoping to bake some cookies this weekend - we shall see!!!
Nicole Jordan on 10 Dec 2007 at 5:13 pm #
Hah! That is such a good joke, Julia — the very thought of being on top of stuff during the holidays. Only this year it isn’t all my fault, since I got a new editor who is still trying to play catchup and couldn’t get to my revision phone call until just last week. Fortunately I make the dh do all the Xmas shopping, and we go to his folk’s for Xmas, so I don’t have to decorate. But just once I would love to have a nice relaxing holiday season. Ain’t gonna happen in my lifetime, I expect.
Oh, and I love Jack London skating.
Lisa H on 10 Dec 2007 at 5:58 pm #
Julia,
When you make photo shops of Karen H and Hugh, would you make one of me and Johnny?
Maybe he could be shirtless, holding me, who is wearing a very low cut Victorian gown, both of our hair blowing in the breeze ala a Fabio book cover?
Maybe you could fit this in after Friday?
Perhaps I can do all your Christmas stuff for you in trade?
Think about it!
cail on 10 Dec 2007 at 6:20 pm #
i would have been on top of things had my cousin, who i was assigned to in the family present lottery, not heard from her mother that the colors she had chosen for her crochetted blanket weren’t right. now i’m making replacement squares for the 3rd of the blanket that was the ‘wrong’ color.
I’m still on the search for stocking stuffers for the immediate family. That’s all we do.
Jami Alden on 10 Dec 2007 at 8:36 pm #
I had to get on top of it this year - we leave on Friday for vacation and I had to have everything ready to ship to Connecticut and Alaska before we leave. Add that to deadlines looming, and i can’t take any “work” time (i.e., when kids are at daycare) to tend to Holiday responsibilities. So 2 weekends ago I went on a shopping frenzy at Target, Marshalls, and Sephora. Sunday I hired our former baby sitter who *loves* to wrap presents to help me wrap everything. Today, while the kids napped and their accommodating uncle hung out at the house, I got everything in the mail. Thank God my husband took care of the tree, from cutting it down to decorating it to moving our 300 pound coffee table (I am not exaggerating) to accommodate it. But I have a bad feeling I’ll still be looking at that giant tree and our Christmas candles in March.
Julia London on 10 Dec 2007 at 8:43 pm #
Lisa, Lisa, Lisa…If I am going to photoshop anyone with Hugh or Johnny, it will not be you or Karen Hawkins! It will be me! Why do you think I learned photoshop?
Elle Humbug on 10 Dec 2007 at 9:25 pm #
I love you Julia…you always make me feel so “less alone” in my insanity. I don’t have a deadline hanging over my head, but I do know what it is like to pray for 28 hours in a day.
I have an incredibly huge family, so I learned a long time ago, do NOT shop before the 20th or you will spend your mortgage payment. There are no lights outside, because that is DH’s job. My tree is up and decorated, but ONLY because I had to stay home with a cold for two days last week and had nothing left to read. (Zipped thru yours, Karens and Rachel’s FAB BOOKS in no time flat!). The house is clean, but only because we have all been so busy, we have not had time to trash it.
Oh, and that incredibly huge family will ALL be here on the 24th to celebrate.
Life is not all bad. At least we are married to men who look good in sequence and tights. Though, the toe picks are a bitch in bed.
Karen Hawkins on 10 Dec 2007 at 9:25 pm #
Sniffle.
But I really wanted a photoshop of me and Hugh.
Sniffle, sniffle!
Elle Humbug on 10 Dec 2007 at 9:26 pm #
Karen Rose…you are super human. A deadline AND you are DONE!!!! Remind me to hate you some day. LOL
Elle Humbug on 10 Dec 2007 at 9:29 pm #
BY. THE. WAY.
Whoever gave me the link for the OfficeMax dancing elves should be shot. I have wasted HOURS photoshoping my family’s faces to it. I get such a kick out of that thing.
I am merely a victim!
doglady on 10 Dec 2007 at 9:50 pm #
I am just trying to get thru the season without killing any of my coworkers or committing inflatable musical Santacide!!! This is the first year I shopped online and one place sent superb stuff and the other sent cheesy versions where I realized at once the photos were obviously doctored. Live and learn. However, my SIL is going to LOVE the Victorian house bird feeder. 35 bucks and it is huge and gorgeous. So gifts are not too stressful. Off tomorrow so I will put the tree up. I am trying not to stress about anything but my writing at this point! I sent in my GH entry and immediately started going back over it with a fine toothed comb to edit it! EEEEK! Keep saying “I cannot believe I sent this crap in!” I’m trying hard to be light-hearted and easy about Christmas this year because last year I was saying good-bye to my Dane, Miss Glory. I lost her on Christmas Eve day to bone cancer. Tough Christmas. This one will be better. Hope I can resist the urge to kill Santa and his merry band!
Lisa H on 10 Dec 2007 at 10:03 pm #
dog lady, I am so sorry about the loss of your special pet.
I hope you win that Golden Heart. I didn’t have the courage this year to send mine in, maybe next year.
Let us know how you do, I will keep my fingers crossed for you!
Sabrina Jeffries on 10 Dec 2007 at 10:59 pm #
“There are lots of other much better things to hate me for.”
You mean, like the way you rub in the fact that you’re done?
Actually, I shouldn’t talk. I am very close to being done myself. I lack a few things which I’m ordering when I return from Romeoville, Illinois.
Julia, my sister under the skin, on the night before I left for Chicago, when I SHOULD have been writing frantically on my novella, I was decorating a small tree for my office and watching TV. Even though I wasn’t even going to be there to see it. Yes, I understand completely what you mean. The greater the stress, the more I want to goof off. It’s a very weird phenomenon.
Why else would I be posting on a blog when I have to get up at 5:30 am tomorrow?
Sabrina Jeffries on 10 Dec 2007 at 11:03 pm #
BTW, I too am one of those disgusting people who starts shopping for Christmas presents early in the year, so I have little shopping to do at Christmas itself.
This year, however, I wasn’t so up on it. But I’m mostly done. Did I mention that?
Oh, and may I just say that the internet is a wonderful thing. I LOVE not having to go inside a store unless I just really want to.
Kay on 10 Dec 2007 at 11:37 pm #
THE TREE IS DECORATED!
I feel a little more in control, now.
Julia London on 10 Dec 2007 at 11:44 pm #
doglady, I am so sorry about your dog
Sabrina, we are more like cousins. I haven’t done a bit of shopping!
doglady on 11 Dec 2007 at 12:26 am #
Thank you all for your kind words. Glory was a constant presence in my life for almost ten years and I still feel her with me at times. She was born deaf, but she knew @20 signs in American Sign Language. She was fascinated by the racing lights on my Christmas tree and would sit and watch them for hours. When I decorate my tree tomorrow I will be thinking of her. Now if I can just keep the three cats out of it again this year!! I actually have Christmas Eve off this year! That NEVER happens so I feel very fortunate. I will get to spend the day and evening with my Mama and I will be there to run the cookies and candy out to the policemen and firemen. Now if it would just cool down. It is supposed to be 80 degrees tomorrow!!
Brenda on 11 Dec 2007 at 10:55 pm #
Karen Rose, shame on you!! It’s bad enough that you are d*n*, but you don’t have to capitalize on it!! Yes, I know that it’s called gloating and putting us all to shame, but at least we had those hours of sleep you lost!! (hee hee ha ha)
I’ve only got about 1/3 of my shopping done, nothing wrapped, no decorations (long story behind that one), and still not in the mood to do it. But boy have I been cooking and baking!! A person can gain weight by walking through my kitchen and smelling whatever it is I’m cooking/baking at the time. My passion has been in the kitchen area this holiday season.