Merry Christmas and then some

The idea was simple enough.

It was Deb’s suggestion that Just Wright Citrus have a Christmas card with one of my selfies on the cover. I immediately loved it, and went about looking for that perfect shot.

A few weeks ago, I was wandering around the Inverness tree lighting festivities at the Depot District when I came across what you see with today’s blog.

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I came home all excited. “I have the Christmas card photo!” I told Deb.

Well, life took a little turn, and the Christmas card never made it to fruition. Oh well. Figured I’d get a blog out of it anyway since I had the photo. You know, a Christmas card to the community type thing.

But then something happened again between idea and execution. How was I going to get 700 words out of a Christmas card? After “Merry Christmas,” what’s left?

So, once again, the dilemma is not solved.

Not only am I going the year without delivering Christmas cards, but the blog idea that looked good on paper fell flat in real life.

No problem. I had a backup plan.

I spend way too much time arranging my Pandora Christmas music selections. Each song on my “Yuletide” list is there for a reason.

So, bingo. A blog on my Christmas jams. Except…I wrote about this identical thing a year ago and didn’t want to repeat it. 

My Christmas list includes traditional tunes, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and stuff that pops up when I search for “alternative Christmas” at 2 in the morning after a County Commission meeting.

One of those songs made last year’s list and it survived this year’s cut. It’s a favorite, and I absolutely cannot repeat most of it here. Sorry, kiddies, the Santa you dream about isn’t the tear-jerker featured in The Arrogant Worms’ “Christmas Turkey” album.

So. Deb and I were out driving the other night looking at Christmas lights. I set up “Yuletide” on shuffle, and within moments my favorite anti-Santa song of all time came out of the car speakers.

Deb, who is used to hearing, oh, I don’t know, NORMAL Christmas music, was confused.

“What is this? It’s giving me a headache,” she said. She gave me a look. THAT look. 

I found a regular Christmas music station and brought civility back into the car.

Still bent on writing a Christmas blog with my favorite tunes, I double-checked last year’s December blogs to make sure I hadn’t done this before. And…I had. 

It’s dawning on me at 9:30 p.m. Thursday that a lot of Christmas has gone on the back burner since Buddy arrived. That dog is consuming a great deal of my time and energy. It’s frustrating at times, but always rewarding.

I’m planning to get Buddy comfortable in the car right quick. I spend a quarter of Just Wright Citrus time on the road, and I think he’d enjoy the sights and aromas of Citrus County by car. (I do.)

Deb and I give Buddy a lot of affection and attention, and he responds in kind. We’re all kind of getting attached. It’s rather cool.

It also means priorities change. Deb’s an online shopper — she and Amazon are like peas and carrots. Not sure a dog’s presence has affected her Christmas shopping that much.

For me, a guy who thrives on completing his Christmas shopping, at the very least, one hour before Walgreens closes on Christmas Eve, Buddy’s arrival upset the apple cart. 

I guess the point is that my Christmas feels a little upside down this year. We’ve had a lot go down since October. Some days, I’m not sure I’ve caught up.

And now, Buddy. Unknown past. He has a way to go medically. But, boy, a warm demeanor that melts our hearts. We can tell life hasn’t been easy for him. Now he’s eating up the attention and affection. 

As Deb said to me Thursday, “He loves the love.”

No Just Wright Citrus Christmas card this year. And the song list is just OK.

But that dog. Something about that dog. Guess Christmas is right side up, after all.

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