It seems to work fine for other people! They go shopping, they make lists, they wrap things, things appear under the tree. They pick out the perfect things and remember to buy things for everyone and presumably they don't go bankrupt in the process. Me, not so much. I just get so confused!

I went to Target this weekend, the Citadel of Christmas Anarchy. It was not so bad in terms of the Anarchy, but I don't think my Christmas shopping method was the best. I wandered around the store, vaguely allowing names to float through my mind and hoping things would catch my eye for each of those people. Things did catch my eye, but mostly for myself. I ended up with a necklace, a sweater, a purse and a hat. Sigh.

I tried not to do that, I swear! I've been avoiding buying myself stuff for two months-- I don't even have the extended Two Towers and that is something I really, really want. But each of those items was at the tippy-top-upper end of the cuteness scale. Not just cute, but so cute. Blue sweater, blue bucket hat, fat heart necklace, black-and-pink purse. So cute, even though my style can now officially be labeled "Target couture."

I did get some stuff for other people! But like I said, I get confused. I have the perfect gifts for some people, but I can't afford them. And for other people, I just draw a blank as to what I should get them. I know it's not that hard. I mean, I for one am very easy to shop for, because everything makes me happy. But I think of other people and despair. What to buy? What to buy!?

In other holiday news, I figured out that I can burn CDs at work. I finally replaced the copy of "A Pigwidgeon Christmas" that got stolen last year, and also created "A Pigwidgeon Christmas Volume II" which is, I am sorry to report, a little heavy on the songs from the American Idol Christmas special. I sort of panicked and threw a bunch of stuff on there. Panic is my specialty around the holidays. Panicking and randomness. Two, my two specialties are... [insert remainder of Monty Python skit here.]

This weekend is the annual holiday shindig at Bruce's place, and I'm very excited, even though when am I going to do my Christmas shopping, if not this weekend? I don't even know when to pack; all this week I have things to do, such as tutoring and the office Christmas party that I may not even be able to go to even though we are renting out the Great American Music Hall for it, and the final proofing of that book I've been working on, and working late today and tomorrow...

The holidays really are a busy time. They weren't lying when they said that! Who knew? But today I took a walk in the rain, and now I'm listening to "A Pigwidgeon Christmas: Best of Pigwidgeon" and all is right with the world.

I don't want a lot for Christmas-- there's just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know
Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you...

Yes, the "Love, Actually" version-- I downloaded it! Oh, I like that movie. Speaking of love, it is Christmastime, and love is in the air. If I learned anything from the BIA situation this summer, it is carpe diem, which as we all know is Latin for "seize the cute boy." If I have a "crush" on a "boy" and I want to "ask him out" I should just do it, right? Even if I've never done that before, right? Because it's Christmas, right?

Right!