After yesterday's Christmas shopping debacle I'm thinking that I could gladly live the rest of my life without ever setting foot in another retail institution. Sharing the roads with these lunatics is unnerving. By the time I made it to the first store on my agenda I aged another twenty years due to three VERY close calls on the road. I headed into Best Buy, thankful that it didn't appear as picked over and desolate as the neighboring Wal-Mart (still too traumatic to talk about). After picking up some random gifts, I headed to the check-out line, only to discover that it wrapped around the entire store and didn't seem to be moving at all. I dropped the CDs and DVDs I was planning to buy on a display of PS2s, foolishly thinking that I could find the same items at Target later that night.

Since I was on the West side I figured I'd stop at an Italian restaurant that way to pick up some gift certificates for Sam's parents and grandparents, thinking I could use the restroom (I was in dire straits) and grab a beer at the bar before returning to the mayhem, greed, and screaming brats.

The restaurant, however, had other plans for me. After waiting in another line for said gift certificates, I couldn't even see the bar in the throng of holiday revelers, let alone elbow my way up there. The restrooms were apparently swallowed up in the madness. I desperately and fearfully returned home to regroup.

After restocking on food, cigarettes, and beagle kisses, I returned to the fracas. Target was not very helpful. Apparently it is possible for stores to run out of toys. There was seriously nothing for a ten year old girl or a six year old boy. I'm starting to panic. More random shopping occurred, I was unsuccessful, I have to go back out there tonight. God help me.

Tonight I have to face the horror of horrors. The toy store. The mall. Two days before Christmas. So should I stop at the bar before or after the shopping? Maybe I should flask it.

I have about five people left to buy for and about two hundred gifts to wrap.

And I hate Christmas. I'm sorry, but I do. I really can't stand it, and I can't wait until it's over. Tomorrow night I plan on pretending that it isn't even a holiday, don't plan on going anywhere. Christmas morning I'll walk the dogs and go from my family to Sam's family to drop off gifts, smile, be cheerful for an hour, and then get the hell out of dodge. Thursday night will be me and the books. No...I suppose being alone on Christmas isn't what I would chose, but there is too much in my head for me to be around family or friends right now. I understand why there are so many instances of depression and suicide this time of year. Nothing can be more isolating than togetherness.

I'll be heading out of the office in a mere sixty minutes to shop till I can't take it anymore. This should be fun. I suppose I should stop listening to angry music today. Powerman 5000 really isn't helping.