The question of the day is, when exactly am I going to
go Christmas shopping? Today is the 17th, so we are officially entering
the last week. This afternoon was a natural for getting it done. I had given it
serious thought until the thermometer hit 57. Everybody knows you can’t go
Christmas shopping if it’s that warm. Besides, a last minute business
appointment popped up out of the blue for 3 o’clock.
Tomorrow shows a lot of promise. A cold front is
supposed to sweep through overnight ushering in much cooler temperatures.
Thursday’s high should only be in the mid-forties. I just might be able to put
on my Santa hat and slip over to the mall after lunch. The only problem is that
Thursday, being the 18th, is an even day and I’ve never had much
luck Christmas shopping on even days in the teens. Plus, at some point I’ll
need to get my pre-Christmas massage, and Thursdays are usually pretty slow
over at Hand and Stone.
Of course, Friday is the start of the weekend so the
crowds will be off the charts crazy. That leaves Monday, Tuesday of next week,
classic sucker days, full of panicked rookie husbands and frantic moms
on their last nerve. Trust me, you don’t want any part of that.
That means that next
Wednesday, Christmas Eve is still open and available. Sure, you run the risk
that the stores will be out of stuff. Sure, if you wait until the very last
minute, what happens if you’re sick with diarrhea and projectile vomiting?
Although these are valid concerns, waiting until Christmas Eve comes with the
advantage of not having to worry about it…now. Why do something unpleasant now
that can be put off until sometime in the future? It works for the United
States Treasury. 
