Christmas shopping

I can’t mention retail without saying something about the mayhem that is Christmas shopping. Now, at the risk of this bit of information making you decide to stop reading right now, I will tell you I am one of those people who finish their Christmas shopping before the end of November. Why am I so Type-A about this? Two words – crowded malls. Now, I haven’t always been the anal, super-organized Christmas shopper, past experiences have taught me this is the only way to survive in this cruel, commercialized world. I have been on the front lines. I have risked my life to get a parking stall, raced slipping and sliding on the ice to get a buggy, played tug-of-war for the last Tickle Me Elmo, stood in line for hours and been stalked like an animal for my parking stall as I am walking to my car. All of these reasons (and the 7,954th rendition of I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause) are why my Christmas list is checked off by Nov. 30 at the latest.