Annoyance came early this year

My mom had this course downtown today, and afterwards she said she wanted to go shopping. I'm always up for a little walk down the Mag. Mile, especially if someone else is paying, so I said sure! OH MY GOD. Little did I know everyone and their freaking mother (yes, me included) would be out in the disgusting drizzly weather. The sidewalks were so packed, you could barely move. It was a sea of humanity from Nordstrom to Saks Fifth Avenue and back again. We braved the crappy weather and the crowds only for so long. Mom's boots were not cross-trainers, and I felt a little guilty for leaving Domingo with a sick Dada, and my Dada who would probably rather be listening to music than reading Angus and the Ducks for the 300th time in a row, so we headed out after only a few hours, rather than our usual marathon of store hopping.
I'm usually all about being a good little consumer, but really people, this has got to stop. It's not even Thanksgiving yet, and all the stores are piping the "Holiday Cheer", the halls are decked, and people are in a Christmas shopping frenzy. I hate to be all Grinchy, but count me out. Luckily this year I really think we get a get out of Christmas commercialism free card with our trip to Paraguay. (Although the trip is far from free!) No one has to get us anything, we are definitely not getting anyone anything before we leave (so don't expect it!), and no one can call us Ebeneezers. We'll probably pick up some trinkets and whatnots in Paraguay for people, but no big deal, and there isn't all this pressure around it. I do love the holidays, for what they stand for, being with family and friends, eating (of course) amazing and comforting foods, and I even love buying, wrapping, and giving presents to people. I love thinking of something really nice for someone, or seeing something that is just perfect, putting it in some pretty paper and seeing them open it and know that it was just right. But, and I know I'm not alone here, sometimes I feel like it's just too much. I need the frenzy to start later, after Thanksgiving was the traditional time right? Give me this week, at least, to get used to the idea that Christmas is right around the corner, and I'm still not back in my normal size clothes, so any gifts will have to be returned when I do get there!!