I'm glad it's a recession Christmas. There's something a little more grounded this year. Nearly everyone I know is skipping the gifts, the tree, the decorations--the material fuss of it all--and are simply making a bigger point of visiting people instead of sending presents.
Isn't that what the Christmas spirit is supposed to be about? The simple act of telling the people you care about that hey, you're thinking of them, and hey, they're important to you. The holiday is more about love than money this year, which is how it should be.
And being a broke-ass community on Christmas also means that it's honestly not expected of you to give anything. So if you do, not only are you doing it because you truly want to and, because of the misfortune of you can afford vs what you can't afford, you're forced to really think about the gift creatively and about the gift's effect, not it's value. I have spent so many Christmases worrying about matching the price of what the other person is giving me that I've lost the spirit of things. It's not how much the gift cost, it's about whether or not I picked it because I knew it'd make you smile, or laugh, or use it, or because you need it. I dunno. I just really like that the meaning of Christmas has returned in a way.
For the first time in my life I finally understand when my mom would say she didn't need nor expect anything for Christmas. I know I shall be receiving gifts, but in my heart of hearts, I truly and deeply don't expect anything. I'm just really excited to see everyone these next few days.
(laughs) Now after all that, let's talk presents.
My boyfriend and I were unsure if we would do presents this year and we probably shouldn't have. But we just really wanted to. And for the record, my bf is the only boyfriend I've ever met who likes Christmas mall shopping with his girlfriend. When we were out to dinner the other night (thanks to an early X-mas gift card :) he was telling me about his happy memories of Christmas shopping with me in Arizona and how he wanted to make our shopping a date night this week.
When it comes to Christmas shopping we totally bring out our feminine and masculine strategies. I'll think of the perfect gift (or genre ie humor, pragmatism, books, music, ect) weeks in advance [female], and he doesn't want to actually hit the stores until the day before [totally male]. He also pretends that he doesn't do any planning but inevitable right before we enter a store he'll tell me what he's picking out and it will be in my same genre if not the same gift. Bastard.
Tonight we hit up Target first. We both wanted something involving music for our parents and I needed to hunt down the Regis Philbin book for my grandma. The woman is obsessed with the man.
It's kinda cheesy but my boyfriend and I have Target dates every few months. We'll split up to do individual shopping but irresistibly both end up in the book section pointing out novels to each other. Last time we were in Target together we sat down in the children's aisle and read Oh! The Places You Will Go as other customers walked around us.
I found Regis and more books that I want for me (Dear Mindy Kaling, I will buy your book when it's in paperback), and I know he saw a few books for him. Every few minutes or so, amongst the chaos of shopping carts and stressed out people, he's turn to me and say he wanted to share "a moment" where we'd just stand together happy and peaceful before returning to the crazy. We checked out and he headed to the Starbucks kiosk so we could split a tall pumpkin spice latte on our way downtown. :)
Downtown was beautiful as ever driving in. I may hate my job but there is something goddamn beauty about a city at night. The lights, the reflective glass, the heels and shiny shoes, the drug peddlers, the gym rats, the tourists with their cameras a flash, the pubs and window shops, and the graffiti-meets-art on tall walls.
We parked and I practically hustled us to Urban Outfitters. I LOVE URBAN OUTFITTERS. I love everything about that store. I love the wacky/funny/informative/fashion/art/music/random lists/travel books. I love the headphones and vinyl making a comeback. I LOVE the cameras and if I had the cash I would buy all of them--especially the bubble view lens camera which makes every picture so much cooler. I love the shot glasses that come shaped like chemistry beakers or labeled 'hot mess' and other drunk phrases. I love the random-ass owl and clock jewelry, not that I own any. I love the hipster clothes, not that I fit into a single shred of clothing there. Hell, I even love that stupid squirrel-covered notebook and I despise squirrels. 
Basically, I love Urban Outfitters, aka Urban, aka "The UO" my boyfriend likes to say just to fluster me and make me laugh. We found just what we wanted and we were on our way out when I gasped and ran back to the notebook rack. "Look! Look here! It's a comma used correctly! "something something something [comma] douchebag!". The people around me looked at me funny, and the bf started chuckling, but I don't a give a fuck. Correct comma usage deserves recognition. And so we were off. Bags in one hand, holding hands in the other, trying not to get mugged once we left 5th Ave.
We did a obnoxious high five once we parked in front of my house.
Some victory sex later...and we're wrapping gifts with us playfully fighting over the tape, and he's using all of my gift labels, and I keep losing the scissors. It was a fun night. And I'm truly truly excited to board my plane in a few hours.
Just need to finish up a few letters, print some photos, pack, eat, shower, clean out my car, maybe get a peace scarf for my grandma, get a few more Christmas labels, wrap my step-dad's gifts, download some music and done! 
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