Festivus for the Rest of Us

Greg's a "Seinfeld" fan of the most rabid kind. He has seen every episode multiple times, and has most of them memorized. The show has been in syndication for I-forget-how-many years now, but our local NBC affiliate still shows it every weeknight, and so does TBS. Anyway, they aired the "Festivus" episode last night. It was cause for celebration in this household, though we never did get our own Festivus pole (otherwise known as the handle on the garage pushbroom) up and ready.

Now, if only Ben & Jerry's would bring back the flavor of the same name to the supermarkets. They did bring back an ice cream they now call Gingerbread Cookie, which is Festivus by another name, but only at the scoop shops, not by the pint! I am soooo disappointed. I absolutely do not want to drive an hour to Freeport to get trampled by hordes of tourists and the their screeching, sticky progeny, all for a scoop of the best ice cream flavor our friends from Vermont have ever made.

I gave Greg one of his Christmas presents early, and he's been making great use of it since. I bought him the complete Peanuts songbook by Vince Guaraldi, and he's been having a wonderful time playing all of the music from the Peanuts TV specials. He wants to bring the music down to my brother's house on Christmas Day and play "Linus and Lucy" for my twin niece and nephew.

Christmas Guilty Pleasures

• Huge, gaudy displays of Christmas lights -- the bigger and crazier, the better. Some of the folks in this area have large front yards, which they've filled with illuminated everything, from plastic creches to the California Raisins. Don't forget the inflatable Grinch!
  
• Public "Messiah" sings. There's one in Lewiston on Saturday, and I'd love to go.
  
• 24 hours of "A Christmas Story." You'll shoot yer eye out, kid!
  
• Those new Christmas tree-shaped marshmallow Peeps.