I'm done! No, I'm not!

I walked out of the post office yesterday feeling rather smug. I was done wrapping, boxing and shipping presents to those out of state (and single-handedly supporting at least one postal employee for the day with the cost!). I smiled with smugness at those just entering the post office with armloads of packages, as I had minutes before. I was done waiting in line. The smug smile increased as I walked into the mall, luxuriating in the wealth of time to finally enjoy a movie, as I watched those just entering the mall, frantic looks on their faces. I was done shopping. Weeks of decorating, coaxing each light on a "pre-lit" tree strand to work, re-bending the fake limbs into some semblance of life-likeness, then filling every crook and cranny of branches with loads of ornaments and ribbon, writing Christmas cards, composing the annual Christmas brag letter, baking, buying, exchanging, and eating everything in the spirit of the season, filled me with smugness. I was done! And yet about half-way through the movie, irritating little thoughts kept interrupting: you haven't wrapped the gifts for those nearby; you haven't finished making the neighbor gifts; you haven't purchased new ink for the printer that inconveniently ran out as you tried to finish the Christmas letter; you haven't finished the house-cleaning put off for all those weeks you were working your Christmas magic--the toilets are still waiting!--and what are you going to get______?; etc., etc., etc. Then, that master of all nagging thoughts came to mind, almost ruining the gorgeous view of Johnny Depp (ALMOST, I said!): in three weeks you'll be undoing all this! At that moment visions of me turning into my grandmother MADE me focus all of my attention on the gorgeous Johnny Depp to drown out the bah-humbug thoughts! So, I am grateful for Johnny, who helped erase the smugness from my heart and the Grinch from my Christmas.
    By the way, I give two thumbs up to the gorgeous Johnny Depp (have I said that too much?), the beautiful Angelina Jolie (and yes I did walk my four miles today even though I realize if I exercise 25 hours a day I will NEVER look like her!), the wonderful views of Paris, the French countryside and Venice, but a thumbs down for rest of the unrealistic "Tourist."
     Also, for those of you just waiting to pounce on me for not going green this year (cards and letters printed and mailed!), please remember the age of this computer and its operator, who has not learned to paste those cute family photos onto the page so they will stay in place in cyberspace.
     Have a merry one!