There are Christmas decorations everywhere. They seem to have exploded in the week or so since Halloween, which is becoming more and more typical these days, but I can’t help reminiscing for the days when Thanksgiving was its own separate holiday and not just the pre-Christmas meal. And now I sound really old. It’s true, though.

What is going to take some getting used to is being in a warm climate for the holidays. I’m starting to understand what it’s like for people in the southern hemisphere who always have a warm weather Christmas, and the tradition of going to the beach and having a barbeque sounds better all the time, to be honest.

What is confusing to me is that people don’t embrace the warm climate! Or, rather, marketing people don’t embrace it.

Going into Target, for instance, is an off-putting experience right now. Keep in mind that, as a national chain, local Targets don’t have that much control over what decorations Headquarters sends them. Blue snowflakes and snowmen, though? It just seems odd. That’s not even so bad, as I can see them as a sort of abstract holiday icon, I guess. No, the best part is the Navy Exchange.

It has turned itself into a winter wonderland.

Well, kind of has, anyway. I went in there today looking for a few things and discovered that not only do they have a giant Christmas tree out front (which is, at least, decorated in giant sea shells), but there is a huge tent sale of Christmas decor and Christmas music playing and the pretend waterfall inside is covered in fluffy white fake snow. Yes, snow. And huge polar bears and penguins and snowy owls and all sorts of things that you’d see in way cold climates. Never mind that those don’t even live in the same hemispheres together, but this is Hawaii! Covering the whale statue with a wreath and snow doesn’t make it not a whale. I also don’t understand why they’re covering the whale in the first place, as they are one of our winter migratory residents– they come here in the winter because it’s warm.

Aside: Baby whales are born here in the winter. This is exciting! ^_^

Don’t get me wrong about this whole Christmas thing; I’m going to put up our Christmas tree because it’s ours and we’re going to celebrate regardless of where we are. I love Christmas. It’s just that it is currently 90 degrees Fahrenheit  and almost no breeze and it feels like July. Not November. And I think having all of the Christmas stuff out is making it feel warmer than it really is, if that makes sense. Maybe I’ll adjust eventually, but it will probably be just in time for the Navy to send us to Seattle or some place equally as cold. So goes life, right?

Things are going well otherwise, though I haven’t had much to write about lately. I’ve been working on my novel for NaNoWriMo, and reached the halfway point today– 25,000 words. I’m hoping I’ll finish early, so this is a good thing. I’m hosting a write-in at a local Borders this evening, so I should get some more added to my wordcount there.

To end on a positive note: I am not going to complain in the least about being able to go to the beach and enjoy the sun and swim in the water during the winter one bit. And that’s what I have to keep reminding myself. ^_^