It’s almost that time of year again: the holiday season. Since the boy was born the holidays have?taken on new meaning. We now have the joy of looking at the season through the eyes of a child and that reminds of of why we like cold-as-heck November and December in the first place. What’s more, now that the boy is getting older his toys are getting much cooler and the boredom that is associated with playing Chutes and Ladders (fun game for kids, not so much for adults) will give way to dueling disks, web shooters and remote-controlled doohickeys. Shopping may bring some savings in this lousy economy too.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.?I still have to get past Halloween and make decisions about?the looming so-called obligations.?My mother has already called me to let me know that?Thanksgiving dinner will be held at my aunt’s house in?Pennsylvania. That’s a total of four hours of driving there and back on a perfectly good holiday when I could be sitting at home in my pjs with my family, relaxing.?Plus my wife has gotten to the point where she can be considered a master of fine holiday cooking and I look forward?to gorging myself more and more each year. So, as is becoming tradition, I am trying to avoid the drive, and the extended family, in favor of a little food induced holiday hedonism.

A more immediate obligation?is that at work I have to dress as a book character for Halloween. I have no clue what to?wear, or why for that matter. It does sound like an opportunity to have a little fun at work that I otherwise would not have. And costumes can be used for all kinds of things! Readers, let me know if you have any suggestions on what school-appropriate character I should be. I’m thinking about being the black Lestat. Hey, he was in a novel before he was in a movie.