Hell in a Window

I had an appointment in the Fracture Clinic to check progress with my wrist. The appointment was for 8.30 am and I left home before 8.00, expecting to be there by 8.40 at the latest. No way that was going to happen. Traffic was at a standstill, and I'd hardly progressed at all by 8.20, at which stage I decided to cut my losses, reverse direction and head out to Howth for some early-morning fresh air. The idea was good, but the 'fresh air' turned out to be a howling gale rather than a bracing breeze, and I didn't survive very long.

My original plan had been to hang on in town after my clinic appointment to try for the non-Christmas presents for the weekend's two parties, and I stuck to that, including a stop for a bite to eat in one of the shopping centres. It was a pretty dreadful and desperately experience. Everywhere I went I was bombarded with non-stop 'seasonal' music, even on this so-called 'off-day' of the week there were milling crowds all over, rushing and pushing and shoving and jostling. All in got done in three and a half hours was spot one appropriate present for the housewarming party. Then it was back home to a cold house (my heating oil ran out yesterday evening and the re-fill delivery didn't get here until 3.30 pm).

This is part of a window display I spotted on the way back to the car, and it sums up everything that's worst about the Christmas lead-up. It's a good display in its own way (surprisingly good, in fact, for the store in question), but the values it represents are pretty desperate -- ostentation, over-indulgence, bad taste. Yuck!