Not yet!

Ug. While driving on the freeway today I heard, for the first time this year, an ad with Christmas music. Can't we let Halloween pass? I've given up on the stores. They've had Christmas crap out since Labor Day. That's a battle I can't win. But come on! We shouldn't be subjected to Christmas music until the week before Thanksgiving, at most.

I still have three holidays to get through before I even consider Christmas (Halloween, Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving). And so help me, if Starbucks dumps the pumpkin lattes this year after Halloween I'll scream. I went to the one at the JFK airport last year and they had dumped pumpkin in favor of egg nog and peppermint after Halloween. I asked why and they told me to make room for the winter flavors. I asked the clerk what kind of pie was most common on Thanksgiving, and when she replied pumpkin, she got it. Don't dump the frickin' pumpkin until after Thanksgiving. Hell, I wish they wouldn't dump it at all. I'd drink it year round.

It all boils down to this: Christmas has quite a complex these days and is pushing in on other holiday's spotlight. It's got to stop. I, for one, vow to not purchase a single Christmas gift for 2007 pre-Thanksgiving. Nor will I order any non-pumpkin beverage from Starbucks pre-December 1. At least Coffee Mate gets it right. They keep their pumpkin flavor available through Christmas. That's how it should be done.