Invasion of the Christmas Carols

It starts some time in November. Up until then there are only spotty reminders that Christmas is coming. The occasional glimpse of a Christmas decoration, the clown at the Halloween party dressed like Santa. Some time around Thanksgiving, however, things take a turn for the worse. This year it happened early, on November 19th. That's when not one, not two, but three Hartford area radio stations went full-time with Christmas music. At first you try to avoid it. The second you hear "Hap-" or "Have a hol-" or "Deck the-" or "Grandma got-" your fingers are flying at those preset buttons faster than you can say Bing Crosby. But they'll get you. Every day they gnaw at you, on TV, on the radio, at the department stores, in the elevator, until one day soon you catch yourself whistling like Four Calling Birds and snapping your fingers to "♪ So leave a peppermint stick for Old St. Nick, and don't forget to hang your sock, 'cuz just exactly twelve o'clock, he'll be comin' down the chimney now!♪". You can't fight it, it's going to happen. The Christmas Carol body snatchers will take over your mind. Before long you'll be lining up to see Alvin and the Chipmunks or at the FYE battling with some Grandma for the last copy of Clay Aiken's Merry Christmas with Love CD. And then you're done. Your mind is mush until January. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.