YOU'D BETTER WATCH OUT

I don’t suppose I need to point out to you the fact that Christmas movies started showing up on TV the day after Halloween, but I really don’t mind. ‘Tis the season to be jolly should be year-round and not just limited to December. We watched our first Christmas movie of the year a few nights ago--National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I didn’t laugh at it as much as I did the first time around in a Wichita movie theater 20 years ago, but it was still amusing at times. I tried watching Polar Express last night but couldn't stay interested in it, even though a creepily-animated Tom Hanks was in it.

I am partial to A Christmas Story. It’s the one with the lovable Ralphie and his quest to have Santa bring him a Red Ryder b-b gun. Starting on Christmas Eve, it runs for 24 hours on TBS, and you can bet I’ll be watching and LMAO at Ralphie’s escapades, his little brother Randy’s goofiness, their father’s groveling, and their mother’s ditzy-doodle exasperation with them all. I NEVER get tired of seeing this movie. There are too many hilarious moments to name just one, but one of them is when the boys go to a department store to talk to Santa and when it’s their turn they freak out. Probably doesn’t help that Santa is buzzed on booze and bitchy-tired of the job. Another funny scene is when Dad wins a prize that comes to the house in a big box marked “FRAGILE” and he pronounces it “FRA-GEE-LAY,” thinking it’s an Italian import. --See, I told you I couldn’t stop at giving just ONE hilarious moment in the movie.

I can’t wait until Christmas Eve. Seeing Ralphie once again is the best present of them all.