Already???????

  I do not live near any shopping facilities other than a couple of stores that resemble 7 - 11 quick shop type stores.  There is a small difference in that you can buy guns and bullets at one of the stores while  you can buy TV's, refrigerators, etc at both.  They carry a very eclectic selection and they usually charge an arm, a leg, and your first born.

So its been kind of fun wandering through various stores lined up along the street or in the shopping mall over in Ala Moana.  The shock to me was realizing that many of the stores are already set up for the Christmas season! This includes having Christmas music floating through the store.  In one store, I looked over the side of the escalator and saw a display of men's Christmas pajamas.

Two of the outfits were ok but the third reminded me of a suit from the 1960's with kind of a green plaid with little christmas trees alternating all over the outfit.  My first thoughts were "God that looks like something Austin Powers would wear!"  It took me a few minutes to realize its not something you would wear outside but rather it was a lounging suit for inside.  Honestly, I don't see any male I know wearing it or evening looking to buy it.  I do know a few women who might buy it for their spouse because they think its cute but they are the ones who don't have great taste.

I really think that its way too early to start advertising Christmas.  We haven't even gotten through Thanksgiving and I really haven't seen any thing telling us Thanksgiving is coming.  Does that mean Christmas is much more profitable for the stores?  Things have changed so much.  When I was growing up, they didn't start advertising Christmas till the day after Thanksgiving and now it appears to be Halloween.  I'm waiting for them to start commercials by October 1st at some point.

I'm happy I live where I don't usually have to see the commercialism except when I fly into town at Christmas.  I realize this is a bit of a rant but I went through culture shock when I went shopping last night.