Day Two & Three: Off to a Slow Start...

So this experiment is offically off to a slow start.  After a big kick off with five albums being enjoyed (and no real mockery being experienced as of yet!), we hit the weekend and, with it, a bit of a standstill.  Some of that came from the sheer fact that, by it's very nature, there's not as much commute time (or at least time where one can listen to Christmas music undettered) and a whole lot more family time, ideally.  And there has been.

So, all that to say, the Christmas journey has been a very subtle one this weekend.  Friday saw me revisiting Antsy McClain in the morning, and despite the protestations of the young 'uns on the way to school.  McClain just nails such heartfelt honesty and humor that I felt compelled to listen that second time.  And frankly, I feel like that's going to be one of the issues with this whole experiment.  Many of these songs and these albums have that feel of old friends and family and, much like those holiday times when loved one's come together, you long for one more warm hour with them, one more moment to share over old times and share old stories.

Now, to be fair, I did follow that up with Christina Aguilera's My Kind of Christmas to finish up the afternoon in hopes of winning the kids back to my side.  Granted, they weren't terribly overwhelmed but let me have my way since it was the weekend.  Aguilera's album continues to be a fun listen as, much like Michael Bolton, she lays it all out there and plays up the over-the-top factor with the best of them, letting her runs and trills run rampant throughout the record but, for some reason, you just don't mind.

Saturday was a pretty light day for us and the only real listening time that availed itself was in a quick commute to pick up my son from roller derby practice.  So, keeping in stride, my daughter reached in and, after much deliberation and telling me that'd she'd help me pick one out later, we grabbed Garth Brooks & the Magic of Christmas and headed out.  Brooks' album is, in some ways, a bit of a disappointment.  From someone who made such a mark as a full-fledged entertainer, you'd expect a bit more connection with a holiday recording but this, while still enjoyable, falls a bit short.  It also led my son to voice the first discontent with this experiment as he questioned, "Why do we keep listening to Christmas music?  We shouldn't be hearing this for another two months!"

I have found myself questioning why I'm even taking this journey, of why put myself toward even documenting something that, for all intents and purposes, is somewhat foolish and pointless. Yet, for me, the reason is multiple. One, I hate the fact of owning things that I don't use. I don't want to just consume for the sake of comsumption. So I think it's a shame when things like great albums get passed over some years for the latest and greatest.

Secondly, I guess I'm just longing to engage the spirit of Christmas and get it going early. I want to remember the nostalgia, the heartbeat, and, yes, the true reason as I journey forth. Plus, I'm really morbidly curious to see if I can in fact burn myself out on this stuff. Only time will tell...

(On a bizarre side note, Chevy Chase's National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation was on today...Guess I'm not the only one thinking ahead...)