ho ho ho in not-ohio

colombians are getting ready to celebrate the birth of baby j. or rather, they have been since immediately post-halloween (no thanksgiving to stave it off). the lights of the city have been lit, and crimmus carols continually piped into the grocery stores (including, delightfully, bing crosby). i mean, i thought midwesterners were obsessed. barring life-size yard ornaments from consideration in a competition, i think the bogotanos could hands-down take it. and frightfully, there seems to be polonium-like low amounts of cynicism and insincerity here in this urban center. maybe that's what creeps me out a little. my sincerely-full-of-crimmus-spirit roommate, before wrapping up her fieldwork here on coke's bottling plants (i affectionately called her señorita coca-cola -- hug her for me at steve's this weekend), left me with these little items of decor for holiday cheer. somehow she sensed i wouldn't bother to do anything about it myself. but i have to say that the glittery bunch of styrofoam gold balls (? i have no idea) and pint-size tree are just the right additions to the apt. now if only i could convince steve to vacuum seal some punkin pie and ship it down here, i'd be set...