Holiday Spirit

I've found it especially difficult to get into the Christmas spirit this year. I think it's safe to attribute this to two specific factors: 1) Since I'm no longer in school, there's no extended "winter break," which, let's face it would be pretty awesome right about now regardless of religious affiliation; and 2) despite the fact that I no longer live in Miami, I nonetheless step outside on December 18th to see the thermometer flashing a decidedly non-festive "75 F."

However, I think I may have found a suitable cure:

That's right...it's the "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Soundtrack CD! This is, quite possibly, the best Christmas album ever created.

Childhood nostalgia: check
Timeless characters we all know and love: check
Great music: check

Anyone who's seen the cartoon special (i.e., 95% of everyone in America) remembers how important the music was in setting the tone of the story. But even if you're part of the other 5% who has somehow managed to avoid this holiday standard your entire life, I highly recommend this CD for the musical performances alone. Vince Guaraldi and the boys definitely do it up right, and new this year is the remastered edition with several bonus track/alternate takes.

You won't be disappointed, if you have a soul. Otherwise, I make no guarantees.


**EDIT**
Yeah, I realize now that the last line of this post makes no sense and actually comes off a little creepy, but there's a simple explanation for that. Originally, I had included a sentence about how that CD "would touch the very essence of your soul," or something to that effect. Thus the "soul" theme had been established, and the last line was there to bring it all together.

However as I neared completion, I said to myself, "Self, you know that sounds like your trying a little too hard to be Will Farrell-as-James Lipton." So I took out the first part and thus shattered the whole "soul" motif.

Then I completely forgot to change the ending.

So there you go. Merry Christmas, you soul-less bastards!