I went to CostCo last week and what did I find?

Christmas. In September.

It's bad enough that retailers started shoving us into Halloween back in August, when it was still high summer and the whole beach and pool and naps in a hammock vibe was in full swing. To force us into Christmas four months early is shameful.

I'm not naive. I know it's about the bottom line.

The bottom line for me, though, is numbness. By the time December rolls around and the seasons have shifted and the light is gone, by the time you have an almost physical craving for the visceral comfort of saturated colors and tiny lights, shiny objects and spicy greens, these symbols of the holiday have been around so long they're sapped of their power.

Every year it gets worse and the sad thing is, it'll never change.

Well, that's not true. Next year, somewhere, they'll start peddling Christmas in July.