It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ...

There was a chill in the air yesterday, brought on partly by the combination of a Pats loss and the end of the Red Sox season, and, of course, the colder temperatures. Add to that the fact that I spent a chunk of the weekend changing over my closet from short-sleeved clothes to long-sleeved ones, and it was hard to believe it was only October 12, because it felt like early November, at least.

But then, while wandering the aisles of Target in Watertown, my eyes saw a sight that warmed my heart: A full display of Christmas music on sale! And, as if right on cue, my iPhone told me I had a new email, and it was the weekly new-releases message from Newbury Comics. What's going on sale this week? Well, it's funny you should ask. Today marks the release of new holiday music collections from (deep breath) David Archuleta, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Irish Tenors, the Jackson 5, Barry Manilow, and Manheim Steamroller, among others. And yes, there was a whole display wall at Target just waiting to be filled by those new releases.

You know, most people hate it when stores jump the gun and start putting out their Christmas stuff before Halloween's even over. Not me. I say, "Oh happy day! Christmas is coming!" Or, to quote one of my holiday favorites, "I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now. For I need a little Christmas, right this very minute."

So yes, you know where this blog post is going. If new holiday music and decorations are out, then it can only mean one thing: It's time to start the annual compilation process for A Very Marty Xmas. Last year I decided not to make a mix, but maybe this year it'll return. Only time will tell if these new releases will be of high enough quality to make a mix equal in quality to A Very Marty Xmas 2007. Stay tuned.

For now, if this is what the change of seasons means — that Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat — then I say it didn't get cold early enough. Woo hoo!