Okay, so due to the winter storm that should have been named "Irene: Part 2," Halloween didn't really happen this year in Connecticut. However, even when the weather doesn't interfere, Halloween and Thanksgiving still tend to be eclipsed by something called "the Christmas creep."

I don't know when it started. It was probably many years ago before I began to pay attention, but the Christmas creep seems to be earlier every year. This year at the local outlet mall I heard Christmas carols right after Labor Day. I was wearing short sleeves and listening to Bing Crosby sing about snow. Can anything be more surreal? I had just been eating hot dogs and potato salad at an end-of-summer picnic and the next day my eyes were assaulted with red and green decorations and my ears were harassed by songs about winter weather. What happened to autumn? I wondered. I didn't even feel ready for that!

Growing up in New Jersey, I heard ads for a stereo store called Crazy Eddie's. Crazy Eddie would be on the radio shouting about his big Christmas in August sale. "It's Christmas in August!" he'd screech. Sleigh bells would be ringing in the background. It was silly and outrageous and funny. Christmas in August. That Eddie sure was crazy celebrating Christmas in August! I wonder what old Eddie would think about hearing Christmas songs right after Labor Day at the outlets. Who's crazy now?

Will it be long before Christmas creeps into August? July? June? In a few years will I be wearing sandals and hearing carols? When I shop for a new bathing suit, will Johnny Mathis be crooning at me about chestnuts roasting over an open fire? Won't that snowman he builds so he can pretend it's Parson Brown melt in the summer sun?

Something isn't right.

I don't listen to Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" in the summer with its talk of Thanksgiving dinner cooked by none other than Alice herself. I don't listen to "White Christmas" when Jack-o-Lanterns are burning, either. Do you? Okay, maybe some of you do, but I bet most of you don't.

Even Black Friday has gotten into the act. This year stores started their Black Friday sales on what should have been Thanksgiving Thursday. I kept wondering about the employees who had to pass on a second helping of stuffing because they needed to hop in their cars and high-tail it to work. This doesn't seem fair. If you want to stand outside in line for hours waiting for stores to open, that's your choice. But what if you're just trying to hold onto your job? Do you really have a choice when your employer decides that Thursday is the new Friday? Not in this economy.

Personally, I didn't go near a mall on Black Friday, much less Black Thursday. I didn't want to deal with lines, crowds, and people pushing me down to get to the last Monster High doll. I was in a post-Thanksgiving-dinner food coma on the couch. The thought that I'd be contributing to even one employee's having to leave his or her family didn't sit well, so I stayed home with mine.

I don't know if I can be part of the solution. However, I resolved this autumn to not be part of the problem. I bought mums and pumpkins in October. I took long walks and kicked at leaves as I did so. In November my thoughts were on turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. On Thanksgiving I wore fall colors and refused to watch Christmas Story even though it was on and I watch it every year.

Now that December is here officially, I'm all good with the red and green. Bring on the tinsel and songs about living in a "marshmallow world" of snow. Now I want eggnog and candy canes and sleigh rides. And you know what else? I want Santa to leave me something extra for not rushing him this year.

Juliana Gribbins is a writer who believes that absurdity is the spice of life. Write to her at jeepgribbs@hotmail.com.