Have you ventured to the mall recently? I think we skipped Thanksgiving and went straight to Christmas. I know we are in the tail end of a recession, but do retailers really have to put their Christmas decorations up so early? Shopping for candy at Target, I spotted Christmas decorations mingling the with Halloween decor. There is barely a chill in the air and the malls have us standing in line with Frosty. I love Christmas time, but it hard to maintain the magic of the holidays when shopping malls fast-forward our seasons.

How is it already November? I know I say this every month–but for me the warm months fly by so quickly. We are now entering the dreaded cold, when even walking the dog becomes a wind-blown chore. To make my November even more special, I have jury duty to look forward to.

For newbies, jury duty may sound interesting, a chance to play hooky from work while watching our beloved judicial system in action. I don’t think I even minded jury duty–at first. But, in the glorious city of Baltimore, I get called to jury duty once a year. Its a great experience; paying $25 to park my car in a city garage to have the privilege of acting surly in hopes of not being selected for a murder trial. A few years ago, a friend of mine actually got pick-pocketed at jury duty, but that is not the point of my rant. On Monday, jury selection begins for one of two cases against the mayor of our fine city, for stealing gift cards intended for the needy. Unfortunately my summons came a few weeks too late.

Are you happy; it is the theme of a reoccurring dream that has been haunting me. Each morning in a sleep-filled haze, my boyfriend asks me if I am happy. Before you readjust to daylight standard time, I recommend taking a moment each day to think about your happiness and then if need be, take the steps to attain that happiness.

preppy=happy ; )