Life Day, Muppets and Jimmy Stewart.

As the frenzied madness of pre-Christmas shopping pulls itself to it’s traffic jam climax, let’s all just Take(i) a minute and remember what this weekend is all about.

Re-runs.

Specifically, this is the only week where you get to see all your favorite old timey, overplayed, cheesy and nostalgically amazing viewer fare.

For example: The Star Wars Christmas Special. Which will most likely never been seen again on TV, but is available right now, because I love ( or is it hate?) you all.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=323909610753051544]

The Star Wars Christmas Special features the original cast, plus singing from Leia and even one the Golden Girls throwing the smack down on Greedo.

My personal favorites are The Muppet Christmas Carol, starring The Muppets (of course) and Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, and Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with Jimmy Stewart.

I cry every time at the end of Christmas Carol. I cry through most of Wonderful Life. But why?

At the heart of things is that it’s the one time of year where many people, regardless of creed or of holiday celebrated, try to get together for whatever reason, be merry around each other and try to be generous if possible. At least in most of my circles.

Plenty of people don’t celebrate the various holidays. And I understand. This year, as with most years recently, I’ve been placed at the helm for managing everything: Tree, gifts for everyone from everyone (only tech literate person by blood), food, decorating, scheduling trains and picking up out of towners.

I’m broke and tired and cranky and spiteful. I almost threw a chair at my optometrist.I had planned on making handi-crafts and cookies all month. That ship has sailed my friends. After it sailed, someone fired a flaming pitch covered arrow at it and watched it burn.

But watching these dorky movies, I get to sit down, take a load and remember what I used to like about Christmas, before I became “A Responsible Adult.”

I remember being a kid and every year asking for a chemistry set, a mini bio-dome and a microscope from the Sears Wish Book. And never getting one. In fact I never got a science anything, BB gun, tools or rock tumbler. I

But I did get the doll that I wanted as well, her entire wardrobe and a matching 1770’s ballgown. And loved it. I was also allowed to turn the entire living room into a duct tape and sheet set holiday fortress. Wall to wall, tape, tree, sheets and leftover cookies.

And . . .  The Muppets singing “There goes Mr. Humbug, there goes Mr. Grim . . .”

Please, share your favorite, most ridiculed, most watched, most hated, most drunk to holiday movies. If you can, include a  clip or an image.

And remember,

Spaghetti Monster Bless Us, Every One!

Now pass over that eggnog. And make it more nog than egg, I’ve earned it this year.