CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK CITY

Christmas is upon us. Tis the season to gather with friends and loved ones to celebrate what many consider a joyous time. Homes filled with the scent of pine from the newly decorated tree, mixed with the sounds of wood crackling in the fireplace, it's the perfect setting for the perfect holiday... unless of course you find it extremely depressing and the exquisite time to slit your wrists...

Walking the crowded streets of New York City during Christmas shopping season is something that I cannot express fully in words. It's an event that must be experienced to appreciate (or completely despise). While others gawk at Macy's herald Square, Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, I find myself peering at the unconventional. Sights like the shivering homeless man around the corner; the overdressed crazy lady with caked-on makeup and most of all, the Asian people who haven't a clue as to what all these frickin' lights represent...

Some may call me a bit Grinchy or Scroogey, but I really do love Christmas. It reminds me of how fortunate I am to have such a crazy yet lovable family; life-long friends who pepper me with adoring abuse wrapped in a large gold bow, and plenty of spiked egg nog dripping down the side of my inebriated mouth.

Wearing nothing more than jogging pants and a festive tie around his neck, Mario Vasquez would be the only thing that'll take my holiday blues away. Who needs a pile of gifts when I can have some latin sauce?

Merry Christmas bitches...