'Tis the Season for the Senses

Another November day is nearing its end and I'm a little closer to reaching the 50,000-word milestone. I wrote today's installment in a Starbucks on the east side of San Jose.

I think it's safe to say the coffee chain's Christmas conversion is complete. It has been for the past two weeks, but today was the first day I was immersed in it.

The sight of my red cup with white-silhouetted figures gathered for a holiday feast got my eyes in the spirit of the season. The smell of my peppermint mocha got my nose in the mood. The taste of the drink got my tongue in the swing of things. My fingertips were too busy typing to care much about the holidays. Only my ears felt left out in the cold by the store's festivities for the senses.

To stop their whining, I bought them the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas to listen to while I typed. They've always been suckers for Vince Guaraldi. By the end of the first track ("O Tannenbaum"), they had settled down enough for me to write in peace and reach my daily quota.