Nitty Gritty Christmas

I have been in Denver a lot this holiday season. As I drive around the Mercedes I use when I am here I keep hearing this “Colorado Christmas” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Ok, even just typing that I feel like I need hand sanitizer. The chorus of the song is

“But all along the Rockies you can feel it in the air
From Telluride to Boulder down below
The closest thing to heaven on this planet anywhere
Is a quiet Christmas morning in the Colorado snow”

I don’t want to take away from anyone’s Christmas fantasy, and it sure is lovely here in Denver, and I cannot deny that it is very picture perfect Christmas looking sometimes, but really? The closest thing to Heaven? Did they get a kickback from the tourism department for writing that line? And that is not even my biggest issue with the song. The last line verse says

“Now the sun is setting in the California sky
And I can't find the spirit anywhere
So I think it's time for me to tell Los Angeles goodbye
I'm going back home to look for Christmas there”

Ok, I get the whole midnight train to Georgia vibe, going home to simpler place and time vibe, but really? Can’t find the spirit anywhere? Are you even trying? Suck it up man and quit your bit, er complaining. Seriously!

The truth is that my family is in the process of moving to Denver. Currently I work 2 weeks in Denver, 1 week in Oklahoma City, and then back to Denver for 2 weeks. This will continue until June of 2011. It is a baptism of fire work wise, but slightly less idea for my family and me. To help my littlest one cope with this separation and the transition we have 2 “family rules” we live by, and they have been boiled down to short phrases he often repeats to himself when he needs some motivation. The first rule is “we do what has to be done”. The second is “we will make it work”. He has added a few extra rules for himself “focus on the positive, Always!” Another one he stole from Heather; “FIDO” which means, forget it drive on. His last rule is pure genius though, and applies to this dirty grimy Christmas song. “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.” Sort of variation on bloom where you are planted or when life gives you limes, make margaritas.

Do I want to spend the first 2 weeks of the holiday season away from Kat and the boys? Or course not. Is a Denver style Christmas what I am used to? No! (They do not even know the BC Clark jingle here, how can they tell it is Christmas?) That being said, I do see the holiday spirit here. The same as I would expect to find it anywhere I happened to be for the holidays.