As yesterday's temperatures soared to 90 degrees...disturbing for the first week of October...I did what any rational person would do in the circumstances...I decided to browse through the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog.

As it turns out, I'm glad I did it now so that it didn't leave a nasty taste in my mouth closer to the big day. It was all so...dull...taking bland-but-expensive to dizzying heights. Do the wealthy really buy such boring Christmas gifts? I don't imagine that they trade Caribbean islands or diamond mines but does anyone thrill with delight at receiving a $7,500 Hello Kitty necklace or a $4,800 enameled giraffe "objet"? Not an objet d'art you understand, as this is definitely not art,just a plain old objet. Looking through the catalog provoked as much excitement as having a gift certificate that's about to expire in a store you don't really like.

The only thing I could find that I'd get vaguely enthusiastic about if I found it under the tree was a Marc by Marc Jacobs letter bracelet...cute, though I think the jangling would push me over the edge...and one step closer to the eggnog.