twenty-something

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... in my mouth.

I bought a case of Orbit gum at Costco a couple weeks ago and I just cracked it open. My first pack was Bubblegum, and I've taken to chewing on it fairly constantly since.

On my walk home from work tonight, rocking out ot my iPod, trying not to cough up a lung from this damn cold, I started blowing bubbles.

And for some reason, the kick-back from these bubbles -- you know, the-pop-and-inhale thing -- combined with the cold November air juuuuust right. And my mouth was filled with the taste of cinnamon and... something. It was familiar, tasty -- no delicious -- comforting, and somewhat wonderful.

"Hm," I said to myself, seriously, aloud, walking home with headphones on.

I did it again -- the bubble, the kick-back, that taste. And then it donned on me.

The bubbles taste like Christmas. My mouth tastes like Christmas. Still. I don't get it. I'm not "ho ho ho"ing my way home. I'm not picturing chestnuts on a fire or anywhere else. No stocking. Not even snow. But I taste something, and it just screams Christmas to me. Like a Yankee Candle, in glorious gum form.

I am a very ridiculous man. I don't believe in Santa or Christmas spirit, In fact, maybe I'm the Grinch. But this gum tastes and feels damn good when you blow a bubble. Olfactory bliss on the walk home from work.

It's Christmas in my mouth. And everyone's invited.