Brian Rogers Rogers Rabbits www.sunlive.co.nz

It never ceases to amaze RR researchers how time flies getting ready for Christmas. As astute reader Greg pointed out this week:

'It's not as if we didn't know. It's like this every year. We've known this Christmas was coming for at least two thousand years.”

Some people go crazy with the preparation. As if holidays, combined with excessive eating and drinking isn't enough, somehow gift giving has to be added to the confusion.
The Three Wise Men are technically to blame. They kicked off the concept of bearing gifts.

We bring you the Sun's selection of Christmas Lights in this week's centrespread. Take a cruise and see what some of the neighbourhoods have been up to. This effort, sent by a resourceful reader, is not on the list.

There's no denying, however, the whole gift industry has been taken over by Even Wiser Women and hijacked by commercial interests.

How smart are those wise guys now? What they thought was a one-off lark, a bit of horsing around with myrrh and frankincense, turns out to be the start of a lot of traffic jams and burnt out credit cards.

A couple of thousand years ago, those items must have been considered the funniest prank gifts available, since the whoopee cushion and Billy the Singing Bass hadn't been invented.

That one night out, fooling around on the camels in Mary's 'hood, has spawned a whole cultural revolution that now involves not just a few whacky gifts for a kid born via dubious conception methods; but from everyone, to everyone, including some people who you have a special festive wish: That they would just go away.

Wrapped up
And the wrapping, (Warning: A gross generalisation approaching). This is where the women come in.
Never before in the history of mankind is such a fuss created by a bit of coloured paper and sticky tape than during the lead up to Christmas.

Men everywhere cringe when Christmas approaches, because most are not excited by wrapping anything. Women generally (warning: more gross generalisation approaching) are the absolute world champions of buying, wrapping, stressing and general over-zealous organising.

Women take care of everything and worry about everything and covering every little eventuality and even some very unlikely scenarios.

While men are completely occupied just trying to figure out how to spell myrrh and whether we should try smoking it.

Best friend
Meanwhile, in gripping news just to hand: A new survey has shown that when it comes to spreading Christmas cheer, Kiwis will spend more on their dogs than their partners. (What, people spend on their partners?)

The survey investigated New Zealanders' attitudes to the health and care of their pets, along with how much money they invested in taking care of their four-legged family members.

The majority (57 per cent) of respondents say they would buy their dog a Christmas present, with the same percentage (57 per cent) saying they already spend between $50-$100 per month on their dog. (Do they get their partner to wrap it?)

Interestingly, when it came to presents for their partner, nearly two thirds of dog owners say they spent less on their loved one than their pet. Sixty three per cent of dog owners say they spent less than $50 per month on presents for their spouse or partner.

The numbers weren't so flash for dog health spending, however.

So here at RR we recommend you look after your best buddy with a health check for Christmas. Oh, and take the partner along too, she may be showing signs of distemper or just bad temper after all that wrapping.

Finally, A reminder for all of us, sent by several astute readers: (And apologies to Bayline)

Hi everyone. I would like to share an experience with you all, about drinking and driving. As you well know, some of us have been known to ‘tipple' during this time of the year. Well, it recently happened to me. A couple of nights ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends and had a few too many beers and some rather nice claret. Knowing full well I may have been slightly over the limit, I did something I've never done before – I took a bus home.

I arrived home safely and without incident, which was a real surprise, as I have never driven a bus before and am not sure where I got this one.