It's Christmas time in the city

Baking? Check. Shopping? Check. Wrapping? Well, not yet. But I've started, so at least I'm a few percentage points into it.

And surprisingly, I'm finding that for some reason this year I'm not wishing it would just be over. Not yet. Although usually by now I've had it up to here and then some with Christmas.

I'd like to blame the big, lit-up, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. door-busters retailers, but that wouldn't be honest. My dismay over the annual holiday comes from no one else but me.

I don't like to shop, but I do like to find the perfect gift -- which sets up the dilemma. How do you find the perfect gift if you don't like to shop?

I've done the online shopping thing, and it works OK when you know what you want, but for pure, oh-my-God-I-can't-believe-I-found-pink-knitting-needles-that-light-up retail discoveries, you have to physically walk into the stores and look around with your eyes and wallet open.

I did just that -- three times this Christmas, as a matter of fact. Pretty proud of myself that in three trips I managed to score what I needed for about dozen people of all ages and tastes. So I'm not sick of the holiday yet because I'm actually excited to see how people react when they open their gifts.

And if they hate what I got them, there's a bit of good news: No one I know is impolite enough to tell me.