I spotted another Santa a few weeks ago in clear violation of any pre-Thanksgiving Christmas decorating rules. I know the etiquette is unclear, but I still consider it Holiday cheating. Each is entitled to its separate glory and Christmas should wait its turn until Thanksgiving is over. I did not realize how out-of-control Santa spottings were this year, or how many cities claimed his name.

I know that Disney has created a collision of Halloween and Christmas known as The Nightmare Before Christmas. I once experienced the bad dream known originally as “Black Friday” that has now grown to several Fridays and all the days in-between. Even more alarming is that Walt & Company have cleverly stretched the transition to nearly two months. The Haunted Mansion is the masterful showpiece where orange pumpkins, green bows of pine, white skeletons, red bows, and black shrouds all come together in a massive, colorful explosion of grief and cheer. At first, I thought they just forgot to take down the Halloween decorations, but instead they brought the two holidays together under one haunted roof, while Tim Burton’s ghostly Sandy Claws replaces beloved Santa.

I was impressed to the point where I stood in line twice as I tried to take-in all the intricate decorating details of a “Merry Pumpkin Mess!” It was overwhelming, but some balance was finally restored to my Holiday Spirit once I rode through It’s A Small World and saw signs of Santa Claus again in more languages than I could count. He’s everywhere and not just this time of season.

I flew into Santa Ana, booked a trip next weekend to Santa Barbara, and will soon prepare for Santa Claus to eventually “Come To Town.” In fact, this Santa fellow now appears to be stalking me wherever I go. I had yet to catch on when I initially spotted him in Santa Monica earlier this year. Now, he’s everywhere, and many places I’m not – like Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Maria, and Santa Rosa. Sometimes it even looks like he’s been on a diet or simply spent some time trimming his iconic beard. I’m beginning to think that there’s more than just one!