It is the single most wonderful time of the year. The Starbucks cups have turned red.

This means that it’s almost time for seasonal festivities; everything is filled with warmth and joy, and everything has peppermint or gingerbread flavoring added to it. Yes. Nothing says merry like high fructose corn syrup.

But I’m a little confused. I remember seasonal joy beginning in early December. Then as I got older it shifted to Thanksgiving. I was still staring longingly at the pumpkin and sweet potato displays in the supermarket when they were shoved in the corner in lieu of a Christmas stocking filled with peppermint sticks.

Then it turned to mid-November, which was fine, but a little disenchanting, because on-sale Halloween candy was no longer on sale. If you put red-and-green wrapping on a piece of chocolate, it all of a sudden becomes pricey. Not to mention it’s like doing a tribal dance begging for early snow. I’m not ready for snow yet.

I’m still jumping in leaves (metaphorically, that is), buying everything pumpkin-spice flavored. I’m protesting having to go to the closet for my hefty winter coat ‘ which, sad to say, has been officially bust out.

The cups are red, and the coffee kiosk in the New University Union is also warming the hearts of many with seasonal winter beverages. But I’m not ready for it to be winter for so many reasons. I have already harped on my autumnal joy and abnormal love for all things orange and with vitamin A (pumpkin, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, etc.), but it’s like my favorite establishments ‘ any place that distributes coffee ‘ are trying to shove me head-first into 2011.

I am so not ready for the new year. I’m also not ready to buy Hanukkah and Christmas gifts, but aside from my daily economic burdens, I am too busy trying to enjoy my last months in 2010 and savor the end of fall semester. A piece of me wants to languish and bask in eternal work, because before I know it, I will not be stressing over deadlines that determine grades but deadlines that determine whether or not I can afford to eat.

I have embraced the fact that come May 2011, I will be graduating, but I have no need to rush into the holiday season and then head-first into the new year. I’m all for planning ahead and being responsible, but I really would like to stay in the present.

What happened to those kindergarten-era cornucopia baskets and fake Pilgrim hats made out of construction paper? Don’t jump into Christmas sales when we haven’t even hit Black Friday yet. And do not make me start writing new year’s resolutions. I have two more months to make epic mistakes to encourage even better resolutions than I could possibly conceive at this present moment.

It’s early November. It’s not even Veteran’s Day yet. I still love those red cups and it does give me that little warm bubble inside of all things merry and gingerbread, but I’m not willing to give up all things autumn, November 2010 and, for that matter, everything orange and with vitamin A. I know that sweet potatoes go on major sale at the end of the month. And I love me some sweet potatoes.