They can be cranky, bewildered, giddy, frustrated and sometimes moved to violence. In short, they are afflicted with the New York City Getaway Fever.

Christmas in Bethlehem. The ancient dream: a cold, clear night made brilliant by a glorious star, the smell of incense, shepherds and wise men falling to their knees in adoration of the sweet baby, the incarnation of perfect love.

She (Virginia Kelley) describes the chaos ... She describes an incident in which Bill's grandmother and she literally were pulling him apart,

In the railroads, some people read clearly printed departure signs and then proceed to ask several times what they say. On airplanes, they demand things they know they cannot have. In their cars, they load up, drive away and then suddenly realize they don't know where they're going.

The simple tableau is so rich with meaning that whether represented on the mantelpiece or in the mind, it seems suspended, complete unto itself, somewhere in eternity.

I'm cranky.