Betty and I had one of the nicest Christmases in recent memory this past weekend. I’m not sure how, but everything came together in a good way for us – including a surprise bonus from her boss that made us feel a little less guilty about buying each other presents (though I never feel entirely unguilty, being both Catholic and only partly employed). (Or is that fully employed but underpaid? Something like that.)
I got a new printer/fax/scanner which was badly needed (and deductible!), new cufflinks (NYC subway tokens, even), a new tie bar and a new tie. Also some underwear, and tea, and chocolate truffles. Books (but only one about gender!), Wig in a Box. (I’ll let Betty tell y’all what she got.) We spent the day at my sister and brother-in-law’s place, as per usual, and it was a quiet, pleasant Christmas, with us mostly playing with their new kittens and eating and playing with kittens and talking and… watching kittens sleep.
Tomorrow my entire clan gathers at her place to exchange presents and eat (and no doubt, play with kittens), and I’m looking forward to it; I haven’t seen my parents since they moved to Florida this summer, and my siblings and nieces/nephews in about as long.
Happy Chanukah!
A very happy Chanukah!
Greetings Thread
What with the boards closed, I thought I’d set up a thread so that all the board folks are able to wish each other Merry/Happy’s. It’s not often that Christmas & the first night of Chanukah are the same night.
So, use the comments spot below to go right ahead & do that.
A Very Very Happy Holiday Season to you All!!
Peaceful Solstice
The moment of Winter Solstice occurs December 21, 2005, at 10:35 am Pacific Standard Time. At that moment, the northern tip of the Earth’s axis of rotation will be at its maximum tilt away from the Sun. Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, traditionally marking the beginning of winter. The length of daylight has been shrinking continuously since the end of June; it hits a minimum tomorrow, and thereafter will start increasing in length. For the next six months, the length of daylight will increase; in this way, the mystics say that the first day of winter is the first day of summer.
Have a peaceful, joyful solstice: the days of darkness are on their way out.
(Much thanks to Mike McGarry for the useful and timely information.)
Loveseats and Us
It turns out the store owner was quite nice – and surprised – about the stinky loveseat, and his guys came to pick it up just moments ago. He told me it came to him upholstered, and then it was stored outside – so our joint guess is that once it was in a warm space, the stinkiness was released. And wow, did it smell. But we have a store credit and first dibs on any loveseats he gets in. Since we need a new lamp and other small things, I’m not worried about using that credit.
Of course, due to the Transit Strike, Betty is home today.
The Best Moisturizer
I’ve got crap skin – I’m one of those people that can be oily and itchy and dry and oozy all at the same time. A couple of years ago – after exposing myself to elderflower water, to which I am allergic, apparently – I discovered a little product called Gator Balm. The stuff rocks. I am not really big into endorsing products, but really, this stuff is amazing. My skin is so sensitive even Neutrogena’s moisturizers sting when I put them on, but this stuff is cooling and takes the itch out and makes the skin soft. Really great especially for anyone with eczema.
It’s also really good for “cold nose” – you know, when your nose gets raw from tissue use when you’re sick, and you can’t put anything on it without it stinging – you can put Gator Balm right on it. Really. Betty and I both use it once a week as an intensive moisturizer, too.
It’s not always easy to find, but a good health food store with a really well-stocked hygiene product area might have it. (For those of you in NYC, the little shop down the block from the Center has it.)
These Damn Death Shows
Okay, is anyone else addicted to these murder procedurals? It started for me with Law & Order: Criminal Intent, because I liked Vincent D’Onofrio. But then Crossing Jordan was on after that.
I barely watch any tv and yet I can’t keep from watching these – even when they creep me out. Even when I can’t sleep after. Stupid of me, but I can’t cut it out.
Our Little Nest
My hand is in the picture for size comparison purposes, of course, but isn’t that a beautiful ring, too?
Since we couldn’t access a lot of websites today, Betty and I ended up catching up on a ton of chores we needed to do, one of which was to take out the air conditioner. Yes, we’re way late, but really – it was pretty warm in NYC until like a week ago.
Anyway, we finally took it out, cats carefully locked in one room while we pulled it out of the window, and what did our wondering eyes descry? That nest we entirely forgot about. It made the cats nuts this spring – the birds scritching and peeping right there but entirely out of reach. Now we’ve put it in a box in hope that we might do something cool & groovy with it, though I don’t know what.
Two questions for all you, then:
1) What do we do with it? Art projects type, do let us know.
2) What kind of birds were they? We never even got to see them. Can anyone tell just from what the nest looks like?
It is an engineering marvel, to be sure. We’re thinking now we may even use it to fashion the inside of a bird house, because it’s amazingly, solidly, built. That way it’ll make some birds a good home again next year, too.
Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown
Now you can have your own pathetic Christmas tree, just like Charlie Brown’s.
For me it wouldn’t be Christmas without Linus to shut us all up and explain what-for, of course.
Happy Birthday, Adam Ant
Okay, I just couldn’t help myself. Adam turned 51 today.
