Christmas Eve 2009

My family does all of our Christmas stuff on Christmas Eve so my 3 sibs can have their Christmas mornings at their houses with their spouses and kids. So we all had our big dinner (mine: roast beef & gravy w/mushrooms, as well as turkey & gravy with buttered rolls, and a handful of cucumber slices for 'balance', plus 2 huge mugs of Costa Rican coffee from Joe's Coffee House alongside several cookies from my sister's pile of baked goods) at a relatively leisure pace before the 7 kids in attendance clamored too loudly for presents to be ignored.

I'm pleased to say that all of the kids liked what I got them (especially the leopard print bowling ball bag purses, with bonus gifts inside, for the 4 girls), and I came away with a decent haul myself. When we Skyped with my youngest brother & his family in northern California, through the miracle of free video chatting, I got to see that his 3 kids were happy too (comic books, "Star Wars" trading cards & patches, and a "Josie & the Pussycats" DVD). So even though they couldn't fly out this year, it was like they were here too. Also, my mom loved the personalized mug and the alpaca scarf I got for her in Vermont back in early November.

It's funny, I got into my car just before 4 pm with a box full of wrapped gifts for others, and I exited my car in my driveway around 10 pm with a box full of unwrapped gifts for myself. A very Mirror Christmas (haha)!

The round up: I received flannel sheets for my bed and flannel drawstring pants (2 pair!) for sitting around in; several pounds of coffee beans (Dunkin Donuts and UCR); Sting's "If on a Winter's Night..."; a trio of glass corner shelves; a scented candle; a couple of books (Coffee with Dickens and The Card); twenty $1 scratch tickets (yielding fourteen dollars) and a handful of gift cards, mostly for books, music, and art supplies. I gratefully accept this bounty in the (American) Christmas Spirit in which it was presented to me, and am most appreciative for my family and the evening we all spent together...

Currently listening to:

Christmas Medley - Ed Gerhard

Color

I took these photos yesterday, after walking by and doing a double-take, because the blue was so spectacular.

Albums I've Been Overplaying Lately #1

Owl City - "Ocean Eyes" * Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - "Break Up" * The Dave Brubeck Quartet - "Time Out" * Colbie Caillat - "Breakthrough" * Dolores O'Riordan - "No Baggage" * Pete Yorn - "Back & Fourth" * Vanessa Kafka - "Into Place"

Random Holiday Stuff

• Yesterday I ordered most of my nieces' & nephews gifts online, thus removing a major chunk of time from the process of going out and braving the crowds.
• Sarah & Jon have their tree up and decorated. I was there last night for dinner, and I taught the kids how to make homemade post cards to send to their cousins out in California. Fun!
• This week I will write out and send my Holiday 2009 cards. I buy 10 - 12 cards each year. They go out to immediate family, and a few friends, and that is it. Being a single guy, I am not really expected to go all out, (which is cool), but in order to reduce stress (not to mention save the planet!) I feel that everyone should have a similarly small list. I mean seriously, you buy the card, you write out a personal message, you mail it, and if you're lucky, it spends a few weeks within the recipient's range of vision to remind them that you are thinking of them around the holidays, but ultimately it winds up in the trash. The intent is wonderful, but the process and end result, not so much... Anyway, I digress (and am sucking the joy out of this part of the holidays - haha).
• I hope it snows hard around the 23rd, and then melts away around the 27th. That would be a nice Christmas!
  

Productive Whims

I sat down in front of the Patriots-Jets game yesterday with my sketchpad, to do my usual "Sports TV and Scribbling", but instead of drawing, I became possessed, and cranked out fully HALF of the childrens' book I've had bouncing around inside my head for the last two years (along with several accompanying drawings)!

What the heck??

No matter what brought that writing urge on, I am very happy with the results. And the Patriots won ☺

Currently listening to:

Why Georgia (Album Version) - ...

Music Lover

Good ol' Sabrino, snoozing under my stereo table while just above his head, Miles Davis fills the room ☺

Walking Scenery

I try to go for a long walk at least 3 times per week for several reasons: exercise, fresh air, and interaction with The Outside World. I usually just take my iPod, but today I took my digital camera too. It was 65 degrees out, sunny with little breeze, and the air had the perfect 'fall' smell (wet leaves, dirt, pumpkin & apples, wild grapes, etc...). Cars stopped to ask me for directions twice, but I was only useful to the first one. Here are pictures of some of the things I always find interesting anytime I am walking my route.

Here are: the chimney behind an old factory that is being used as an indoor archery range and pool hall; the lot where another factory used to stand; a couple of fire hydrants; a great stone wall; and various shots of local train tracks.

Something For The Kids

I got my sister to drag out all of her kids' Lego blocks last week. She thought she'd thrown them away, but lo and behold, they were all stuffed in the back of a basement closet. And SHEESH! Do they have a TON of them! I brought over a large Pick-a-Brick (many bright colors) from the Burlington, MA Lego Store, as well as 3 custom girl figures and an ATV with a boy figure, so all four kids had a person of his/her own, and we were off to the races (er, construction site)! Everyone was sharing, and giving needed pieces to each other when asked (my sister's kids are the best), and they each built some cool stuff. It was a lot of fun. I can't wait 'til we have a whole day to build a huge city! I am going to bring my camera. Anyway, in the meantime, here are a couple more of my own "Star Wars cantina"-style pictures (I have mostly yellow bricks for some reason):

No Reason, I Just Love My Cat ☺

Morning Accomplishment

My version of a "Star Wars"-style cantina: "Mos Kendar"

Favorite Video of the Moment

Colbie Caillat's "Fallin' For You".
She is gorgeous, her voice is amazing, and Bobby Moynihan of "SNL" is a freaking riot!

Outside Kendar Keep

The view outside of my office window on 10/01/09:

Second Home

The view of the lake from our family lot on Wyman's Pond: