A Slice of my Christmas Life

I don't know if anyone here has ever heard of "Log, the Christmas Special", but in my family, this is the first year we've ever watched this particular Christmas TV tradition. I use the term "watch" loosely..."Log" is a 4 hour long recording of a log fire. Oh, and there's some carols in the background.

So, Christmas morning, my family discovered this. And we also discovered that there are no less than 3 different versions of this. There's "Log,tCS", there's "The Yule Log" and there's "Bruning Log". They are all unique: some have carols, some not. And as Anna puts it, one is a raging fire, another is a sedate, quiet smolder. The third is a happy medium - Anna's favourite by far.

I understand that in apartments with no fireplace, when opening gifts Christmas morning, this Virtual Fireplace is a nice background to have.

What doesn't make sense is that my family a) opens gifts Christmas Eve (it's a European thing) and b) has a real wood fireplace that we used all Christmas weekend. Despite this, our TV played hour upon hour of "Log", with mom and Anna coming in every few minutes to check if anything new had happened. It's a log! Apparently, occaisionally the top log would slip down, or a hand would come in to the screen to add a new log, or use a poker to move around the existing logs. They were adament that they not miss these exciting 'scenes'. In fact, my sister recorded "Burning Log" (the not-too-raging, not-too-sedate fire) to watch again at her leisure.

Merry Christmas!!!

2 days to Christmas

Maybe 2 weeks off work was a little too long. It's been 2 days and I'm already deadly bored. Melissa's in town, but she's been busy with family stuff. Anna's locked away in her room studying. Boy's out of town.

Funny how the things that seem so enthralling on regular work nights (reading, computer games, etc) are not quite so exciting when you have the time to acutally do them.

3 days to Christmas

Went downtown today to keep the sister company while she bought, as it turns out, facial soap. So we're walking by the skytrain, and we hear a busker singing "Stand by me". Think nothing of it...buskers singing warbly at skytrain stops is not exactly a rare sight along Granville street.

20 minutes later, we're headed back to the skytrain. Again, we hear "Stand by Me", being warbled by the same busker. At no point do we hear him stray from the chorus. Just "Stand by me...ooh, stand by me. Oh, stand. Stand by me. Stand by me..." We theorize that in all liklihood, this is the only song he knows, and repeats it all day.

"Aaaaannnddd......................Stand, by me...ooh, stand....."

So, should you hear tales later today of a hot dog vender gone mad, perhaps acting violently towards a peaceful busker just singing away at a skytrain station, now you'll know why.

6 days to Christmas

Friday night party at Alex&Maria&Becky's. Got to see lots of people, which is nice. Becky spent most of the night trying to gum through the wrapping paper on her present. Didn't quite make it all the way through before she got tired of people (the Alex genes) and went to sleep.

Last night was Boy's company Christmas party. Also lots of fun...the photos will soon be posted to my gallery, so check there if you want to see what a fun time was had by all.

Anna is in town for the week, so Christmassy stuff will ensue for the next 7 or so days. Hurrah cookies and wine and candy canes and chocolate and tinsel and carols and turkey!

12 days to Christmas!

Yay! Aside from a few small things to do, I am ready for Christmas! Cookies are baked, presents are bought and wrapped, cards are in the mail. Soon, I'll be off work and ready to sit back with a glass of eggnog/mulled wine/cider/other festive libation and relax and enjoy the holidays.

Thank goodness I've gotten most stuff done. December is jam packed with parties and dinners! Not that I'm complaining...it's just too bad December's not longer. I'm starting to double book, and I'm unfortunately having to miss some gatherings. On second thought, maybe nix that relaxing from the first paragraph. I'll still be partaking of the spirits, but it will be whilst flitting around being a social butterfly.