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I wasn't very good at the whole Christmas thing this year. I didn't get greeting cards out in time (sorry everyone), I forgot one or two thank-you bottles for my coaches and each time I went gift shopping I bought something for myself. However, there were some high points - I put lights on my house and decorated a tree in the basement for the first time in a couple of years. I was able to hook up with almost all of my friends for a meal or drink, had the MCC girls over for a movie night, spent Christmas eve with my Dad and son and had Christmas dinner at my sister's. And everytime I went shopping, I got something for myself.I bought two
beautiful prints for my bedroom. I'd been eyeing them whenever I went into House Warmings in Oakville and decided I might as well just get them. Hanging them has inspired me to finally re-decorate my house. It's still got the same paint and endless wallpaper as when I moved in!
I'm not sure if it's because there are no small children in the family or because my parents are gradually being erased by their respective illnesses but the season doesn't feel like anything special. To be honest, it's a bit of an ordeal and I'm more excited about training camp in March than I am about this holiday. In fact, on Christmas morning, I slept in until 10:30, watched the movie Accepted (not too bad with the guy from the Mac vs PC commercials. Actually, I think he is the male version of Jennifer Aniston and they could make the most boring movie ever if they were cast together) and then rolled back to my dad's to take him and my mom up to dinner at Laurel's. I'm so glad my nieces and their other cousins are there to liven things up. We watched Cars on their big screen and then did a few Elf Yourself creations. I was ready to go home after that - this going to bed at 1:00am and sleeping until 10am is exhausting.
Tara gave me some amazing truffle-ish treats she had made (I can't remember what they're called but so delicious!) and Ryan & Courtney both gave me art they had done themselves - Courtney's was irises done in pastel and Ryan's a pencil sketch of Hawkeye at Sherbourne Lake when we first got him. Ryan did such a good job and it was the perfect gift. I wasn't prepared though and it made me cry. I had Hawkeye for 15 years and he died a couple of weeks ago. Probably not the reaction Ryan was going for but it was my favourite gift in spite of appearances.
Okay, like I said, I'm bad at joy this year - I feel like Dennis Leary - Merry Farking Christmas! I'm sure you can understand why I haven't posted anything besides vids - I am absolutely bored and boring...I'm at work for a couple of days this week and will hopefully have more interesting stories to tell after New Years Eve. And if not? There's a multitude of entertaining stuff on the internet that needs sharing!

This is just so damn funny...I had to post it

Very exciting - my son and his gf Courtney got engaged last weekend! I was standing in line at Massey Hall when he called to tell me, "She said yes!!".

Courtney's from New Brunswick and is going home for the holidays so he did this whole thing with a riddle wrapped in a giftbox with clues leading to other clues around their apartment and ending with a hangman puzzle in his pocket. The puzzle spelled out "Will you marry me?". I am so pleased - Courtney is perfect for Ryan and bonus - I genuinely like her! They are planning on a wedding in 2008 in NB. Courtney has a huge family there as opposed to the 8 of us in Toronto.

When he called me, I was just going into Tafelmusik’s annual performance of Handel's Messiah. The appeal of this Christmas event is that you purchase the musical score and sit in the appropriate section - alto, soprano, tenor etc - to perform the chorus.

The conductor is very entertaining in character as Handel and the two and a half hours flew by. We were very late getting there and had to take seats in the soprano section. You guys KNOW I am not a soprano by any means. Plus my eyes automatically go to the alto line in the score so there were a couple of embarrassing moments where I started to sing a few bars before the sopranos. You have to imagine the scope of this - standing in the middle of 2500 people all belting out the halleluja chorus is...overwhelming and FUN. The Nutcracker is OFF the list of Christmas traditions. I'm definitely going to do this again next year.

Is nothing sacred? Don't watch if you have deep-seated affection for the muppets...

Matty, this one is for you...

And I thought breast implants and liposuction were extreme forms of self-modification...
WADA is hoping to have a definitive test for detecting gene doping before the Beijing Olympics. However, "Even if a test does not become available until after the Olympics, authorities have the power to test samples taken during competition for up to eight years."

So I'd like to know - would an Olympic medal make it worth it to you?

I don't know about you but my tastes change frequently
- music, art, food - I'm talking about the stuff that feeds your wants as opposed to your needs. And I'm rarely vague about what I feel like consuming. I'll eat sushi almost every day for an entire season and then suddenly crave curry for 2 weeks.
Still, I surprised even myself today when, after 2 years of listening to and collecting mostly current artists, I walked into a record store and dropped a couple hundred on old school blues. I CRAVED it.
Memphis Slim, Roosevelt Sykes, Nina Simone, Louis Jordan, Ella Fitzgerald. I couldn't wait to get home to listen to it - even on my crummy cd player. I was like one of those chocoholics with a tub of double chocolate brownie fudge haagen dazs or something. And it's not a mood thing. I don't listen to the blues when I'm sad anyway. I was just missing something. In fact the song that just came on sums it up - Lost my Boogie (Memphis Slim). So - Sunday poker players be prepared, we'll be listening to the blues. And don't complain if I'm smoking a cigar and drinking shots of bourbon. Gypsy's getting back her boogie.

Yesterday was the Chilly Willy. I couldn't fit it into my day but the guys came over for poker last night so I heard some of the results. Duke won the 10k followed by Adam, Kyle then Mehak. And some guy (non-paddler) did the 21km in 1:08 !!? I think the weather was the best the Chilly's ever had - sunny and about 6 degrees with a bit of a headwind on the way back.
As for poker, we only played two games and Duke won both...I'm getting really tired of being in the final two all the time and not winning. I really need to work on my bluffing. I also think we need to switch the times - we often start at 4 or 5 pm which means no dinner. So last night we ate half a bag of ridiculously salty pretzels before deciding that pizza was in order. Happens every Sunday - junk food overload.
Watched American History X after that - I'd forgotten what a powerful movie it is. And Edward Norton - so good. I had to change the channel at the point where he stomps on the kid's head though. I blame the pretzels and skunky Calsberg (or does it always taste that way? I've got to stop drinking the stuff left over from parties).

You are missing some elfin fun if you're not visiting Victims of Photoshop (link at right) although I suspect that just about everyone with email will receive this link at some point today...