RING in the New Year!

Happy New Year my preciousnesses!

A couple more mall shots from the other day

Sadly by the time I noticed that the glow of the silver reindeer’s nose was actually a beam of natural light through the roof of the Eaton's Centre, and was then able to snap a shot or two, the light had moved onto the chin. Still an interesting result. Sort of :)

Also took a portrait shot of this mannequin. You can see a vertical band of glare across the window, through which I shot him. A mole on his chin or a zit on his nose might raise his human quotient.

It's the Thought that Counts

Perhpas you can guess my thoughts during a trip to a shopping mall with my camera just prior to Chritmas.

Merry Christmas

Blood

It is with more joy than I can contain that I report there are blood stains on my car's passenger door and passenger seat today. Not as much blood as I'd like, but smile bringing blood stains nonetheless.

Some dog-shit eating, squirrel-ass sucking, W. Bush-brain sized, small dicked, crack smoking virus broke into my car (and several others in my parking garage) last night -- smashed the passenger window out, emptied the glove box onto the floor and left the four dollars or so of coins in the change box (which was tossed onto the floor). Happily, Mazda tempered glass doesn't exactly break into relatively safe cubes and the French kisser of dung beetles who broke my car must have cut himself. I can't express my sadness at what apparently was the avoidance of a major arterial breach injury.

Greater anger might erupt if I let myself think at all about the deductible system of the insurance industry, but I'll steer clear of that rant for my positive mental health's sake. Suffice it to say my intended Saturday morning of Christmas shopping turned into a $300 trip to an auto glass store.

Because it’s the holiday seasion, I’m thinking positively: just maybe a bit of dirty glass is stuck under the skin of the toilet-rim stain, smegma-mold excuse for a human who spent last night smashing car windows, and the wound will fester and blood poisoning will follow.

Okay, NOW, I'm off to gift buy.

Half a year

Six months ago today I joined the college where I now work. Half a year--hard to believe! The change in environment continues to delight me most each and every week. I remain five-fold, at least, busier now than I was over on Bay Street, but the responsibility I have is reward that offsets that. Simply, I continue to love the place and many, many of the characters that make up the place.

One thing I've noticed--now that I'm not attached at my job to Toronto's underground shopping complex--is I have done absolutely no Christmas shopping yet! Despite that minor stress the spirit is really taking hold this year and I'm even feeling a bit giddy at the prospect of waking up in my own home on Christmas morning for the first time since what I'm guessing has got to be the '80s. Among the highlights of my Christmas experience happens this weekend -- PJ and K are hosting their annual Christmas party that includes the uber elderly and the just barely born -- and everyone in between. At some point the piano is played (very well) and a (beautiful and beautifully decorated for the holidays) house full of people is filled with the singing of Christmas carols. I love to belt 'em out with a voice that at any other time of the year would draw threats from the talent Gestapo. PJ also belts 'em out, but he has vocal talent. Anyway, in the few years I've attended it has become one of favourite holiday traditions.

And my best friend Kel had her baby (more that just a bit early) as a wonderful holiday gift. The wee lass, Maya Rose (how lovely is that name!) and her mom are healthy despite the prompted delivery. Kel is just such a great mom it is just a joyous thing knowing she will have such a loving influence on two wee'uns (Maya joins brother Noah). Sigh, I shoulda had kids... Although it's more fun to simply spoil friends' kids. Congrats Kel (and Daddy Dale too, of course!).

(Oh, and I'm hoping for a Christmas miracle -- that blogger actually publishes this!)

fuzzy

The college's baking school made enough holiday goodies -- from short bread to gingerbread to rum balls to chocolate thingies of myriad types to mincemeat tarts to fruitcake -- to go into 1,500 gift baskets yesterday and today. Yesterday a legion of volunteers helped with the baking -- sadly I did not get to go elbow deep in chocolate as a rum ball roller. I scooped fruitcake mix -- the same fruitcake made for the Queen when the college's head chef was head chef for Bucky Palace -- into little baking forms. Today we put gift tags on literally countless numbers (a mountain of toys people were jumping into for for fun photos) of plush toys collected by the Armed Forces. Then with much more efficiency than Lucy and Ethel we filled, wrapped and labeled those 1500 gift baskets in an assembly line or two or three -- the program is called PEACE of Cake. The army reserve, college volunteers and their families and friends did the volunteering work. The daughter of a woman I work with was giving hugs to each of the stuffed toys she labeled as a further gift to the kids who would eventually receive the toy. The Fruit baskets go to the Sally Anne, the Yonge Mission some shelters and the vets at Sunnybrook. The bags and bags and bags and bags (large garbage bag sized bags) of toys, I forget where they were going for distribution. Fuzzy toys for fuzzy holiday spirit in the chest. Yup, just a really cool program of giving.

Today, 2 years ago, at just about this time, I met He Who is Here Now. I'm wearing a shiny new ring from Tiffany as a result of the anniversary. Also got some great cake from a Korean bakery.

He Who is Here Now and I bought a Christmas tree yesterday and today we bought ornaments to go along with the bunch I still had -- those not destroyed, with my earlier artificial tree, when idiots robbed my storage room. We decorated the tree and it looks just grand. We also bought a Nativity scene. The one I had my heart set on was hand carved and the "manger" was a hollowed branch made to look like a large tree trunk. Very beautiful. I was vetoed on that one due to the cost. Ditto for two other sets -- in those instances, the baby Jesus was too skinny or too fat respectively. I have been wondering about the appropriateness of buying the baby Jesus at 40% off, but the sales clerks I asked that of were just horrified at my suggestion and I got no answer. The Nativity scene shares the top of a cabinet with my large standing Buddha just to even things out.

No pics as I've lent the camera to my brother.

Blogger beta has prevented me from blogging the last several times I've tried, so let's see if this one goes live.

Oh, and I'm whitening my teeth. We have a dental school at the college and for a quarter of a cost of the procedure at a dentist, paid to our United Way campaign, I got the trays made and am bleaching my fangs. Wow, do my teeth ever feel weird for about 10 minutes every morning. One is not meant to feel one's teeth except when they get fuzzy and hurt during major hangovers.

ho ho ho