Month: December 2008

Christmas day in the morning

I’d like to wish everybody a very merry Christmas; may the food be yummy, the company welcome (or you be welcome wherever you go) and the gifts tasteful and appropriate (if, unlike my family, you haven’t entirely given up on gift giving).

As much as we all like gifts, we declared a mutual non-aggression pact.  Gift giving can turn into a real mess of dashed expectations and expensive mistakes; I guess I associate Christmas with the a five pointed star that consists of food, friends, family, fellowship and films.  Because you got all this free time and you don’t want to talk to each other, so it’s time to watch a movie.

A very Merry Christmas to my cherished progenitors, nautilus3 and Loki.  They are not experiencing the best of health at the moment, but instead of complaining the worst they will say is that it is ‘tiresome’.  I hope to be like them someday.

Happy Christmas to my brother Jeff; we’ve been living together 8 months now and we’ve had our ups and downs but 2009 is looking mighty fine.  Kitties miss you! Eddie had a howlathon at 5:30 this morning that sounded like a cross between an aria and a lament for the dead.  I think they also miss going outside.  Merry Christmas to Eddie and Gizmo.  I’d give them catnip but Eddie’s already a bit rangy.  Merry Christmas to Jeff’s friend Pat in Victoria.

A very Merry Christmas to my Unca Dave. I can’t imagine what’s it’s like to be getting cancer treatments over Christmas and I hope I never find out.   I haven’t had a single cigarette since I found out he was ill with cancer.  I do look forward to hearing his stories again live as well as having them written down; nautilus3 has recorded some so we can all enjoy them.  And I wish my pOp would let me re-post his stories from the Air Force, they are so funny and so well written that he owes it to the world.

I’d like to see Unca Barry’s stories too, that man is among the best raconteurs ever.  I won’t wish him a Merry Christmas though – he is Baha’i after all.  Instead I will wish him peace and joy, and that the riches of contentment continue to bless him and Ontie Jackie.

The rest of the Victoria contingent springs to mind; all the folks at Pondside, including Dr. Filk (now in Alberta), Shauna, Katherine, Ontie Mary, Granny, and the folks at her retirement home who feed her and look after her so very well.  Season’s Greetings also to cousin John.  Alex, Rob, Darcy, Curtis and babbies: a safe, warm and cuddly holiday to you all!

Blessings of the season to Lois, Bobby, Jesse, Kaitlyn (sp?) and the rest of the Alberta contingent of cousins and rellies.  Season’s Bleatings to Ruth, John, Lindsay, Jessica and Kaileagh (sp?).  Now I know why my mother does the genealogy thing, it’s so she has a reference for how to spell people’s names.

Reason’s Greetings to my beloved coworkers; Tanya, Cris, Andy and Patricia; my lunch buddies Peter A, LTGW, Robof9, ScaryClown, Francis, John A.; my ‘from the dawn of time’ coworkers Ngoc, Mohammad, Jarmo, Mike B, Eugene, Jim E., Sarah, Harry, Ian, Rob B., Michel, Lindsay, Peter T.; all the techs who put up with my constant stream of whiny emails; Sandy P., Mike McG, Steve and Yvonne, all the folks in the cafeteria with a special shout out to Zari, a hug for Kyi and a quick grope for Chris; largesse and neckrubs for the IT folks.

A big hug for Paul, Keith and Kate, whom I will see later today. A wave to Suzanne and Daxus, even if Daxus is being exceedingly boneheaded these days, and the less said about that the better.

A heartfelt plea for another year of domestic peace and many thanks for the blessings of neighbourliness to Jacquie and Jason, the best neighbours we could have ever wished for (she says as she works her way through Jacquie’s baking, and thank god I had biscotti in exchange). How do, to the landpeers Tony and Lisa, and their family.

Merry Christmas to Tammy and her biomom Janet.

For Lady Miss B, and her excellent spouse Joe, Many Happy Reorientations, lumberjack smoothies, etc.

For my Chewish friends, Chappy Chanukah!  That would be Elly and Bonnie.  Season’s Greetings to their spouses as well.

Glen and Maggie, Jim and Jan, MERRY CHRISTMAS.  I think of times we did the Christmas gathering stuff with you and get all nostalgic.  Oh, and G&M thank you for the single nicest Christmas card I got this year.

Although special mention must be made of Brother Jim’s card.  He sent me a pen and a really cool card.  Please check out his Alternate Energy Calculator, blogrolled herewith.

A happy clap of joy for all my Livejournal buddies (u_must_b_joking, in case you care).  I just want to testify that your continuing trials and triumphs are more fun than a day at the beach, more engrossing than a Dunnett novel, and the sad bits make me cry really hard, and the scary bits are really really scary.  Best of all are the times you say EXACTLY what I’m thinking, but BETTER, TERSER AND FUNNIER.  You folks can WRITE!!!!  Yee haw.  And a special thanks to Jon Singer, who is going to lase moldy pumpkin pie.  Yes, you read that right.  And he’s identical in appearance to Rincewind; Terry Pratchett himself said so.

A poke to my Facebook buddies.

A tweet to my Twitter buddies (allegras, in case you care).

Merry Christmas to everybody on the casts of CSI, NCIS, and True Blood!

If I missed you for greetings, I sorry.  I tried to think of just about everybody.

God rest ye merry, ye following gentlemen and ladies:  Mr. Music, Cindy, Dave JD, Chipper, Tamara, Anne, Jerome and Shannon, Kopper & entourage, Tom & Peggy and retinue, Deb and menagerie, Cousin Gerald & fambly; the bus drivers of the lower mainland, and all the ships at sea.  And if God and the Flying Spaghetti Monster don’t do it for you, just substitute ‘the laws of physics’.  They always seem to work for me.

snowpocalypse NOW! REDUX! … ad nauseam

Environment Canada saith:

10 to 20 cm of snow expected tonight and Wednesday.

This is a warning that significant snowfall is expected or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.

A pacific frontal system will approach the British Columbia coast tonight bringing snow to the area. Total snowfall amounts of 10 to 20 cm are expected tonight and Wednesday. The snow will taper to flurries Wednesday night. Strong winds will also develop as the system approaches and visibility will be locally reduced in blowing snow.

Arctic air will continue to push through the coastal valleys and inlets producing very strong northeasterly winds giving wind chill values below minus 20 for the inland sections of the north and central coast today.

I don’t mean to be inhospitable, but Jeff, stay the hell in Victoria an extra day!  It’s supposed to rain and snow and blow on Christmas, which means that ferry cancellations for icing and wind that day are possible, maybe even likely.  I will take good care of kitties. 

And until the weather resolves out to rain, I am not coming to Victoria; to be clear, unless it’s raining Thursday morning I’m staying hunkered down in Vancouver. I may come Sat/Sun instead of Fri/Sat, and I may or may not bring Katie.

The snowpocalypse continues

Unabated, snow continues to fall.  The road report says that the buses are running, albeit slowly, so I must needs abandon Dr. Filk this morning.  Keith’s going to come over later to let him out so he can go catch the Dog to Calgary.

I shoveled yesterday, but I can’t for the life of me find the ice melter Jeff had. I suspect it’s in his car, which given the weather is a damned good place for it.

A call from the peristalsis fairy / Holiday visiting

Jeff called me at 7:15 this morning letting me know that after some weather related adventures he was safely on the ferry and on his way to Victoria.  Yup, the winter wonderland continues.

Last evening we visited Lady Miss Banjola and her household; assisted in the rigging of a Spaceship One model rocket which was fired some time last one night, one presumes, and in the troubleshooting of an octopus cookie cutter.  We visited with some folks including the accordion playing Rowan (zombie walked with him briefly once, and how can you appreciate horror without viscerally engaging with the words ‘accordion playing zombie’) and sundry others including Dr. Filk, who is hopefully crashing here tonight.

Then we had pho with Mike and visited his new penthouse apartment in East Burnaby, a 20 minute walk from where Planet Bachelor is.  Then we watched the last half of Shoot em Up (how I do love that film) and Jeff and I fell over with tiredness and went home.

This morning I got up, boinged out the doorway in my housecoat to say goodbye to Jeff, and then started in on emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the surface of the stove thoroughly, cleaning the surface of the dishwasher thoroughly, making biscotti and scolding Eddie for nesting in my clean clothes, all three pieces of them.

Also, more Garage Band.  I am currently working on Chance Met.  I finished one take and realized I iz totally singing it in the wrong key.  Hit delete boys, there’s plenty more where that came from.

One whole day without beer.  I got unmercifully sick on Friday night. Jeff diagnosed my problem and with a savoir faire reminiscent of one of the world’s great waiters presto’d a barf bucket under me at precisely the right juncture.  I added to the joy of the occasion by remarking, bleakly, “I have no idea what’s going to happen next,” and then hurling for about 30 seconds straight.  Jeff’s comment, later, “Maybe YOU didn’t, but I sure did.” Personally I think three beers is not an outrageous amount to drink, but my stomach thought otherwise.  There has also been a little bit of barfiness going around the office, and not just because Tanya is preggers. I’ve been washing my hands a lot, hoping that will help.  Anyway the point of this anecdote is that I think Jeff is a god among men, to put up with my shenanigans.

Secret Santa and more holidays

Dr. Filk is coming through town on his way to see his sister Lois and family; he has sent a missive demanding sanctuary.  I hope to see him at some point.

Secret Santa yesterday was the best ever.  I got a midnight cocoa set, yum.  The rest of the gifts were thoughtful and that made me super happy.

Much rumbling and grinding at work.  I’m not in a position to say more but as always I am finding a comfy chair.  The least of it is that we have to move desks again today.  I could DEFINITELY say more about that – I’m going to be miles from a window in the middle of winter for the first time in 4 years, so you can imagine how that’s going to impinge on my mood – but since I’m obviously crabby about it I’ll stop.  I will also say that I had some prime real estate for years and it is somebody else’s turn.  So many times the things that have upset me most have not been the obvious stuff.

Still have not roused myself up to make biscotti.  I know I’m going to eat too many of them.  Somehow I need to cook them in such a fashion that I take ALL of them to work or hide them or something.

I am really looking forward to two four day weekends in a row.  I don’t mind working the last two weeks of the year, it’s usually peaceful and customers understand that instant results are not likely or possible.

down for the count, up before the sun

I was supposed to go over to Paul’s to sing and play last night. I’m really choked that I couldn’t.   I’d spent the day at home due to the weather, and then around 5:30 my right eye quit working.  That half of my visual field just stopped.  I dunno what the air pressure was during that time, but I’d be willing to bet it was rather low, so I drank a big glass of water and went to bed.  Now it’s five in the morning and I just slept 12 hours!  I can see and I am not in any pain… well, there’s a residual knot at the back of my head, but nothing that would prevent me from working.  There was no prodrome this time, I just got whacked. Very convenient of me to get sick on a snow day.

Anyway, the world is covered in snow, the cats are refusing to go out anymore, I made beef stew yesterday with the meat Katie brought day before yesterday, I still haven’t made biscotti, and Jeff and I watched a couple of movies.

Katie seems to be doing really well.  She’s negotiating things with Dax but she’s not actually living with him because she thinks she’s entitled to ensist that he be working five days a week before that happens. Also the guy who tried to kill her and Dax moved back in to Dax’s old place (in defiance of the court order…) and has indicated that he is ‘uncomfortable’ with Katie being there.  Katie and I took a moment to contemplate the intense bizarre stupidity of this.  Anyway, she doesn’t need to be told twice so she’s not going back there… Dax is apparently back at his mum’s.   So technically Katie’s living with her pop.  Paul is also putting up various of Katie’s friends from time to time, including Dax and Jessica W.  I think this is very hospitable of him but it’s also partly an accident of geography because of where he is being more convenient to the young folks.  Anyway Katie is still getting As (and you should hear her fulminate about how young people just don’t seem to know how to work these days, you’d fall over in convulsions… she’s working desk at the VCC salon and she says that she’s better off by herself than having two nitwits babbling and laughing next to her).  Katie’s life sounds incredibly confusing to me, but she is very matter of fact about it.

This is a candle for Unca Dave’s hair.

Shout out to Lexi, who got to watch Trevor Linden retire last night live.

Shout out to Jeff, who is teaching himself Java.

Shout out to ScaryClown, who is going winter camping Christmas week, yay.

Shout out to Patricia, who also has the lurgy.

Now for some coffee and to check the buses.

My predictions for the next five years.