Last night, I took a walk on the way home. When the light rail train pulled into the North Avenue station, the conductor announced that the train would be stopped there for several minutes, as there was a disabled train ahead of it. From time to time, I’ll walk from the North Avenue station, pastContinue reading “On Late December Walks”
Tag Archives: Christmas
On the Christmas Weekend
A hectic week at the office this shall be. I can already sense it, like a great disturbance in the Force. There’s nothing wrong with that; staying busy is a good thing. 🙂 It was a LEGO holiday. My sister and her husband gave me the LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary, which will prove invaluableContinue reading “On the Christmas Weekend”
On a Christmas Eve Past
Ten years ago today, I received a surprising e-mail. Christmas Eve 1999 was a strange day. That was the day of the infamous company Christmas party layoffs, where as some of us walked into the party we were pulled aside by our supervisors and told we weren’t needed on the 26th. This does not aContinue reading “On a Christmas Eve Past”
On Oddball Christmas Albums
I have bought an underwhelming Christmas album on iTunes. I like Christmas music. For being a godless heathen, I enjoy listening to it year ’round. I have many different Christmas albums. Medieval and Renaissance-styled. Vince Guaraldi and other jazz standards. Celtic. Even some Beatle-esque Christmas albums, which I wrote about here a few years ago.Continue reading “On Oddball Christmas Albums”
On Christmas Shopping for my Grandmother
Today, I bought Christmas presents for my grandmother. Buying presents for my grandmother is difficult because it is pointless. Anything important is lost upon her, anything useful would go unused. Her birthday, which falls on Christmas Eve, is even more difficult; she understands that the day is someone‘s birthday, but she cannot recollect that itContinue reading “On Christmas Shopping for my Grandmother”
On a Zeppelin-Esque Christmas
Because it’s Christmas-time, and because I like strange and silly and obscure Christmas music — like the conversation I had yesterday about The Royal Guardsmen and “Snoopy’s Christmas” — I thought it only fair to point out a Christmas song that I’ve liked since I first heard it. It’s “Winter Wonderland,” done in the styleContinue reading “On a Zeppelin-Esque Christmas”
On a Shortage of Christmas Tree Stands
My sister called. I couldn’t tell if she was laughing or if she was crying. There’s a Christmas tree stand shortage in Raleigh. She’d bought a tree at Lowe’s. She needed a stand. They were out. She went to Target. She went to Wal-Mart. She went to Kmart. She went to the grocery store. Someone,Continue reading “On a Shortage of Christmas Tree Stands”
On the First Real Snowfall
For reasons that pass beyond understanding, I set my alarm clock last night. The trilling of the clock at six came as an unwelcome interruption to sleep on a Saturday. The damage was done, however, and I went downstairs and put on a pot of coffee. At 6:30, the snow had not yet begun. AContinue reading “On the First Real Snowfall”
On Wintry Aches and Pains
And… …I am in massive pain. It’s the old foot ailment. The story, for those coming late, is this. In college I, being the excitable person that I am, would spring from bed, jumping out of the top bunk and onto the hard tile floor. In time, this proved to be a stupid thing toContinue reading “On Wintry Aches and Pains”
On Holiday Wishes From Atheists
The American Humanist Association is putting up ads on subway trains and buses that wish people a good, but godless, Christmas. This, frankly, is awesome, and I wholeheartedly approve. Which reminds me; this atheist is doing his Christmas cards this weekend…