Simian Farmer

Christmas in a nutshell (roasting on an open fire)

For the record, I am not one of those who opposes the increasing secularisation of the Christmas holiday.  (Though, also for the record, I do oppose the increasing commercialisation of this time of year.  The current incarnation of Santa Claus comes courtesy of Coca-Cola for, um, Christ's sake!  There is something sad and scary about that.  It should be more about the present than presents, you know?)

More than anything else, I enjoy the hectic propinquity of family over the few days that surround this one assigned as HeyZeus's birthday.  Love 'em or leave 'em, they're family, and it's a pleasure when the opportunity to spend time together presents itself as something other than an obligation.

(Rather long post ahead.  More due to an inundation of accompanying pictures than being overly garrulous.  Though there is, lamentably, a smidge of that too.  Feel free to scroll through and focus on the photos.  They are, of course, mostly of the boy.)

Raison d'etre

Hush little baby, don't say a word...

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one.

~Leo J. Burke

Minimalist Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone.

Hope you don't measure the holidays by the glut of stuff you get...

That groin ain't gonna support itself

My weblog host, Typepad, has just introduced a new feature (FREE!) for publishing video on their blogs.  It's called Videoegg. 

The potential this creates for showcasing the cuteness of my son is staggering.  But first I have to go out and buy a digital video recorder.  Not a minor purchase.

In the interim, and as the first test of this new feature, here is a 1-minute video from June of 2003, early in the morning of my stag party.  I had dislocated my kneecap that afternoon and my friends had taken to carrying me around; this is coming out of the last bar, en route to the late night donair shop down Whyte Avenue in Edmonton.

Nothing like a little embarrassment to get us started off right!  I'm not accustomed to showcasing my crotch this much, but whatever.

Acceptable levels of squalour

How squalid is too squalid? 

(And isn't that just fun to say? -- SQUALID!  Like calamari with a flip-top head.)

How thick does the cake of frozen dog pee out the back door have to be before I feel obliged to attack it with the scraper??

The Great Wall

Runners speak of hitting the wall.  That unique feeling of total physical exhaustion where continued exertion is simply NOT possible.  It's happened to me, I know the sensation.

Hitting The Wall in China, however, helped me break through certain elements of my introversion. 

Receiving my first ever open-handed roundhouse on the left cheek from an enraged blonde chick was a bit of a catalyst also.

Wash that mouth out!

Driving, with the boy in the car seat, to the mall for a wee smidge of Christmas shopping this morning:

Si:    [looking at dashboard] "Hmm... just under a quarter tank.  We'll have to fill up on the way home.  May as well wash the truck too while we're at it."

Aim:   "You wash your truck in this kind of cold?"

Si:    "Well, yeah.  It's going to warm up a bit this afternoon anyway.  And you know I really don't like having a dirty vehicle."

Aim:    "Yeah, I really do know that.  You don't like having anything dirty except your wife, hey Si?"

Meeting the Man

One week ago today I was waking up in Aurora, Ontario after having spent Sunday meeting and mixing with the man I asseverate as my favourite author.  (Gotta use a big word there since, you know, he's an author and all.  I couldn't just 'claim' that he was my favourite author.  No!  Far too plebeian a thing to do.)

Me and a dozen or so other of his most ardent fans enjoyed having him buy us drinks for a couple hours and then he was so gracious as to sign whatever books we foisted upon him.  I am still basking in the glow of the weekend, not least because of the totally wicked people I got to meet.

For a complete synopsis of the weekend, I've already written one at his authorised site.

Meeting Guy Kay.  Sweet!

Him signing some books.  Double Sweet!!

Why I go to work every day

In a recent Email from my wife:

Declan was doing the coolest things this morning.  After he was done playing with the garbage can, he grabbed the laundry basket ( the wicker one) carried it into the living room and sat in it for a little while.  He then started to pick off the end pieces and flipped the basket over.  Then he was sticking the pieces he broke off in the bottom.  He was entertained for an hour by the basket.  He also had a big poop after all of that.  I knew you would think that was cool.

xoxox   Aim