Tree-trimming day!

Well I've been negligent! Sorry, folks! I'm happy to report that nothing all that interesting has happened, so you haven't missed much. With the coming of December 1st, we've have officially entered the Jenmas season. This was marked at work with the placing of a bowl of candy canes on the counter. I'm trying to stay non-denominational with the seasonal decor at work (so, no giant pictures of me, lest any Christians be concerned), but the whole courthouse looks like Santa's Magic Village. Tinsel, trees, ornaments, EVERYWHERE. I think I saw one Star of David garland on a mirror in some office downstairs, but that's it. So much for that! I found some perfectly non-threatening snowmen at The Bay that will do.

That is, of course, until the giant influx of chocolates and cards from the firms start coming in. At that point, I can do nothing but display all our lovely Christmas cards on a bulletin board that I'm going to wrap up like a gift. With my chocolate-covered hands, and grinning, chocolate-smeared face.

But most importantly, today, Jenmas comes to my apartment. Tree? Check. Pre-lit so I'm not struggling with lights? Check. Ornaments? Check. Special surprise tree skirt? Check. Possibly too large star for top? Check. Popcorn strings for garland? Not yet, and crap, because I was supposed to let that shit get stale before stringing it. Hmmm, oh well. Fresh pop corn it is! Movie to watch while trimming said tree? Check. And for good measure, I will be buying egg nogg and making rice krispie squares. Yaayyyyy, Jenmas!

None of this is going to happen, mind you, unless I get moving. Today is grocery day, and also run around and do some errands day, and throw some laundry in day, and all that mundane non-Jenmas-y stuff. It looks nice out from where I'm sitting, so that's encouraging. Have a lovely Saturday, everyone!

Thusday Night Yay / Thursday Overnight Boo / Friday Morning Starbucks

I don't think I've slept through the night, in my own home, since .... I got Sofie. She does not allow for it. But the last few nights, I am having some serious heat control issues. Read: I am so so so warm that it wakes me up and I'm sweating and then it's too cold to pull down the covers, and then I'm up and ... I'm needing sleep, people. Uninterrupted, climate controlled sleep! I think tonight I'm going to change up the pjs and sheets situation, and maybe that will help. Also, perhaps some new pillows this weekend.

Anyways, all that to say, I'm skipping this gym this morning because I'm tired, had a crap sleep last night, and my back is sort of stiff. (Hrm, further note to self: I think a clock radio may also be on my shopping list. Current alarm system not working). I'm at one of the UofT PLC courses today (as I was yesterday), and so I have an extra 15 minutes before I need to get moving, so blog it is!

Do not mistake all this bitching, however, for unhappiness! Last night, pre-sleep, was fantastic. If there's one fast food product I love love love in this world, it's shawarma. I went to a new-for-me place last night, and it was so good. It all rides on the garlic sauce, no? Well that, and this shawarma was just packed with stuff. I'm a bit wimpy with my toppings - just onions, tomatoes, and lettuce - but G had the works, and that shawarma was just bursting with stuffs. My usual shawarma joint packs it in to maybe half that amount. Yum. After that, it was to see Coco Avant Chanel at the Bytowne. I really, really liked it. If you think you might enjoy it - and I would list in that group people who enjoy a good drama, like fashion, like strong female leads, like early 20th century France, or like good movies in general - do consider checking it out if it comes to your city. Excellent film. And in sum, excellent night.

For now, I think it's time to start my day. I was too late leaving yesterday to get something at Starbucks - the line was too long - so I went to Second Instead, which ... is serviceable, but just not as good for tea, you know? Their hot chocolate? Hells yes. I can't speak to the coffee. But the tea is mediocre. Drinkable, but they got rid of my favourite flavour (Second Cup brand Vanilla Nut), so that's a bummer. I will give them this, however: apparently I'm supposed to get two tea bags in a large tea. That seems excessive to me, esp. since I let the bag sit in my tea, so I declined the second tea bag. The woman working there *insisted* that I take the other bag to go. She suggested I use it at home, since I'm being charged for it anyways. Well, that's something. I'll be trying to Starbucks this morning. Have a nice Friday, everyone - yay weekend!!

Random shit I'd like for Jenmas

What: OPI Nailpolish Holiday 2009 "Merry Midnight"
Why: Because, folks, I'm maxed out on how much I can spend on nail polish in a season. Enable me, people, ENABLE ME!!
Where: Wherever fine nail polish is sold. My hookup is the spa at the mall, but I'm getting kinda embarassed to go in there. I ... have a problem.


What: An Angelina Jolie and Brad Pit snake ring from Asprey.
Why: Because BRANGELINA, zOMG!!!!!!!>!>!>!!
No really, why: They're cool. I don't like rings on my giant snausage fingers, but I'd wear one of these.


What: A random used copy of this 1979 Coleco Mini-Arcade version of Galaxian.
Why: We had it when we were kids, and it was the shizzle. Nay, it still IS the shizzle, if only anyone had a copy of it still kicking around to play on. Our unit was supremely ghetto - the battery cover was being held on by duct tape. Ah, Duct Tape Repair. See also: my Barbie Canopy Bead, my Pound Puppy rain poncho, countless TV and VCR remote controls.
Where: Ebay, or though the power of a time machine, at a Consumers Distributing near you.



What: These silk charmeuse pillowcases with matching headband. Wait, matching headband?
Really, what?: Here's a direct quote - "Made of pure 22-momme silk, this luxurious charmeuse pillowcase allows your skin and hair to glide across your pillow, extending the life of your hairstyle while minimizing facial creases. Each boxed pillowcase comes with a matching headband."
Where: Neiman Marcus, in the "Truly Unnecessary Shit" section.

Fellow Nerds: Help Required

My shittastic iBuds broke today, so I'm in the market for some new earbuds for my iPhone, and I need YOUR help!

Here are the requirements:

• Work with an iPhone 3G
• Have a mic
• Are particularly good for staying in the ear (so, no regular iPhone ear buds)
• A remote thingy on the cord would be nice, but not necessary

Does anyone have any recommendations? Message, email, or comment!

ZNerdAlert Trivia Team FTW!

Omg, what a night, y'alls! It was the World Trivia Night at Lansdowne Park - massive huge nerdstravaganza. There were, I believe, 175 teams registered. The place was FULL of people. It was insane. We (Z-Stacks) joined up with our Wednesday night rivals, the Nerd Alert, to form the entirely non-sensical "ZNerdAlert." I'll save all the nitty gritty details for in person chitty chatty, but it came down to a three way tie for first place between us, the team our Wednesday night quizmaster plays for, and our massive rival from our trivia night! Royal Oak Canal in the house! It went to a number guesstimate-off, we guessed wrongest, and so we got third place. So amazing. We got these hilarious fake ice berg trophies for our third place win. Ooh, and maybe the coolest? Those medals were given to one team that got perfect in each of the rounds. We got perfect on several rounds but never won the medals. The last round - the hardest round - there was exactly one team that got a perfect score. Ahem - TEAM ZNERDALERT!!!!

Fuck, man, that was awesome. Awesome. And now, sleepy byes.

AV Club Comment of the Day

From some guy with the handle "Wildcard Charlie," RE: the movie adaptation of Nine:

... Daniel Day-Lewis is the only reason I go see any movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis. I don't care if it's the feature length film adaptation of 2 Girls 1 Cup starring Dame Judi Dench, Penelope Ann Miller and Daniel Day-Lewis as the cup. I'm still going to go see it.

iPhone Confessions

I was trying to write "Christmas" on my iPhone, and my fat fingers and sloppy typing hit the letters to spell out "Heistmas." How effing awesome is that??

On Trees

I know it's too early to be discussing Jenmas, but you know what - I'm just going to do it. I'm putting it all out there. This post focuses on Jenmas. You can skip this and come back in read it in a couple weeks, if that is more seasonally appropriate for you.

So, for about the last 15 plus years, December 25th has brought increasingly and increasingly less joy to me. I love buying or making things for other people, I like getting shit, and the food is good. I also usually get to get away with buying something sparkly to wear. Sparkles! But aside from that .... it's gone meh. Or sometimes even worse than meh - it's gone, "I fucking hate you, Christmas, and everything you stand for. Every shitty candy cane in a wet and sticky plastic wrapper, every time I hear "Merry Christmas Baby" by Bruce Springsteen, and every commercial for Kay Jewelers." Harsh, I know. I won't get into it here, but take my word for it that it's at least 67% justified.

But this year ... no. I'm reclaiming December 25th in the name of Jenmas, once and for all. I will still be curmudgeonly at times, no doubt, but I'm going to do a better job of making the entire month of December something exciting again. First thing, a tree. Long story short, it's been ages and ages since I've decorated a tree. First I wasn't allowed, then I wasn't home for it, then apathy set in. Well guess what, kittens? This year I'm getting my own damn tree, and decorating it with my own damn decorations! Boo yah! I want to put on some Bing Crosby, get some nog all up in here, and decorate a frigging tree. So, I'm doin' it.

This has lead to my deep and honest soul searching for what kind of tree I want. I would like one that is prelit, and it has to store up small, and I don't want some giant 7' thing. But even more importantly, I think I want a pink tree.

Like this, but smaller.

What, I ask, says "Jenmas" more than a pink tree!?!?!?! God, I want a pink tree.*

Or do I? Because then I was going through the Walmart Christmas flyer, and they have a purple tree. A PURPLE tree! Squee!!!

Like this, but darker and no titty beads hanging off it.

Oh, I should mention that, Yes, I am one of those people who love the most ridiculous of the fake trees. If it's fake, I want it to be a colour not found in nature. Love love love love fake trees that are in whacked out colours. When they go to look for a tree a Charlie Brown Christmas, and either Linus or Charlie taps on a tree and it makes a hollow ping sound, like the whole tree was constructed out of metal to look like a tipi - YES. I want one.

Anyways, I also am open to those crazy white trees, but they need to have really bitchin' decorations.

Thanks, Canadian Tire, for such a lovely rendition of the White Fake Tree.

In the end, I would be okay with just a plain old fake real looking tree, with the built-in lights. I'll make it beautiful. Anyways, dispatch on trees over ... for now. I won't even get started on how badly I want kitchen linens and the perfect tree skirt. Though I dare say, Linus had the right idea.


*On the topic also of pink or other randomly coloured trees, there seem to be them a-plenty, but they ring in at under 4 feet, and that might be a bit small for a floor tree. Again, in the Walmart flyer, I think it was, they had a mini pink tree, with the caption saying your kids can have their own smaller tree for their bedroom. Did anyone ever have their own bedroom tree growing up!?! When did that shit start!? To say nothing, of course, of how there were exactly two colour options, and they were, natch, pink and blue.

How damn cute is this!?!?!

Waaaaaant!!

From Threadless, via JN! Thanks!

Sunday Rundown

Some very random observations and questions for a Sunday night. If you're reading this Monday morning, as a means of easing into another week with The Man, good morning!

• Magazines. Here's one for the ladies. Ladies: what magazines do you read, if any? The background on this is as such - I was reading Men's Health last week (from cover to cover as it turned out, as the magazine was vital in my convalescence), and I actually quite liked it. I've been told that it's repetitive in terms of content from month to month, but what I liked about it, and tend to like about men's magazines in general, is the variety in content. Style, lifestyle, an interest piece, health news. I'm giving Women's Health a whirl now, but I heard from a reliable source that it sucks. So, what I'm in the market for is something that combines interesting lifestyle bits, maybe a good reader write-in column, maybe some recipes. Women's magazines tend to be 98% fashion spreads (of things I can't afford, nor want, to buy) and 2% how to play with your man's balls. Want to talk repetitive!?
• Books. I'm almost done "A Lion Among Men" - the third book in the Wicked series. I'm way bummed that Gregory Maguire hasn't written a fourth book yet. He really should, and from what I've gathered online, he's hinted that he's going to. Yay!! What an engaging series this became.
  
• Technology. PC Laptops. I know, so gross. I'm not happy about this either, but but but, I think I want one for work related purposes. Is a netbook going to be too much work for me, in terms of wanting it to do too much at the same time? We're talking VPNs, SharePoint, the Office suite here. Just go with a regular cheap ass laptop that's just for work purposes? IDEAS?!
• Food. I made tilapia for dinner tonight. It was really delicious. Also: I forget all the time how much I love roasted tomatoes. So good.
• Gifting. My Jenmas gifts I purchased online last week are in the mail, all the way from Tel Aviv! I can't wait for them to get here. Online Jenmas shopping is way too fun.
  
• Trivia. Tel Aviv, Sam. TEL AVIV!!

All right, time for me to hit the sack. I haven't gone to the gym in a few days, and I'm way way way excited to do so tomorrow morning. So, bed time. Have a nice week, everyone.