Exhibit A: 2013 Sock Monkey Calendar
Purchased December 30, 2012. Brand new. Twelve month-themed sock monkey images contained within imaginative and in excellent condition.
Fun year ahead — check.
Exhibit B: Rory with Sock Monkey
Given to Rory on Christmas Eve 2012. Brand new. Ball on Santa hat chewed off within moments of gifting.
Hat destroyed — check.
Relationship with sock monkey secured — double check.
Posted in Animals, Christmas, Dogs, Family, Holiday, Humor, Life, Relationships, Toys
Tagged 2013, animals, checking it twice, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Dogs, family, gifting, holidays, Humor, life, Relationships, santa, Santa hat, sock monkey, sock monkey calendar, toys
I like to do things a little differently.
But would I have the guts to have a Christmas tree…
…that was upside down?
This whackadoodle pre-lit fir tree is available on Hammacher Schlemmer. They trace its origins back to a 12th century Central European tradition of hanging a tree from the ceiling at Christmas.
Its unique shape also allows you to place your tree in small places, since the base is its narrowest point.
It kinda makes sense for someone like me — a New York City apartment dweller with very limited floor space. But just looking at it makes me a bit dizzy. I start having Poseidon Adventure flashbacks (and who wants to think about that film over the holidays?).
No, I think I will stick with my the traditional Christmas tree for now. And keep my dinner down.
Posted in Christmas, Design, Holiday, Home, Humor, Life, Shopping
Tagged Christmas, Christmas tree, design, Hammacher Schlemmer, Holiday, home, Humor, life, New York City, Poseidon Adventure movie, pre-lit tree, shopping, upside down Christmas tree
Nothing makes the season bright like a sense of humor.
Aqua City Odaiba shopping mall, Tokyo Japan
I finally put up my Christmas decorations today.
Just made it under the wire.
I’m not usually this tardy. But a slew of business travel in December left me only two days to prep the apartment for the holidays.
My Christmas decor is much like my day-to-day — contemporary, with graphic patterns and solid colors. But there are a couple of pieces from my childhood that still make the cut.
One is a vintage tabletop sleigh complete with Santa, elf, reindeer and — best of all — a sack of toys with real toys inside. They are teeny tiny things, probably saved from Cracker Jack prizes (back when they were actually cool) and party favors.
We always loved knowing that there was real loot in that tiny bag. But we weren’t surprised…
Santa — even the tabletop variety — always comes through.
Posted in Children, Christmas, Design, Holiday, Humor, Life
Tagged business travel, children, Christmas, Christmas decorations, contemporary decor, Cracker Jack prizes, elf, holidays, loot, make the cut, party favors, reindeer, Santa's sack, Santa's sleigh, tabletop, toys, vintage
It’s the weekend before Christmas…
And someone is playing with the photo editor on their phone.
It’s just a tiny tree on the dresser in my bedroom. But with a few minor adjustments, I have created an icy winter wonderland.
(But my toes are still toasty warm!)
Posted in Christmas, Holiday, Humor, Photography
Tagged cell phone, Christmas, Christmas tree, holidays, Humor, ice, photo editor, photography, winter wonderland
This post is ugly and time sensitive.
So VOTE NOW!
My sister-in-law Debbie is competing in an ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest’ sponsored by First Kentucky Bank. Take a look at her entry below.
What could beat that?
So click on the photo. It will take you to the Facebook page where you can ‘LIKE’ the photo and vote her sweater the ugliest in the land.
BUT VOTE NOW! The contest closes today at 1:30pm ET / 12:30pm CT.
Ugly rules. (And family even more so.)
Note: Debbie WON! Thanks for your support.
Posted in Christmas, Family, Fashion, Holiday, Humor, Life
Tagged Christmas, commentary, Facebook, Facebook like, family, Fashion, First Kentucky Bank, Holiday, Humor, life, ugly christmas sweater contest
Christmas may have come and gone, but the yule log is still burning bright.
On TV, that is.
I have been visiting my sister and brother-in-law for the holidays, and they haven’t had cable television in years. They watch movies and TV shows via Internet streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.com.
So when they aren’t online or are listening to music, chances are pretty good a fire is burning on their TV. This has become a tradition of sorts at Christmas, but I didn’t know where it originated until today.
Chalk up another one for New York City.
WPIX-TV Channel 11 was the first TV station to broadcast the burning yule log way back in 1966. President and CEO Fred M. Thrower thought residents of New York who didn’t have fireplaces would appreciate the added holiday cheer. And it allowed station employees to stay home and celebrate Christmas with their families during the four-hour time slot.
It’s like I’m always saying…
New Yorkers are the nicest people.
Posted in Christmas, Commentary, History, Holiday, Humor, Life, Travel
Tagged cable tv, Christmas, Christmas tradition, commentary, fireplace, Fred M. Thrower, Holiday, Hulu.com, Humor, Internet streaming services, life, Manhattan, Netflix, New York City, New Yorkers, Television, TV, WPIX-TV, yule log
It’s in the singing of a street corner choir
It’s going home and getting warm by the fire
It’s true
Wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas
A cup of kindness that we share with another
A sweet reunion with a friend or a brother
In all the places you find love
It feels like Christmas
It is…the season of the heart
A special time of caring
The ways of love made clear
It is…the season of the spirit
The message if we hear it
Is make it last all year
It’s in the giving of a gift to another
A pair of mittens that were made by your mother
It’s all the ways that we show love
That feel like Christmas
A part of childhood we’ll always remember
It is the summer of the soul in December
Yes, when you do your best for love
It feels like Christmas
It’s true, wherever you find love
It feels like Christmas.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
–”It Feels Like Christmas” from The Muppet Christmas Carol
by Paul Williams
Posted in Christmas, Holiday, Humor, Life, Love, Music
Tagged Christmas, Humor, It Feels Like Christmas lyrics, life, love, Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppets, Music, Paul Williams
Did you know you can track Santa’s progress tonight via NORAD?
Yep, as in the North American Aerospace Defense Command. And all because of a misprinted phone number.
Back in 1955, a newspaper ad for a Sears store in Colorado Springs advertised a direct line to Santa Claus. Callers instead reached CONRAD — NORAD’s predecessor — and hotline operator Colonel Harry Shoup obligingly used the radar to track Santa for the kids on the line.
That’s customer service, folks.
And a tradition was born. Since 1958, NORAD volunteers have personally responded to phone calls and emails about Santa from children all around the world. Today NORAD provides up-to-the-minute info on Santa’s location via Google Earth and Google Maps, and Twitter and Facebook posts about each sighting, including the cookies and beverages consumed by the big man at each stop.
Talk about turning a wrong into a right.
Way to go, Harry.
Posted in Business, Christmas, Commentary, Holiday, Humor, Internet, Life
Tagged Business, children, Christmas, Colonel Harry Shoup, Colorado Springs, commentary, CONRAD, Facebook, Google Earth, Google Maps, Holiday, hotline, Humor, Internet, newspaper ad, NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command, phone number, radar, santa, Santa Claus, Sears, tracking Santa, turning a wrong into a right, Twitter
May we blink?
As I sit and watch Christmas Vacation for the second time this holiday season, one name is foremost in my mind…
Leonard
I had forgotten — or did I ever realize? — that Johnny Galecki, Leonard on The Big Bang Theory, portrays Clark Griswold’s son Russ in the holiday cult classic. He was only 13 when Vacation was made in 1989.
24 years ago? Really??
Bazinga.
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Posted in Celebrities, Christmas, Commentary, Holiday, Humor, Life, Movies, Television, TV
Tagged bazinga, celebrities, Christmas, Christmas Vacation movie, Clark Griswold, cult classic, entertainment, holidays, Humor, Johnny Galecki, Leonard, life, Movies, Rusty, The Big Bang Theory, TV