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For the past three days I would just find myself watching a movie with Nancy at night and then around eleven o'clock or so facing a choice between going to bed and reading for a while and then going to sleep or sitting down at the computer and writing a journal entry. The journal entry didn't seem to win... not even once in those three days, even though I had a vacation day plus a weekend and my Christmas shopping was complete. Friday I made a quick dash over to the office to put little boxes of fancy chocolate candy in holiday themes on the desks of people from my department. (We've always exchanged little token gifts of that sort -- I received some homemade Christmas cookies and some Christmas candy.) I rented Thank You for Smoking a wickedly amusing production of Christopher Buckley's satirical novel (which I had read when it first came out and enjoyed immensely). Nancy and I really enjoyed the movie and the kids got to watch it over the weekend and also liked it. Saturday Nancy and I wrapped presents -- I went out and grabbed a few things (a USB cable for the printer for the new computer we got Jeremy, a catnip mouse for Tiger, stuff for dinner) -- and Saturday night Nancy and I watched Pride and Prejudice (on HBO-on-demand -- so we were able to pause the movie when Jill phoned to say that she had a problem with the key to her car and I had to bring her a spare key). I commented to Nancy that it seemed strange to be watching something like Pride and Prejudice on HBO instead of on PBS... and without Alistair Cooke introducing the drama. Jill had received a DVD of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as a Christmas present and (although she had seen it in the theatre and on HBO) had to watch it that night. I could have gone to bed or I could have come in here and posted a journal entry -- but instead I watched the beginning of the movie -- just the beginning because, of course, I had seen it in the theatre and had watch a few parts of it on HBO -- and naturally I stayed up and watched the entire film and got to bed about quarter to two. And then Sunday seemed to just zip past. I got in a good workout in the basement with the exercise bike and treadmill and weight bench (as I had on Friday and Saturday, so even if I was neglecting this journal, at least I was doing something to counteract the vast amounts of food being consumed, especially the cookies and candy). Jill and Eli had dinner with us and then Nancy and I went to the ten o'clock Christmas Eve service at her church (where she was reading the scriptures as well as serving as chalice bearer and torch bearer -- this is the Episcopal church whose parish hall we always rent for family Thanksgiving). When we got home we arranged the gifts under the tree and sat in the living room for a while sipping some wine and enjoying the moment and then Nancy went upstairs and I filled the stockings and got on the computer and started to write an entry but by then it was after midnight and I was feeling very tired -- so I shut things down and went to bed. Today -- we all slept in -- since the "kids" at 21 and 24 are a bit past the age of needing to be up at dawn to see what Santa Claus brought. Even Tiger slept in and didn't come looking for members of his human staff to set out food (he may be a senior citizen cat but he has definite opinions about when he should be presented food). In the afternoon we had some family visiting and then we went to Nancy's sister Janet's house for a delicious Christmas dinner. Tonight Nancy and I worked out together -- she put in about 45 minutes on the treadmill... I did 38 minutes on the exercise bike, used the weight bench (leg lifts and rows) and then did about ten minutes on the treadmill. We relaxed with half an hour or so of watching the national spelling bee championships on television and then I got on the computer to write this, a summary of not very much activity. Hope you had a pleasant and relaxing time.
Blasts from the past -- I have been listing entries for this date from previous years but since I've skipped three days, let me see about listing entries for December 22nd through the 25th:
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