Well, at least for those of us in the US. This sudden waking-up and yelling 'HOLY FUCK, TWO WEEKS TO CHRISTMAS!' is not entirely due to our being in a coma. Because of the calendar, and how Thanksgiving fell this year, there's about a week less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas than usual. I'd say for most of us in the US, Thanksgiving is the official sign that we need to get moving on Christmas. And this year Thanksgiving was waaay at the end of the month, instead of nearly a week back, which is more common. So, uh, what was I saying? Oh, yeah.
HOLY FUCK, TWO WEEKS TO CHRISTMAS!
...on a related note, the baking. I was in the store the other day to pick up the ingredients for the lemon truffles (which are very likely the only 'fancy thing' getting made this year), and the clerk asked me what I was making. I said lemon truffles. She instantly went into an unbelievable five-minute long explanation of why she didn't do Christmas baking, like I was going to yell "SINNER!" and leap across the counter at her. Good grief.
If you don't like to bake, then for crying out loud, don't. It's a very rare person in the westernized world (which is where Christmas happens) who NEEDS some extra fat packed onto their ass. The only reason I do baking is because I enjoy it. I actually used to list baking as a hobby, like knitting or reading, and I did bake that much. (I unloaded most of it on my friends.) Due to weight gain, the move to SC, hand problems, and other issues, I've cut way back, but the holidays are a once-yearly indulgence where I cut loose and really bake. This year it's taking a hit again, due to that missing week, having a three year old, and the crafting. And I'm sure my family will survive with a little less butter, sugar, and chocolate in their diets at the holiday just fine. So will yours.
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Politics lately has left me either boggled, shocked, or amused. I fear you'll have to hear about it.
First, uh, selling a senate seat? Isn't that a little corrupt, even for Illinois? (For those overseas, in the US, if a senator resigns their seat in the middle of a term - say, to become president - the governor of their home state then appoints a new senator who is approved/ratified/smooched/whatever by the state legislature.) After eight years of Bush, we're all pretty blase about government corruption, but hearing a guy state "a senate seat is worth a lot, I'm not giving it away for nothing" on a wiretap is still boggling. Just... good gods.
And the UAW. (United Auto Workers, most powerful union in the country these days, probably.) Did they just commit suicide, or what? How fucking arrogant is it to refuse to take a pay cut, when your people are making 90% more than industry average, and the corporations you're bilking are about to go under? Sometimes absolute power doesn't corrupt; it makes them fucking stupid.
AND THE SHOE-THROWING. (The Iraqi journalist that threw a shoe at Bush yesterday?) The only part about that incident that doesn't make me smile is wondering what happened to the poor guy who threw the shoe. (Hey, no harm done. Fine him for disturbing the peace, snicker at him, and let him go.) Otherwise, it's the least Bush deserves. I wish it had hit him. Has he figured out he's universally hated yet? Maybe not. He's pretty stupid. It's like having the reincarnation of Warren G. Harding in office, except Harding's wife had the good sense to whack the guy three years into his presidency.
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Um, otherwise, I'm trying to finish the batik today so I can get it to a dry-cleaner and back by Saturday, when we leave for Ohio. It's about half done, and going at about 3 yards an hour. So, what, two more hours, and some dyeing. I hope, I hope, I hope.
Starting the second sleeve as a break sort of thing.
Still have to wrap all the presents. Always a pleasure, with the hand problems.
Oh, and the second dose of the new med went all right. The loopy feeling was much more mild, but lasted longer. Like, until about ten this morning. But I suspect I'll build some kind of tolerance for it.
I think I'm babbling. Yup. Pretty sure.
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7 comments:
See? This is why we read your blog. Not only is it fun to see the Goob growing and all the pretty things you make/knit/spin/dye, but you figure out why our lives are turning to crap, i.e. the lack of a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Plus you educate us about math and philosophy and botany and archaeology and anthropology (which is my guilty pleasure). And you're as funny as a sack of cats. You rock!
Verification word: chans--a family of a steotypical Chinese movie detective (never played by a Chinese actor) from the '30s who numbered his sons instead of naming them.
First of all, dammit, Julie--I got hauled into a time suck by Waren G. Fucking Harding of all people-- but I do have to disagree. I think Bush was both dumber AND more corrupt than Mr. Harding appears to have been. For one thing, Harding's wife appears to have had a spine AND a mind of her own. I was actually impressed!
Fun post, though--I've been wondering why this whole thing seems to have snuck up on me like a stealth jet...
In regards to the Illinois Governor, apparantly that sort of thing is rather common. He got caught because 1) he was already being investigated/wiretapped for other malfeasance (such as using political leverage to get some newspaper journalists fired); and 2) he'd previously pissed off all the politicians he made the offer to. So not only was he corrupt, but he was kind of stupid at the same time. Actually, he sort of reminds me of an incompetent Senator Clay Davis from The Wire.
As for the UAW, I will note that the union was offered pay cuts at the same time that the upper brass were getting record compensation packages. Yeah, the UAW doesn't exactly have the auto-industry at the center of its interests, but at the same time most of this anti-UAW rhetoric would exist even if the union had accepted the pay decreases.
(Can I refer to civilian upper management as "upper brass", or is that just for the military/police?)
I used to bake all of our bread. I love to bake and at the holidays, I let my inner baker out. Butter, sugar, nuts and flour. It doesn't get much better than that.
And I heard they arrested the journalist. I'd a given him a medal.
Security word `seiess' - that has to be a real word somewhere - it's too cool not to be
Please move to Australia, we don't have real cold (here is Tasmania - which many Australians believe is an offshoot of the antarctic - we have the same climate as Tuscany or Madrid - that's why we make great champagne and pinot noir.) But it would be cool to have you as a neighbour. We also have alpacas, merino and Bendigo. Please come
I'll bake a cake!
Christmas is the one time of year I don't pay any attention to how much butter is going in all those yummy goodies. I love to bake but rarely do since the kids left home. Like Donna Lee, I let my inner baker out for the holidays. Let the artery hardening begin!
I once had to modify a huge shipment of office furniture to Riyadh for special desk modesty panels that came all the way to the floor, so I caught the insult as soon as I heard about this.
I was explaining the heavy-duty insult value of shoe-throwing to my husband, and he sez: "Oh. So it's like monkeys throwing crap?"
Yeah. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
My brother, on the other hand, instantly associated it with Austin Powers.
Verification: Renscon, which sounds like a pretty fun con to attend.
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