The Last Bastion of Manliness and Merry Xmas to Me....

But not necessarily in that order.....

Ok, so I give up. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. As someone famous once said. Well, I guess they did. Someone got that expression from somewhere. The presents are wrapped and under the tree, which btw, is the first thing you see when you enter the house. Ok, so it would be if I could get MOTH and the Teen to use the front door. But, as I was saying, they are under the tree. Brightly coloured and hidden in plain sight. It's done this way to give the Teen one less reason to go riffling through my cupboards. It means though that we have to put up with the constant "are we there yet?" questions from both Teen and the Elder. The scarey part is it's beginning to rub off on me. Yes, I am losing my curmedgeon-like Bah Humbuginess and beginning to hear the lure of the wrapping and the gifts. Calling, whispering, beckoning, shifting, moving ....... "come on now, you know you want to. There's a good kiddie, quickly now, take a peek, no one is looking and I won't tell. Come on now .... just a little bit closer ...... that's right ...... ha! Gotcher!" I buckled. I succumbed. ..... I peeked ..... Well, just one. A voucher. I opened the envelope and looked. A mental 'naughty, naughty, naughty' at myself and returned it to the envelope. But like a junkie or something, I returned to the scene of the crime and completed the job. I looked at the amount. And put it back under the tree. Later in the week I had the opportunity to indulge in regret and guilt.... hmmm would you believe a tiny amount of regret? ... when I realised that this was the second gift mother bought me after she told me what the first was. After she thought she had given me something I wouldn't like. ... Sorry mum ...

Did I mention something in the title about manliness? Yes. Yes I did. Well apparently a "men's business club" here has voted against granting women full membership. That's right. We can join as associate members, but can't join in our own right. This, I read, is the fourth vote-down in the last 2 years. Seems to be an issue that splits the members themselves, and of course we have the requisite number of whining women who want to become members. Well, ever wondered why they call them members? You gotta have one to be one. But since women can still swan around the dining rooms and still be seen by all the right people - this place requires a $1100 joining fee - I really can't see what the problem is. So you can't sit on the committee. Whoop-de-doo. If you have the ear of one of the members, you can still brow beat him into submission. I really think this could just be a case of wanting something just because we can't have it...... And let's face it, if there is a place where you can shepherd him off for exclusive baby sitting to play with his manly men men friends while you go max his card, then long live the all male bastion I say!

Why can't I find that music? An ode to online downloads

Ok, so I am after a particular song. Nothing special, but perhaps it might be a little obscure. Possibly. My Chemical Romance. All I Want for Christmas Is You. Nothing too difficult, right? Wrong.

It's getting on to Christmas. I thought I might try curb the Bah! Humbug! gag reflex by composing my own CD of lovely little Christmas songs. To play at work. Just for myself. And anyone else unfortunate enough to be in the immediate vicinity. Wonderful things, like the above work, contributions by Elmo & Patsy and Weird Al.

But after about 3 or more days of Googling, Yahooing, Asking and begging, Christmas songs are thin on the ground. And try finding a download site that doesn't charge the earth, or a free one that doesn't file share. I thought I might have been on to a winner - Sony Music Store - but no! I live outside the US. The Teen had a favourite, but has been unable to renew her credit. Most unhappy and disgruntled has she been. Time to duck for cover.

So in an effort to find something, I have been forced to create myself a profile on myspace. Yup. Finally succumbed. Maybe there is something on music there. Yeah, right. Like when The Gods Must Be Crazy sees a rise in popularity and resurrects it's status from cult to mainstream....

For holidays that are waaaay too short

Just reading back over that plather that serves for a journal, I notice that it's been a while since I last posted. I could ask where the time has gone, but it could have just passed me by while I have been lurking on the dark side of the moon.

I have been on holidays and for a week at least of that, there has been no access to a computer. None. If it were possible, there may have been a trace of the DDT's for a while there.

Not that I'm a net-a-holic or such, but when you have no choice, things begin to get grim. I had to resort to rummaging through bookshelves for something to entertain myself with. It would have been nice to reacquaint myself with some of my favourites, but that would have involved waay too much effort. They are buried at the back of the shelves behind the romances and I was supposed to be on holiday after all.

The first week was spent doing as little as possible. Didn't want to make those days go too quickly. And it worked. The first week dragged. But then, the Elder requested that I 'help' her visit my folks. Who happen to live about an 8 hour drive away. Spending a week in that house always has appeal, but boy doesn't that wear off quick when you actually get there. Cats, bird and people rule what little space is to be had. And ... no computer.

Still, I managed to last the week, overdosed on the Teen's current obsession - My Chemical Romance, fought with the niece and nephew, ignored the siblings, got tasted by the birds, and bled by the cat. But best of all ... ... ... I managed to dutifully annoy my mother AND miss the Christmas rush when the rest of the relatives arrive ... ...