Bah Humbug - It's December again! 22 Days to go!

Headless Snowmen

We've all heard of the headless chicken. A saying that is frequently assigned to those who run around with no real purpose or idea of their purpose. 

The concept of a headless chicken living without a head, was highlighted in September this year. BBC Magazine carried an article about a headless chicken that lived for 18 months. 

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34198390

All seems rather contrived, but I suppose, if, like the farmer and his wife, you take care of and feed the headless creature, then, with luck, it may live a full life.

And, so, with this tenuous link - you will find a fair number of tenuous links this year, my theme - it leads us to headless snowmen.

Anything headless conjures up horror films, headless horsemen, zombies and the rest. But this is Christmas, not Halloween (although, if you like Halloween stories, you could always head over to Etsy or Amazonhttps://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/163271113/mayan-cocoa-a-halloween-tale-gruesome?ref=shop_home_active_17 and purchase Mayan Cocoa).

Sadly, this year, I have to announce the demise of one of my tree snowmen, through decapitation. 

He does look as if he was trying to stop whoever did it. Or maybe he was trying to pat someone on the head. Whatever, he is headless. And, unlike the chicken, definitely not moving.

I am going to blame the cat ... he keeps removing the decorations and batting them around the floor, like he's Lionel Messi. 

He then looks at me as if he has the right. 

I shall get him back, with a Christmas hat or something ...

Bah Humbug. It's December again - and the NASA countdown!

Bah Humbug, it's 20th December.

That means one thing - NASA countdown time - 5 (days to go).

Being a Saturday, I was ready to go out to tutor in the afternoon, but it was cancelled. Maybe my pupil needed to do some urgent Christmas shopping? After all, the Saturday before Christmas has now got a name: Panic Saturday.

I am not sure why, as every day seems to have been a panic over the last month when I have ventured out - as I mentioned, I hate going out and "milling around" in amongst the crowds of people who are not quite sure what they are shopping for, but they know they need to get something.

So, "Panic Saturday" - I went to the post office.

What madness you ask? I even asked myself! I took a book in case I had to stand in the queue for a long time. If you read my post about queues, you will understand why I took a book.

Surprisingly, the post office as no busier than on a normal Saturday and the ladies behind the counter as grumpy as ever until you smile at them.

Why was I going to the post office? I had sold a book from my Etsy store: The Balloon Ride. The story of the first passenger balloon flight, that took a duck, a chicken and a donkey up into the air. I could do with a balloon occasionally to fly over everyone in my way.

The advantage of not having to tutor, for my son anyway, is that I become a taxi. Not an Uber Taxi, but a Mum Taxi. And off he went to a climbing and mega-zip line party. Perfect boy stuff for the start of the school holiday and a break for my eldest son who got some "on-my-own" time.

The prospect that there may not be many people around at one of the shopping malls, drew me to go and buy chocolate and wrapping paper. I had run out of the latter and you can't have Christmas without chocolate. Fairly straight forward. Until I decided to try out the supermarket.

Oh goodness me! $99.99 for a box of cherries! $18.50 for a medium sized carton of strawberries!

How can anyone afford such luxuries?

I left in haste and went home to make myself a cup of green tea.


BAH HUMBUG
They'll just have to eat apples instead.

Bah Humbug. It's December again - 18 Days until Christmas

Bah Humbug, it's 7th December and Sunday. And I woke up really early, well really early for a weekend, 6.05am. After forty minutes of trying to get back to sleep, I decided coffee was the order of the morning.

I have often wondered why coffee gives you a buzz and a few other things. So, in keeping with both of my sons' homework subjects, I decided to look it up on the periodic table.

Mmmm. Cobalt.

Cobalt as in blue? blue as in blue Xmas lights?

And this is another set that has decided that random crazy flashing and fading is better than always on. 

I decided against trying to change the setting for fear of getting another one of those lovely little tingling zaps through my fingers. 

I suppose rather like coffee.

Next, Fluorine.

A highly toxic and flammable yellow gas.

Coffee isn't yellow, it is normally dark brown and if you manage to extract a good espresso then it comes with a light brown foamy crema - which I suppose could be likened to yellow.

I have to admit that I have not tried igniting the crema, and too much coffee can lead to explosive situations for some.

And finally, Iron.

Not the type of iron that you use to smooth wrinkles out of clothes, the element type. It has the number 26, which if you add the two digits together makes 8, which is a lucky number in Asia, and if you twist it on its side, it makes the infinity symbol:
∞
Infinite amounts of iron - coupled with the fact that it is probably the most common element, means that it is everywhere, even in us. Our bodies need iron to function. 

Ha! Tony Stark, we are all iron men - so don't think you are so special.

To recap: Cobalt is a chemical element in the earth's crust and is found only combined with other elements - so it has to go with Fluorine and Iron. Fluorine is explosive and toxic, but that is just an a digression. Iron is the most common element and our bodies need it to function properly. 

Ergo, the earth must be made of coffee and we should all drink it.

Likewise, it is small wonder volcanoes explode. Unless of course you are a Viking called Eric who has a pet dragon called Bert.
(what a good lead in for a plug for my book:

Available on LimeyLimericks on Etsy:

What has this got to do with Christmas? 

Absolutely nothing really, unless of course you were hoping for a coffee machine for Christmas, and then it has everything to do with the season of goodwill and giving gifts.

BAH HUMBUG

 

The Nineteenth Day Before Christmas - Bah Humbug

Bah Humbug, it's 6th December, Friday already. Where did the week go? 

Definitely running out of time - no use procrastinating (time is such a thief). I have to get ready for the Nexus Christmas Fete. Must make a list of what I am going to take, and while I am at it, I should finish off painting those notebooks.

Little Tarsier, so wild and free,

Flitting and flying from tree to tree,

With your eyes so big and wide,

Small surprise all day you hide

Up in the canopy, watching me.

BAH HUMBUG

I wonder where the six geese a laying have laid their eggs?

I believe goose eggs make rather nice omelettes. Maybe I should cook one for dinner?

If you would like to purchase a hand-painted note book with eco-friendly pencil, please visit my ETSY shop.