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

 

Bah Humbug. It's December again - 19 Days until Christmas

Bah Humbug, it's 6th December, and we have reached the weekend. Where did the week go? 

There are too many stupid distractions when it isn't Christmas, and now Christmas fever is hitting our overly commercialised minds, there are even more. I really need a brain the size of the Universe to stuff everything in.

After the regular Christmas tree light upgrade, the decorating of the tree - oh whoops, I have another whole box I overlooked - I actually got the Christmas cards written - an old-fashioned custom of getting in touch with people that you have probably forgotten throughout the year - and posted. Important that they were posted yesterday as Singapore has decided not to handle post on a Saturday while at the same time increasing the cost of postage.

Is it my imagination or has the cost of living, and more especially Christmas increased this year? I mean, $20 for a box of cherries in the supermarket and not much cheaper in the wet market (fruit & veg).

All of which leads me on to the wise words of wisdom of my teenage son who is fast rejecting the commercialisation and sensationalising of festive occasions - that should be respected for what they were originally meant to represent. He has suggested a budget of $50 per gift, per person this year. I am not sure that will necessarily be achieved, nevertheless, it will leave my pocket with less holes and the pockets of retailers and large manufacturers less fat.

As for me, I have decided to make my own gifts, and support independent - indie - bookstores and creators. So I shall buy books and purchase gifts, where possible, from smaller creators of useful items or organisations that need people to support them.

So, for anyone looking for some great gift ideas, books for kids and other cool stuff, take a look at the latest: Eric and the Volcano on Etsy:

Save some money this year and support small and local businesses.

Say:
BAH HUMBUG
To the big guys.

Bah Humbug. It's December again - 20 days until Christmas

Bah Humbug, it's 5th December, and this year a Friday. 

I haven't sent out the Christmas cards - still - actually I haven't even written them, but then again no one seems to bother these days. A sad tradition lost. 

Old Christmas cards were particularly useful - you could recycle them as gift tags, props for an uneven desk leg or chair, folded up they make excellent door stops, even drink coasters. 

Maybe I should write a book on the revival of the recyclable Christmas card? 

20 days to go? Did I mention that already?

I haven't even sorted out Christmas gifts. Then there's food and who to invite.

As I start my morning in a ponder, I look up and see what Santa must see in quadruple or however many reindeer pull his sleigh, a fluffy reindeer butt.

The mere sight of it, really just is not quite right. No wonder Santa sings out, 'Ho, ho, ho!'

I wonder if they painted a butt on the back of the Virgin Traindeer?

BAH HUMBUG

Bah Humbug - It's December again - 21 Days until Christmas

Bah Humbug, it's 4th December and I haven't even sent out the Christmas cards I printed yet.

I also realised that last year I waited until 4th December to purchase Advent Calendars. Now I am thinking that maybe I might have got an even better discount if I had waited again this year?

Perhaps not, they were, after all, very cheap - my father always told me that it was cheaper to mean.

I suppose he had a point.

This post - out of character - is not about being mean however

This post is about what makes Christmas special, and you don't need to be Christian or whatever to see the magic in what Virgin Trains made come alive:

(Thanks Michelle Gaskell & Rafal Jaworowski, I nicked your photo)

The train even has reindeer fur and a red nose, and a Father Christmas!

How cool is that?

Well done Sir Richard and all who work for you.

Somehow, today, at least, I can't bring myself to say: 

BAH HUMBUG

Bah Humbug - It's December again - 22 Days to Christmas

Bah Humbug, it's 3rd December, a Wednesday, so we've hit mid-week.

Decided to hang a few more decorations - like I said, do it in phases. Shame I can't take it down in phases - such a nuisance this traditional 12 days of Christmas thing. So ingrained in my psyche now that the mere thought of having my tree up and decorated after Twelfth Night fills me with fear and dread of misfortune. 

That reminds, me, Twelfth Night, Shakespeare, I have a lesson to prepare.

Back to the tree.

It was while I was rearranging the decorations that I found them. You never believe that Toy Story rubbish, but I swear, I took a double take at these three. This was no accident caused by me decorating a tree with a migraine.

Those decorations are definitely up to something. Flirtatious times.

I'm not sure what that fairy sees in a grubby skinny snowman who lost his leg last year and an overly cheery jester.

Who told him to be happy?


BAH HUMBUG

Bah Humbug - It's December again - 23 Days until Christmas

Bah Humbug, it's 2nd December, and it's a Tuesday. What could be worse? 

Monday I suppose.

Have you noticed how the price of chocolate increases around Christmas (and a few other overly commercialised festive occasions - like Halloween)? 

Perhaps we should ban chocolate all together - after all it rots teeth, gives you zits and a headache.

The concept of Advent Calendars with chocolate is an awful idea - just another way to pump more sugar into the mouths of babes and young ones.

And, remove copious amounts of cash from parents who, not want to be seen as mean and out of touch (sorry Quentin Blake), opt for the melt in your mouth version.

Not so me! - or not quite so me.

I wait until the beginning of the month, just when the supermarkets believe that everyone who will buy a calendar has bought one. Regular as clockwork, big discounts - so I suppose I end up paying the normal price for chocolate instead of an over-inflated supply and demand type of extortion.

If you have boys, then they rather revel in the idea of eating two or three pieces of chocolate in one go rather than the rationed one a day.

Who says you can't be a Scrooge at Christmas?

BAH HUMBUG

Bah Humbug - It's December again - 24 Days to Christmas

Bah Humbug, it's 1st December. Funny how this year again, I've got headache, just when I need to put up the Christmas tree.

Once more, in respect of tradition, I dragged the tree out of the garage cupboard and shook off the dust and whatever else had attached itself. That was yesterday. Maybe that's why I have a headache?

The cat was rather intrigued. But then again he'd never seen anything like it before. 

Nor had he tasted green stuff like it before. 

Quick removal of feline from synthetic tree bits, or should that be removal of synthetic tree bits from feline?

Almost deja vu - the came the joy of lights - or rather frustration. 

Without fail, manufacturers have some sort of fail device on fairy lights that ceases operation after so many goes. Not to mention the set that just won't stop reverting to the haywire randomness of every setting.

Decorations will probably have to happen in phases.

BAH HUMBUG