The Aerie
Okay, I have got to stop eating these chocolate-covered raisins that I found in my stocking yesterday.
Well this was about as nice a Christmas as I've had in a while, which disproves the saying that 'money cannot buy happiness.' As usual, I'm hopelessly out of fashion, meaning that while the rest of the world is working harder for less money under Our Dipshit President, I'm actually out of debt and well employed. And this meant that although I left Christmas shopping til the last minute, nonetheless I was able to provide some nice gifts for the kids.
For my precocious daughter, I picked up a computer graphing tablet, allowing her to draw pictures on her computer with a stylus rather than trying to wiggle one out of her mouse. I thought of this one by my own self, which I thought was very clever, and was rewarded on Christmas morning with her shout of "Score!"
Of course, she's the easy one to buy for. She has a lot of interests, most of which are not inexpensive, making for easy Christmas shopping. Canvases for painting, art supplies, computer supplies, and anything soft.
My number 1 son was trickier. He has interests too, of course, but rather more esoteric. He likes computer games, but feeding that addiction only makes the beast hungrier. And of course just giving him yet another computer game lacks a certain panache.
No, for him I wanted something that would dovetail with his computer interests, and yet persuade him to something more than a pear-shaped life in front of a keyboard (like his father). Something to get him out of the house.
Fortunately my buddy Keith clued me in this year to the hobby of Geocaching [Gee-oh-cashing]. This wholesome enterprise involves hiding and locating hidden containers (caches) using a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.
By joining the online Geocaching.com service, for free, he can locate nearby caches (there are several near our home), record his finds, and also register any new caches he creates. And since he has another friend who already has one of these devices, the two of them can conspire if they wish. Meanwhile, it gives him and I something to do on one of our oft-delayed "Dad and Kid Days." Not that we lack for things to do, just that we now have another option.
For the youngest, well, I got lucky. Shopping, in my usual hunter-gatherer fashion, I stumbled across a complete boxed set, used of "Dragon Ball Z: The Saga of Goku." What is a Dragon Ball? Where are Dragon Ball's A through Y? What is a Goku? I do not know. I do know that the names of various characters on this series are strange: Frieza, Cooler, and Trunks, for example. Why Japanese animators are translating character names into household appliances and clothing, I do not know. What I know about Dragon Ball Z is that it involves a lot of weird creatures becoming extremely angry, floating up into the air, and hitting each other.
My confusion mattered little in the face of the triple-take the boy did when he opened up this present Christmas morning.
For the wife, well, I really hate to admit it. I mean, I really hate to admit it. The commercials were so awful. And yet, after shopping all thirteen of Rosedale's jewelry stores (yes, Rosedale has thirteen jewelers) I... I ended up getting her a mojo box. I know, I know, I'm so ashamed... but it was really the best deal!
I'm also afraid my friend Giovanna will find out. She's an artist and a jeweler, and if I had had my act more together - if I had been shopping sooner than Christmas Eve, in other words - I could have commissioned something from her for a fraction of the cost. Fortunately I'm pleased with what I got, and more importantly so is my wife, so it all works out.
As for me, well, I got some stuff. And I'm very grateful for it! I got some cool books, the aforementioned chocoloate covered raisins. I also received a calendar produced by my birthmother, featuring her and her rug-making friends in various states of deshabille, "The Rug Hooking Calendar Girls." My birthmother is December, and is fortunately censored. Despite this I expect to add a few more payments onto my therapy budget... She also sent me a good book, though, so she must be forgiven.
The worst thing I got, however, were these damned chocolate-covered raisins... they're addictive!
We had a nice morning together, the traditional family breakfast of caramel rolls and Polish kielbasa. In the afternoon we went to the wife's sister's house for family Christmas. Everybody was happy. I got to see 'Elf' for the first time (Ed Asner... as Santa?!). Everybody was happy.
Today I'm cleaning - cleaning like a madman. I cleaned the kids' game room in the basement, in order to clean my workroom by moving stuff into the game room. The boys and I went through their game CDs and we're building a good Garage Sale box of old toys and games.
But I'd better get back to it if I'm going to get that room redone before the New Year. All in all, a very Merry Christmas.
Posted by Albatross at December 26, 2004 1:59 PM