As I write the title to that post I find myself a little shocked.  Christmas is almost here!  Not only that, the year is almost done.  2009 definitely had a fast pace.  I am officially done all my classes for school.  What I am not done is one last essay I am supposed to mail in.  It’s due today.  Once I pick a topic I will be set!  This last weekend we had the informal party with my grad class.  We got some hotel rooms and some drinks.  I honestly don’t remember much else.  Great times…I think!  I spent Sunday laying in bed watching TV.  We were so lazy we ordered in for both lunch and dinner.  That kind of laziness takes a very special kind of tired.  My bathroom renovation is pretty much complete.  The shower looks amazing.  I will post some pics of that later.  Now I just need to wipe down absolutely everything in my room because of all the dust.  How do I wipe down stucco walls…or a fabric couch?  I continue to read “Watership Down” and I really don’t ever remember it.  It seems like something everyone read back in school.  I had no idea rabbits lead such interesting, spiritual lives.  Do other animals have books like this?  I am also reading “Pride & Prejudice & Zombies” and what the bible says is true: Zombies are awesome.  As is my trend with these ramblings, I like to leave you with a comic that has nothing to do with anything.  Enjoy your Tuesday everybody!

Oops, no post yesterday.  I was too busy doing my 2nd Christmas with Julie.  That should tell you exactly how busy the day was considering I can post from my Blackberry if I need to.  The thing that kept me most busy was moving Chubbs and all his puppy gear from my place back to Julie’s.  Once we finally got to unwrapping gifts, the day got even more eventful.  I got a butt-load of stuff I either needed or wanted.  The crown jewel of the gifts was this gorgeous watch pictured below.  The thing will help to class up even someone as crude as moi.  What did I get Julie?  Tupperware.  Seriously!  But, I also got her an Acer Aspire One netbook.  The thing is cool as hell.  I got the version that is loaded with Windows XP and a 160 gig hard drive.  I did all the usual start up configs and am writing this post from the unit.  Getting used to the smaller keyboard is about the only challenge I am having with it.  It is easier for Julie because of her small, girly hands.  I am managing to get by though.  With time, I don’t see it being an issue.  Some people bitch about the small screen.  I don’t see what the fuss is about.  The screen has more than enough real estate for browsing and emailing and any other day to day tasks.  Sure you wouldn’t be doing graphic design on the thing, but how many of us actually do that when away from our desks?  And, you can always plug it into a larger external monitor when you have need for more screen space.  Personally, I prefer to have the ultra portability of a unit this size.  After using this thing I might end up buying one of these for myself in the new year.  I absolutely love it.  Oh, and in case the technology didn’t impress her I got her a bracelet from Tiffany’s.  When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with anything from Tiffany’s.  They could gift wrap some Gummy Bears and a girl would love it.  Pics of the main gifts are below.  Today we have a  wedding to get to.  If anyone gets super drunk and does something dumb I will be sure to catch it on camera!

*My new watch!

*Julie’s new computer

*BAM!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Today is one of my favourite days of the year.  I get stuff.  Lots and lots of stuff.  Hehehe.  I also get to have an extremely lazy day.  I have been lazing around on the couch with Chubbs.  Even he knows it’s a day for rest.  He was out cold during Iron Man.  I got the Blu-Ray from my girlfriends parents.  2 hours of action and the bulldog was fast asleep!  As I type this my mom is rocking the kitchen trying to get all the dishes ready for dinner.  We have our usual dinner with my uncle and cousin coming over.  This is definitely a bad time of year to attempt getting into shape!  Tomorrow is going to be another exciting day as Julie comes back to town and we do our Christmas.  She always gets me a bunch of good stuff, so I am very excited for that.  I will most likely be posting from her place tomorrow and I will show some pics of the presents.  I hope everyone has an awesome day today.  To help you with that, here is a funny little comic that explains where the Xbox 360 got it’s name.

WOW, it is Christmas eve already!  I wish everyone out there a very merry Christmas.  And, if you don’t celebrate Christmas…well…I still wish you a merry one.  I certainly don’t think you should take offense to it.  I have had people wish me a happy Chanukah and I am still happy to get that sentiment.  Anyways, I am only online for a short while today.  I have to travel close to Niagara, Ontario to see the girlfriend at her parents place.  I then steal my dog back and go home to do Christmas with the family.  I have wished you a merry Christmas and now I will let XKCD wish you.

I found this touching pic on JoyofTech. This is a great little comic with the classic “then and now” theme. I would actually like to see what would happen if you could take the modern kid and throw him back in time. Imagine the 1950’s parents having a kid swear at them because he wanted Guitar Hero and not a puppy. You see, back then you could beat your kids proudly when they acted up! I think that pipe-smoking dad would have taken his belt to that porky little gamer punk!!! Merry Christmas!

uhhhh…so full. I can still taste the turkey! As promised, I am giving more props to my mom for an amazing Christmas Dinner. We do all the traditional stuff - turkey, potatoes, stuffing, etc. My mom always likes to throw a couple of curve balls in there to keep us guessing. As always, it turned out amazing!

This was an appetizer. It is a triangle of pumpernickel bread with avocado, onion and smoked salmon. The purpose of this is not only to look and taste good, but to keep me from dying of hunger. Mission accomplished on all fronts.

Below is the second twist my mom threw into the festivities. This is a spinach casserole. It had, you guessed it, SPINACH! It is baked with a mixture of cheeses including mozzarella and parmesan. This is a very dense and tasty side and complimented the traditional items well. Baking something in cheese is also the only chance in hell my mom had for me to eat vegetables.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has a great day filled with family and friends. I did the usual relaxed Christmas morning with the folks. My brother is a Grinch and refuses to come up from Orlando to visit. He has to work though, so I wont hold it against him. My parents got me some clothes and some money. It’s everything I wanted! I had already bought a gift for myself in November: Xbox 360. I will spend the rest of the day lounging around and watching tv. At night my uncle, cousin and some other friends will be joining us for a big dinner. The dinner is complete with the usual holiday treats. I will grab some photos of those at night and maybe post them later. Julie is back home with her parents this week, so I don’t get to see her until the 27th or 28th. My Christmas with her will have to wait until then

Every year my mom does an amazing job making Christmas special for me. Right now I want to give her props for her decorating abilities. Seriously, she rocked the tree this year. I think the woman could have been a professional decorator! Check out the tree this year:

You left your shopping until the last minute, didn’t you? Shame on you! I figure some of you are still scrambling to get gifts right up until Christmas Eve. And then? Boxing Day madness all over North America. This might be a good time to run down to the States if you can’t find what you need in Canada.

With the Canadian dollar still hovering around parity with the US buck, there has never been a better time for cross border shopping. We are STILL paying too much up here when compared to our buddies down south. Don’t get angry. Just take your money across the border and force our retailers to smarten up! Below a list of items you can get in the States and bring back without paying duty. All you have to do is pay Canadian tax on it. But, you were going to pay that 14% up here anyways. Do some online price comparisons. You may be surprised at how much you can save!

• Toys, including puzzles, trains, dolls, action figures
• Video games
• Cell phones
• Antiques
• Most kinds of original art
• Downhill skis and boots
• Toasters
• Bread makers
• Electric irons
• Billiard tables
• Chess sets
• Office furniture
• SLR and instant cameras
• Unset diamonds, pearls and precious stones
• Golf bags made mostly of synthetics
• Books
• Glassware (including crystal)

You may see a lot of other articles on the net about this in the coming days. But, my list has one huge difference: it’s from me. My opinion on everything is clearly far superior. You will see listed here some of the movies and specials that don’t get mentioned anywhere else. Just follow my list and enjoy a Christmas filled with awesomeness!

Best Animated Christmas Specials:

Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol - This is a great, albeit short, version of the classic. You have Yosemite Sam playing the Scrooge…how can you go wrong?!

Mickey’s Christmas Carol - Although this is animated, it is very true to the original tale. It even gets pretty sad when Scrooge McDuck is spending time with the Ghost of Christmas Future. All the usual characters from the cartoons make appearances.

Garfield’s Christmas - This is a surprising pick, I know. It has everything you need wrapped into an entertaining half hour. The fat orange cat even manages to show some Christmas spirit without losing his personality.

Futurama Christmas Episodes - I know, the list just got a little weird. But, if you happen to be a cartoon loving geek then this is for you. In the future, Santa is a robot with a programming malfunction that forces him to judge everyone naughty…and try to kill them. It makes for an interesting Christmas. This is great for those who both love and hate this time of year!

Best Non-Animated Christmas Specials:

A Christmas Story - You had to know this was making the list! Every guy can think back to when he was young and all he really wanted for Christmas was a weapon? This is a great story, done with a retro look. It’s almost like watching “The Wonder Years” but not as stupid.

Elf - Any movie that stars Will Ferrell is great any time of the year, including the holidays. But you have something truly special when Ferrell stars as an human raised by elves and set loose in New York. It has all the sentiment of Christmas with all the fun of Will Ferrel, a perfect combination.

Love Actually - Stop laughing you heartless jack-asses! This is an awesome movie, especially around Christmas. A series of intertwined characters and mini stories that all come together around Christmas time. This is perfect! Guys can win some extra points by watching this with your girl….just don’t let her see you cry.

The Family Man - This is another movie that doubles as a chick-flick. But, this is a great holiday story for everyone. Nicolas Cage stars as a rich ass who gets the chance to look back on how life could have been. It all happens around Christmas time and makes you feel good…then sad…then good again.

That is the end of the list. Of course there may be some I didn’t list. Feel free to watch them, although I will not be held responsible if their lack of awesomeness ruins your Christmas. Why didn’t I include Rudolph? Because he sucks, that’s why! That whiny little red nosed twit should have been shot and eaten by Santa.