Merry Christmas from Azeroth and Other Holiday Miscellany

Okay, it's even a little festive -looking in the video game I play, so Merry Christmas from the World of Warcraft to all my gamer friends out there---you know who you are!

You will probably recognize me as blue-skinned Zalli the Troll who just happens to be riding a reindeer down the cheery holiday-lighted streets of Orgrimmar, but you may not recognize me as quickly in the green Santa-gnome disguise. Clue : I spent some time in the gnomish Wonder-volt Christmasinator machine.

Hey, all you folks who don't play, you may just disregard all of the above. :)

I was following a conversation in the general chat on this game the other day and one fellow was claiming that no girls played this game, even if they played female characters. "Just remember", he said. "GIRL means Guy in Real Life."

He is so wrong. Just wanted to clarify that.

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In other news, I discovered the true meaning of holiday joy is when your friends arrive bearing a Cartload- of -Delicatessan -Food -and -Mead....

Yes, Tai and Chris can be my houseguests for the holidays any old time if they are caring to bring

* ice-wine and brandy
*three varieties of mead
*blackberry wine and Baileys
* four or five different kinds of cheese
*olives, pate, artichoke hearts, and pesto
*pita and bagel chips
*dolmades
* and (MY Favourite by far) red hot chili peppers stuffed with feta cheese--you've got to try these, they're amazing!

We had been planning on going out for lunch but after half an hour quaffing from various bottles and munching away on the delicacies nobody needed any more lunch. Mmmmmm!

Oh, and for my friend Pol who asked about my kitchen, the renovations are coming along nicely. We have to add some detailing still,but you can see the general look in the background.
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Oh, and just for interest's sake, I've noted some differences on how guys and girls wrap presents, as witnessed at a holiday staff party.

In the first photograph here, we see a gathering of typical female wrapping techniques, what with lavish bows and curly ribbons and such. For instance, the big Victorian-themed gift bag is a present from me.

Next we see a gift wrapped by a guy.

*reeling back, hand across eyes to protect from tape glare*

Note how the vast amounts of scotch tape insidiously trap the present inside a barricade of stickiness and newspaper designed to foil even those who don't mind ripping into a package with tooth and nail. Or heck, even scissors. Yes, even the bow was carefully covered for maximum effect.

Heh, points for effort though. And recycling newspaper.

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Here is my living-room taken the day after Christmas. I LOVE the red colour of my walls especially at this time of year.

And I'm ever so pleased with our new reading-lamp (seen at the left). Those "natural light" bulbs are much more pleasant for reading books under. I plan to spend lots of time sitting nearby it in the New Year.

We got some great new books as gifts!

It's a tradition at my family's house that after Christmas dinner is eaten, we all open one last present and it is always a book. In my family, books are much appreciated gifts!

This year I got a lovely little book called Italy: a Capricious tour by Barbara Hodgson. It's one of those delightful books of anecdotes: historical, artistic, architectural and biographical that you can open at random and enjoy each page its opened to all by itself.

Jeff got a book by Rafael Sabatini, my mom got a book on cathedrals, and my father got a book of watercolour paintings on the history of the city of Vancouver. Delicious choices all!

As well, we now own a copy of Italian for Dummies --we have about four months to learn it!






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Now my favourite part of this season is all the friends who suddenly appear in town to visit!

I spent some time with my old friend Blackcrag (who is moving to Ottawa soon) and I even got to see my Heather L. unexpectedly.

The six of us (Kim, Shawn, and Zoe were there too) spent a good couple of hours hanging out at the local Tim Horton's yesterday: coffee, bagels and conversation!