My Last Post of 2009

I just had to get one last post for 2009 on my blog. And the last day of the year seemed best to do it on. It always seems to begin slowly--just see how slow the upcoming month seems and then see how fast it will be before the new year is nearly over.

As for celebrating, I don't it that much on New Year's. Not much to do where I live.

Welcome to 2010 everyone!

What Chocolate Dessert Are You?

You Are Chocolate Mousse

Compared to most people, you are blissful and content with your life. You enjoy each moment, and you try your best to live simply. You think people cause their own anguish. You are charming and a bit of a smooth character. You can always get by on your charm. You are confident and sure of yourself. You are comfortable with your own skin and don't try to be someone else.

What Chocolate Dessert Are You?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

Thoughts on the Day After Christmas

I hope that everyone had a good Christmas, whatever you did for the event. My family celebrates on Christmas Eve, so we don't do much on the actual day. But mine was all right. Whatever you do, you should make it fun for you. And I sure hope that you did.

Still have yet to use the gift cards I got for Target and Walmart. I have to go out of town for Walmart and am not much into that idea on rainy days. it began raining off and on today and it is expected to do so again tomorrow. We have a Target in the town where I live, but I was a little fearful of the after-Christmas crowds that might have been there. I don't like driving in rain when it's not necessary to do so.

For the gift exchange at work I got a gift card for Blockbuster. I've not rented from them since I've been a member of Netflix. It was therefore a bit awkward going to a video store and having to get the DVDs back on time. I still have some money on the gift card and will have to use it. I tried Redbox once last year when I got a free rental coupon at Safeway, and it too was hard to get back into the mode of having to return a video on time, instead of dropping into the mail whenever I want or am able to do so.

I will see how things go tomorrow. It's been like a mini-vacation (I've been off since Christmas Eve) and will have to get back into the mode of waking up early again on Monday. I don't yet know if I'll be working on New Year's this year.

12 Days of Christmas Satire

Very funny take on the 12 Days of Christmas on this link:

If you do the math you will find out exactly what "my true love gave to me", and the results are quite disturbing. Upon further inspection you will see that the recipient of these gifts has been given the following quantity of items: 184 birds (which includes 12 fruit-bearing trees), 140 people, and 40 rings. That is a total of 364 gifts, or 376 gifts if you include the pear trees separately.

Where exactly would one go to procure these items?

I doubt your local pet store would have that many birds on hand to purchase. Aside from that, you can't buy people and give them as gifts unless you are a slave merchant.

What kind of band ensemble is this? You have 34 musicians, but you only have a wind and percussion section. Do you know nothing about music!?

What about the ladies and lords? Why are the 30 lords a-leaping? I suspect some type of torture is involved. You also have 36 ladies dancing. That is a suspiciously high number of female dancers. Should we assume that the 36 ladies are Rockettes, or perhaps strippers?

What's with the 40 maids a-milking? I would think they would be too busy cleaning up all of those bird droppings. What are they milking anyway? Maybe the 36 ladies are all pregnant…

The only somewhat sensible gift is the golden rings, but why so many? Unless you are a Hindu goddess with the subsequent arms, hands, and fingers for all of those rings, I would say it's a waste. Who else would benefit from 40 golden rings? Sonic the Hedgehog?

Whoever this "true love" is, I wouldn't trust them to do my holiday shopping.

Very interesting observations. I've often wondered how many gifts there would be altogether (see previous post). Yeah, really a band with only percussion and wind sections. I've often wanted to do a humorous piece like this, but I now don't think could never do any better than this one! Forty rings--I was immediately reminded of a line from the "Schoolhouse Rock" Multiplication Rock for the number six:

See that prince over there? (Yeah!)
The one with the fuzzy hair.
He's got six rings on every finger.
He don't wash no dishes,
Not with 60 diamonds.
Six time ten is 60, ten times six

Wow, that's even more rings than in the Christmas song! Yeah, whoever wears those 40 rings acquired on the 12 days of Christmas won't be washing any dishes either if they are wearing all those gold rings at once!

Yeah, why are we giving birds, people and gold rings as gifts anyway?

12 days of Christmas--how many presents altogether?

Ever try to figure out how many of those birds, drummers, rings, etc., it adds up to on each of those days in that popular song? Well, here's the answer:
From this site:

Partridges: 1 × 12 = 12

Doves: 2 × 11 = 22

Hens 3 × 10 = 30

Calling birds: 4 × 9 = 36

Golden rings: 5 × 8 = 40

Geese: 6 × 7 = 42

Swans: 7 × 6 = 42

Maids: 8 × 5 = 40

Ladies: 9 × 4 = 36

Lords: 10 × 3 = 30

Pipers: 11 × 2 = 22

Drummers: 12 × 1 = 12

Total = 364

The same number of partridges and lords (12): geese and swans (42); maids and rings (40); ladies and calling birds (36); hens and lords (30); doves and pipers (22).

Are You Red or Green?

Not all of this is true....

You Are Red

You are a passionate, outgoing, and intense person. You are naturally joyful. However, you tend to be quite intense, and your temper is easy to spark. You are confident and a real go-getter. You don’t fear or expect failure. You are a very lucky person. You are destined to be prosperous – if you aren’t already.

Are You Red or Green?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

What Kind of Christmas Card Are You?

You Are a Cute Christmas Card

You love the holidays, and it's hard for you to feel any sort of seasonal burnout. You're the person who thinks the holidays don't start soon enough. You have your Christmas cards picked out months in advance. The holidays make you feel happy and content. You're tickled by every gift you receive and every old friend you reconnect with. You are a thoughtful gift giver, and you take the time to make each object you give unique and special. You like to see someone's eyes light up when they open your present.

What Kind of Christmas Card Are You?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

The Santa Hat Test

You Would Be a Conventional Santa

Truth be told, you're pretty happy with Santa and Christmas as they are. Why mess with a good thing? Traditions are traditions for a reason. And you're happy to participate in all of them. You even believe in Santa a little. You think that old fashioned holidays with old time values are nice. It's all about family and togetherness. You think that too much commercialism and greed are naughty. It breaks your heart when the holidays bring out the worst in people.

The Santa Hat Quiz

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

Thrift Store Holiday Item Mixups

Why is that thrift stores mix up items from different holidays in their displays? See this blog entry on misplaced items in the Halloween sections in thrift stores. And during Halloween season I spotted one of those coiled mini Christmas trees in a Halloween display at a nearby Salvation Army store. It's in this entry on my blog.


And now I'm seeing Halloween items mixed in with the Christmas items display at the local Goodwill store. Two such odd items were Halloween Fortune telling kits and Halloween Charades kits. These are pictured in the photo on the left. My town's Goodwill carries items from Target, so these things might have been at Target at some point during Halloween season, but I did not notice any such things then, not that I was looking.

Bags of Halloween candy are also in the Christmas display. Is this stuff even still edible after nearly two months? Sure, they start stocking Halloween candy in stores as early as the end of August, but does anyone buy it that early if they're not planning on eating it all themselves? Don't most people wait until a day or two before Halloween to buy candy they plan to give to kids who come to their door? Certainly no one wants to buy candy now that they're going to distribute to random kids 10 months from now.


And just what can these Halloween things be? They look like an eyeball-shaped decoration in the photo (I did not catch what they were when glancing at things in the store and shooting the pictures).


What's next-- leftover boxes of Christmas cards getting tossed in with the boxes of Valentines for kids?

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

You Are a Tree

You love every part of the holidays, down to the candy canes and stockings. And you're goofy enough to put a Christmas tree ornament on your tree!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

The Christmas Tree Test

You Are Meticulously Precise

During the holidays, you take celebrating very seriously. It's like a job for you. You make sure that every stocking is hung and that every Christmas card is sent. You believe it's your responsibility to make sure that no one is forgotten. You have the longest Christmas list of anyone you know. You can relax once everything is taken care of. You tend to start your holiday planning and shopping early.

The Christmas Tree Test

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

Are You an Elf or A Reindeer?

You Are A Reindeer




You are a solid, dependable person. You are more likely to act than talk.

You have a lot of endurance and grit. You can work well into the night if you need to.



You are cooperative and competent. You like being part of a team, especially if everyone is pulling their weight.

You are energetic and hyper. You don't like to stay still for to long, and you're always ready to go somewhere new!

Are You An Elf or a Reindeer?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

One year ago today

It was one year ago today that I started this blog, thus entering the blogosphere.  I have found and regularly read a number of other blogs.   It's been fun and I am looking forward to more.  Finding blog material sometimes gets me stuck, but I'm sure that happens to most of us.  I am glad to have started this.  This a good outlet for opinions, random thoughts and ideas.  Looking forward to more!

Shopping for Christmas

Got some done today.  I don't have to get a lot though, as my family does a kind of white elephant gift game on Christmas Eve, in which each of us buys a silly present. We then draw numbers and each person picks a present. We can steal a present from another person, and each present may be stolen only three times.   This is a good idea for those who don't want to have a to buy a present for everyone in your family.  Everyone gets something.   A silly toy, bottle of liquor, a board game, DVD,  book, food basket, gourmet coffee or candy are just a few gift suggestions for those who want to consider this idea.  

And this Friday is the gift exchange at my work.  Those who chose to participate can spend up to $10 on their gifts.  I went to look for something at Walmart today.

The Wrapping Paper Test

You Are Whimsical and Imaginative

You approach the holidays with creativity and imagination. For you, it's yet another opportunity to express your glorious view of the world. Whether you're decorating your house or baking cookies, you like everything to have your personal touch. You do your best to make the holidays a unique and special time for everyone around you. Of all the types, you are the most likely to give delightfully surprising and interesting gifts. You're also the most likely to wrap your gifts in an quirky, beautiful way.

The Wrapping Paper Test

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

What Christmas Cookie Are You?

You Are a Gingerbread Cookie

You are an organized, responsible person. You value success, and you're likely to get an early start on the day. You are good with both planning and numbers. You have ambitious life goals, and you're well on your way to achieving them.

What Holiday Cookie Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

Shots of My Fiber-Optic Christmas tree

I've had this fiber-optic tree since 2001.  In addition to changing colors, the tree also rotates.  The bottom picture was taken first,  with the camera flash on.  

What Color Christmas Lights Are You?

You Are Red Lights

Your holidays are a time of warmth and sharing. No one epitomizes the spirit of giving as much as you do. You enjoy all of the tastes, sounds, smells, and sights of the holidays. You usually have the best decorations, music, and food.

What Color Christmas Lights Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?

This must be why I don't drink this stuff!

You Are Turkey and Gravy Soda

Gobble. Gobble.

What Jones Holiday Soda Are You?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Valentine's????

Every holiday seems to come earlier every year in the stores.  Only the first five days of December have passed and at work we are already receiving Valentine's Day items?  It's not even Christmas yet!  Of course we received Halloween items  in July and began receiving Christmas in September and even before the calendar switched to October, Christmas displays were overtaking the Halloween ones.  And very few Thanksgiving decorations were sold (hidden between Halloween and Christmas items),  hence everyone's belief that everyone has forgotten that holiday.    I have yet to check to see what date Easter occurs on next year--how much sooner before those arrive?  And don't even get started on St. Patrick's Day, please!

Even getting Valentines in January seems too early (I seem to remember this being true when I worked at Dollar Tree),  but in December?  People were still buying Christmas tree ornaments today! And I have not yet gotten any of the few Christmas presents I need to get.   How many of you have gotten all your Christmas presents yet?  

I mean really--who is thinking about Valentine's Day right now?  I can see thinking about New Year's right now, since that's only only one week after Christmas.   But are Valentine candles and candy going to get sold out two months ahead of time?   Seriously...!