Love this sign!

Well, how is your holiday season going? I finally got the post-surgery boot off of my foot, and got to see it without the bandages. Very ugly and all the wrong colors (I decided not to post photos and spare you that), but getting a little better every day (with a new bandage so I don't have to look at it). One of these days I will take a walk for no reason and not worry about busting stitches or swelling. I am lucky enough to work for an employer who provides a generous winter break (this year it's 7 working days plus surrounding weekends and I added a couple of vacation days for some extra downtime).

It's going to be lots of sitting-down stuff, like on Dec 24 we are going to see Die Hard at the Alamo Drafthouse, a nice little Christmas movie that will include live pyrotechnics in the theater and a free Twinkie for all in attendance. I guess I can sell that Twinkie on ebay, huh?

I've already gone through my annual Christmas doldrums (it's unavoidable) but I think I've come out on the other side of it OK. That's always the goal. It's partly because here I was feeling down in the dumps, then I heard other people's bad news (both people I know and of course the endless daily NEWS news) that I sort of snapped out of it.

Also, it won't be long until my news feeds won't have the made-up "War on Christmas" which is really a "War on non-Christians" shit like this (one of my in-the-flesh friends posted this as something she supports) (::: sigh :::)What to do about these things? Ignore, ignore, ignore, and don't get in political or religious discussions with them. We have things in common - just not those things. Screw this.

And this too. I am so sick of this kind of shit.

Christmas is a secular holiday that occurs during a time of year where nearly every religion that ever existed has celebrated or observed something. I am celebrating having 13 days off in a row, even if I don't have much planned other than not using the alarm clock.

My wish for you is to celebrate or don't celebrate whatever the hell you you would like, have fun doing it and don't get hurt. And for goodness' sake, have a happy new year.
Heathens Greetings everyone! I leave you for now with Pussy Willow playing the theremin.

Not sure why this ditty didn't catch on.

"I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" sung by 10 yr. old Gayla Peevey in 1953.

I got a new boot

Lovely, isn't it? I had a ganglion cyst removed from the top of my foot this morning. It's a returned problem from about 15 years ago when I had the very same thing done to the very same spot - then about a year ago it returned and has been limiting my activities (things that require a lot of walking or standing). I've got Vicodin for pain, and it's working so far. Hopefully this time the damn thing will stay gone.

This calls for a little couch time.

Winter beauty

The yard is so full of butterflies!! Mostly Monarchs Queens* but there are a few others I haven't identified by type. It has been very, very dry so there is not a lot for nourishment, so they are ganging up on the Tropical Milkweed. So beautiful.

* [correction] These butterflies pictures are Queens, which I discovered through a comment with this link.

Naughty, naughty kitty

You'll never believe what this cat gets up to.
Not your typical cammed cat... or is it?

Once upon a season dreary

The first holiday cards to arrive are from various charities, corporate organizations, political groups, or all of the above – anybody who wants to shame you into sending them some money by means of guilt – giving you a card and sometimes some address labels.* They are usually pretty unremarkable, but this one, sent from my alma mater (a lofty term to describe the place where I took a lot of night classes in order to finally obtain a BFA at the age of 40). If I were grading this design or critiquing it (perhaps as part of my art studies there) for a Holiday card for donors and alumni – something whose purpose is to get you to donate $$$ to them – it would get a solid F. Not sure what they want to do with the money. It could have gone to a graphic designer in this case...

Instead of looking warm and inviting, I want to leave the room ASAP.

It doesn’t look bad for Halloween though.

*and oh the humanity, we’ve got enough address labels to last at least 3 more lifetimes.
Just stop it.

Apparently the address label tactic still works though, so the mailbox will continue to be stuffed.
NPR: Give And Take: How The Rule Of Reciprocation Binds Us