Twelve Days of Christmas

Annual video of the kids singing The Twelve Days of Christmas. Should be better next year when Mary-Clayton joins the cast.

 

Nine movies you should watch on Christmas day, after you’re finished with the presents and meal (according to www.domino.com): Annie Hall, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Godfather, When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, The Cutting Edge, Bridget Jones Diary, 200 Cigarettes, and The Princess Bride. Usually I don’t need an email to encourage me to watch You’ve Got Mail.

http://domino.com/best-christmas-day-movie?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9%20movies%20you%20should%20REALLY%20watch%20today&utm_term=Daily%20maybe?

 

Dec 21st: Worked past 5:45. Had to get M from Cumming but he wasn’t going to be ready until late, so I headed home. Stopped by three thrift stores. Picked up a Glenn Robinson Hawks bobblehead but passed on two different pair of Nike Air Max running shoes: one black and one classic white. Also stopped by the Stinky Kroger for Ceil. At home we had a late dinner with W and MC: baked chicken with rice, broccoli, and green beans. Anna was at a sleepover. Will and Ceil watched The Empire Strikes Back. I had to drive to Cumming to fetch Matthew – right when it started raining. I drove slow. On the way back I gassed up my Civic and stopped by Kroger again for Nyquil – Ceil is sick. Was after 11 pm before I got home.

 

Watched the lighting of the national Christmas tree on the White House lawn. While the President said that Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Obama only called Jesus a great teacher, not mentioning anything about Christ being the Son of God. The president then said all religions could celebrate this time of year. At least they still called it a Christmas tree. The Atlanta Symphony changed the name of their concert to “A Very Merry Holiday Concert.” I guess “A Very Happy Holiday Concert” sounded even worse.

 

CHRISTMAS was  small but I did come home with five pairs of shoes: a pair of navy Sperry sneakers, Lands End mules, Tommy Bahama loafers, Crocs to wash the car in, and a black spackled pair of Nike Air Max. A few months ago I missed out on a blue pair, so I quickly snapped up this black pair.  

 

One of the few websites I read daily is Uni Watch, which details various uniform news. Every December the writer has a drawing to give away various items he has accumulated over the past 12 months. On Christmas Day he announces the winners. I have been entering the drawing for probably ten years but have never won – until this year. I won a New Jersey Nets belt.

Atlanta was expecting a Christmas Day temperature of 74 degrees this year. I can remember many years with warm Christmas weather, including 72 degrees in the early 80’s. With all the rain last week I thought about adding my kids’ old Noah’s Ark toy to our Nativity Scene.  

 

We were able to watch some NBA. Ceil’s 84 year-old mother said “I’d sure hate to guard that Steph Curry.”

When I saw the video of the woman calling LeBron a crybaby I knew anyone sitting on the front row at a Warriors game had to be someone. Leave it to the London Daily Mail who get the scoop. Then the Cavs website took her to task, which is kinda low. Interesting that Alicia Goetz’ husband Jim is worth much more than LeBron. They are doing the right thing – not making a big deal out of it. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3374396/LeBron-James-catches-Warriors-fan-sitting-courtside-act-calling-crybaby-Christmas-day-game.html

 

SATURDAY: we were about to have the big family Christmas dinner with over 20 in attendance. When they called everyone in for the blessing Ceil’s mom said “Now wait just a minute, I want to see want Indiana does here.” That Virginia Tech game was a nail-biter. Tough to score over 50 points and still lose.

 

SUNDAY: Earlier this month I began to wonder what big story would unfold on the 27th. Earlier this year both times we returned from South Carolina on a Sunday afternoon after a major holiday we learned of a big event in the sports world. On Easter Sunday Craig Kimbrel and BJ Upton were traded to the Padres. The Sunday after Thanksgiving Mark Richt was fired. What would it be this time? We stopped in Augusta at the Washington Road Taco Bell, and excursion that took an excruciating 25 minutes to complete. This game me ample time to check social media, where I saw Chris Dimino’s tweets about Dews. Before Christmas we were going through looking for old photos of Will for the wedding, and I snapped one of Will with Bobby Dews. Little did I know that Dews had taken a turn for the worse after his heart procedure. Hopefully the Braves will add a memorial Dews patch next year, though they will already be wearing a Turner Field patch. Probably a stretch, but perhaps they’ll have a Dews bobblehead night. Not sure who else they can have besides Markakis and Olivera.

 

Loved the Falcons win over the undefeated Panthers. I wanted to tweet “Falcons > Panthers” or “The Falcons STILL haven’t beaten anyone” but didn’t. Of course in defeat Cam Newton raced off the field, hardly congratulating Matt Ryan along the way. Newton won’t be joining Brady and Griese any time soon.

 

Did you see the Patriots team captain flub the overtime coin toss? He was quick to blame Belichick, which might earn him a ticket out of town. Sure Belichick said to kick, but any player who makes it to the NFL should know to say which goal he wants to defend. Many have long forgotten the historic AFL championship game when Abner Hayes did the same thing under near hurricane conditions. His team was able to win anyway. Unlike the captain Tom Brady refused to blame his coach, instead shouldering blame for the loss himself even though he wasn’t asked.

 

Watched Heaven Can Wait, with Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, and Deacon Jones.

 

MONDAY: Eleven people at work today in our department. At least ten are off. They brought in Jimmy Johns sandwiches for lunch. Dec 23 was pizza. My serious diet/exercise program starts January 11. I’ve even picked out an accountability partner. Typical evening. Left work a little early for me, 5:25 pm. Went by three stores and purchased a nice pair of dark grey and green Nike Lunarglide running shoes. Gassed up the CRV in Midway and made my way in the downpour to Cumming to pick up M. Left Cumming and made it back to East Cobb in time for a haircut. Didn’t get home until almost 9 pm. Long day. W was in Cartersville and Anna out on the town. I watched “For the Love of the Game on the MLB Network. Since I had a small Jimmy Johns sandwich at 4:30 I wasn’t hungry. Ate a yogurt and some Ritz crackers and cleaned shoes while watching the movie, which didn’t end until midnight.

 

TUESDAY: Left work at six last night and stopped by two stores and Wendy’s on the way home. At home everyone was gone. I did laundry, cleaned shoes, played on the computer, and watched TV.  

 

WEDNESDAY: Lots of work to do today. Monday and Tuesday I did plenty of my own stuff but also lots of work. Filling in for the tube mill lady for the first time, which has taken up a little more time than I expected. They brought in Chickfila for lunch yesterday and the rumor is pizza for today. I doubt I’ll leave early but others might.

 

BOWLS: According to my calculations I trail Reid by two games. On the 4 games played so far where we picked different teams you are 3-1 and I am 1-3. I should’ve picked Toledo, Duke, and Baylor, then I would’ve been 20-4. I thought Indiana’s experience against tough teams would’ve helped them beat Duke but Cutcliffe is a good coach. I thought Baylor’s QB situation would help NC but the Heels just can’t play defense. Miami was another disappointment – guess I shouldn’t have picked them either, obviously. I have to win at least one of these games tonight to keep from losing. My Louisville pick is questionable but Texas A&M’s QB situation is in disarray. Feeling good about my USC pick but you never know.

 

All those people bragging about their trendy little Nissan Leafs don’t think about the past 35 years when I’ve been getting 40 MPG driving Civics, Jettas, Golfs, and Subarus when they were getting 10 MPG driving their huge trendy Suburbans.

 

Reasons while Islamic terrorists hate the USA: we waste money on ugly sweaters. $5.00 cups of coffee. Nobody drives minivans any more because they’re not cool.  

 

Have you seen the new Star Wars? Not sure when I’ll get around to seeing it. Will has been watching the first six. A co-worker gave me a Kylo Ren bobblehead.    

 

Have I told you a million times about Rusty’s father-in-law, who played against Pete Maravich in high school? Pete was a freshman for Clemson High and Donnie was a senior at Abbeville High.

 

Our honeymoon in Bermuda: we rode mopeds, rode the bus, walked around the island, went to the beach, explored the western maritime part of the island, snorkeled, and went out on a sailboat.

 

Charles de Gaulle: “The graveyards are full of indispensable men.”