Monday, December 21, 2009

Hardware, Humbugs and Ho Ho Ho


Wow, it's been a while since I posted anything here - I guess I've just been so busy this past week that running has really taken a back seat (if I'm honest, it's taken a backseat ever since Cactus Rose).

But I feel really fast today. That's because I'm typing this on the spanking new computer I just built. I realized a few weeks ago that my home desktop was older than Gavin - I built it back in 2003 or thereabouts - so it was definitely time for an upgrade. Installed a 64-bit version of Linux on it and I'm flying - really notice the difference when doing graphic design.

It's funny - I've built a few computers in my time, but I still hold my breath whenever I switch them on for the first time.

But enough about the new computer. Last weekend we went to see the movie Invictus which I had such high hopes for. Sadly it was painfully awful - the characters were one dimensional, wooden and shallow, there was very little flow and the rugby scenes were painfully badly recreated. Very disappointing.

Much better was the "Christmas Carol" we went to see midweek. It was Gavin's first trip to the movies, and what better place to take him than the giant screen of the IMAX 3D. I'm not much of a Jim Carrey fan, but I must say he did an excellent job here. The movie was a lot darker and scarier than I'd expected, and there were numerous moments that made you jump (especially in 3D), but Gavin loved it. He's been going on about Scrooge ever since. I've tried to explain to him that Bob Cratchett was really a nare-do-well who spent most of his day operating as a tealeaf (pickpocket) and running from the rozzers (police), and that within a year of his transformation Scrooge had spent all his money, been evicted from his house and was breaking coal in the poorhouse.

But he's not having any of it (and rightly so)!!!

So yesterday we took the boys to get their photos taken with Santa at the mall. Malls are a very strange place - full of teenage boys wearing jeans so comically oversized that you wonder how they defy gravity and stay up, and teenage girls wearing jeans so tight you wonder how they ever got into them in the first place!!! I haven't been to the mall for a long time (since we took Gavin to get his photo taken last year in fact), and I always get the impression they're like a relic of the 70s and 80s - tired, faded and just about hanging on.

But we got the photo taken (the first with both our boys), and the Santa was really good. I was looking forward to hearing what Gavin had to say after he quizzed him at length last year. He didn't disappoint, and it was well worth the wait.

Santa : So have you been a good boy this year?
Gavin : Not really, but I think I should get points for being honest.

Yes he has moments (sometimes entire days) where he really pushes my buttons, but I love it when he comes out with things like this - he's so chock full of personality and energy I wouldn't want him any other way.


Anyway, here are a few Christmas tips - if you're looking for some seasonal music, you could do a lot worse than check out Amazon's 25 days of free - one free Christmas song each day until Christmas Day. Some of the songs are really good, some are really bad, but my favorite by far is "Mr Heatmiser" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. I've been singing that sucker for days now.

And finally, we were at Toys 'r Us on Saturday night and I couldn't help but notice all the Tiger Woods action figures in the clearance bin.

Poor Tiger!!!

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