Christmas Eve's day's afternoon

[cleolinda]

A sleepy, rainy Christmas Eve's day. Things have been way busier than I expected, though, what with all the shopping and baking and present-wrapping this week. Last night I went to my college friends' Christmas party at the Lovely Emily's apartment (this is the Dirty Santa swap we have spoken so much of). And there were some awesome gifts being fought over--slang flashcards ("Doctor, I have to give you mad props for that successful brain surgery"), various bottles of liquor, a hotly-contested pair of earwarmers, and a Deluxe Jesus Action Figure (my contribution. With glow-in-the-dark Miracle Hands!). I ended up with a completely awesome "Terry Pratchett starter kit" from Jerry, which included Good Omens and two other books, and seemed weirdly destined to end up with me although I doubt he bought it with me specifically in mind. But I like Neil Gaiman, I keep hearing about Terry Pratchett and keep meaning to read him and never have, and even Geoffrey said when he was opening the first present (the Jesus), "Ah, it's from Lauren, so it's probably a book." I declared loudly that the Pratchett books were an awful present and no one would ever want to take them from me (much laughter), and sure enough, I went home with them.

I also got an awesome pair of pink and magenta-striped socks from Valerie, as well as a beautiful perfume bottle. And speaking of perfume, three BPAL orders came in within two days: my Yule decants (mmmgingerbreadpoppet), and arpeggiodreams even threw in samples of Glitter, my discontinued favorite (yay! Thank you!), and Safari; my Naughty/Nice order (I was judged Nice, and got a bottle of Snow Angel with my t-shirt); and my Pink Phoenix/Three Witches/imp pack order from the anniversary update. So I am awash in pretty holiday smells just in time for Christmas now.

Mom also gave me a couple of presents early--in my family, Presents Are Not Opened Until the Stroke of Six AM (that hour being the earliest my parents were willing to get up when we were little). Meaning that, unlike a lot of people, apparently, we don't open them on Christmas Eve or anything. And as happens with siblings, there are apparently some perceived inequities in the gift-giving: Sister Girl's are more expensive (and I have the eBay invoices to prove it), so she has fewer. Thus, I get a few ahead of time, like the silver Lucy's vial pendant I wanted, and the Zen Nano (eeee! It's so tiny!) to even perceptions out. So now I'm going to try to load the software and get some songs onto it so I can curl up in bed and write in my diary (yes, I have a separate paper diary just for me. I think it's a universal truth of online journaling that the number of personal things you can talk about is inversely proportional to the number of people who read your blog).

Linkspam:

Tonight, Phantom of the Opera on HBO, for those of you who want to do a read-along.

Heh, fun with lip balm. Cheetos, Hershey, and Twinkies lip balm. I want the Jelly Belly cotton candy balm bad--that's my favorite flavor of jelly beans. And then over here, the awesome Mabel's Laundromat balms, in Princess and Goddess and Bitch, oh my.

Bush to continue domestic spying.

Judge Rules Against Pa. Biology Curriculum.

Parole Board Denies Ailing Kevorkian.

Pa. Community Celebrates Festivus.

Sold: Home With Original Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Penguin Baseball. I like the little "hwee!" sound the penguin makes. It sounds like it's having fun. (Tip: Click once to "pitch" the penguin; click the second time about the time it crosses the yeti's head.)

Author Annie Proulx discusses the origins of her 'Brokeback Mountain.'

The trailer for Mel Gibson's Mayan epic Apocalypto. I can't speak for the movie, but... it is not a good trailer.

Joss Whedon officially pronounces Firefly dead. Or does he?

Woman gets restraining order against David Letterman for sending her messages through her TV. 

Dammit, you guys, I was counting on this not arriving until next year. Not that I could afford it anyway:

Description: Chronicles of Narnia: White Witch's Wand. Specially designed prop replica from Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Though she calls herself the Queen of Narnia, the White Witch isn't royalty...she's a tyrant. Having taken Narnia by force, she has ruled through pure, icy terror for over one hundred horrific years. A sternly beautiful woman, her frosty elegance echoes the coldness of her heart. Hardened by prick and power, the White Witch is more like the stone statues than she knows.

Wait, hardened by what?

While you ponder that, I will leave you with wishes for a Happy Chrismukkawanzaawalidan and go finish my crackers.

Comments

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

"Prick and power?" Narnia has vibrators?

With a description like that, how can you not visualize the White Witch as Ann Coulter? Thank God for Tilda Swinton to chase away those vile, vile images in questionable costumery.

Enjoy your year-end revelry.

[silverjewel7.livejournal.com]

Hardened by prick and power
I think there's something they're not telling us.

[scary-lullabies.livejournal.com]

Yeah, what the hell are they talking about?

from dictionary.com:
To affect with a mental or emotional pang, as of sorrow or remorse.
To impel as if with a spur; urge on,

But that doesn't sound like the Pimp Witch to me.....

[scary-lullabies.livejournal.com]

The JellyBelly cotton candy chapstick is indeed da bomb. (My sister's babydaddy got those cards from his boss this year.)

[coconut-zebra.livejournal.com]

Hi - the link for the Apocalypto trailer is the same as the Brokeback Mtn story...unless my computer is messed up.

[theferrett.livejournal.com]

Nope. It's the same.

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

I still do not understand opening presents on Christmas Eve. What's the point of Christmas Day then?

It appears that my family is one of the slowly dwindling number who still wait that extra 12 hours to open things. =(

[bluebythebook.livejournal.com]

Growing up, we didn't have time to open presents on Christmas Day morning. We usually had three or four relatives homes to visit. My parents thought it wasn't very fair to make us rush through the opening process so we could hit the road early enough, and then have to wait until very late that night to finally play with everything.

yeah, that's the ticket

[discogravy.livejournal.com]

maybe it's just that the ice crown is so uh...prickly...that she's constantly in a snit.

[splits_thesky]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THE PENGUIN GOES "HWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THIS TOTALLY MAKES MY DAY AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

*iz ded* :)

[bingodoggy.livejournal.com]

Terry Pratchett is a comic genius. I imagine he'll do strange and wonderful things to your brain.

[librisia.livejournal.com]

Icon love!

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

my Naughty/Nice order (I was judged Nice, and got a bottle of Snow Angel with my t-shirt)

Wait, what was this?

(I dropped you an email the other day, btw. I assume you're backed up in the email dept. as usual, but I figured I'd mention it just in case it got gobbled by the spaminators.)

[bardintraining.livejournal.com]

Good Lord that penguin baseball is addictive...must...return...to...gift-wrapping...*hurk*!
Happy Christmas!

[mysticowl.livejournal.com]

Hrm... got the penguin as far as 317 meters. There's a similar game in Neopets, only slightly more complicated. My brother was good at that one. Happy Holidays!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Ooo, which one is it in Neopets?

(I have to say, I know it was buggy and that's why they took it down, but the usul skiing game was my absolute favorite and I hate that it's in the graveyard now.)

[cran.livejournal.com]

I'm great at Whack-A-Kass (silver trophy, yay!), but not so great at the penguin game.

Joss Whedon responded (sort of) to that EW blurb (http://whedonesque.com/comments/9027) (scroll down until you hit the purple "joss").

[drpeprfan.livejournal.com]

The penguin game is hilarious! They have the greatest games online.

I hope you have/had a great Christmas, nice with the Lucy pendant.

I just wanted to share this with you, it's crazy, this guy spent thousands of dollars on lights and a sound system and everything to come up with this: http://media.putfile.com/Wizards-of-Winter-Christmas-Lights

(I don't know if you've seen or heard of this yet)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

It's actually running on TV as a Bud Light commercial now, if you can believe it.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

Dude, you think "hardened by prick" is bad?

From their description of Lucy's Christmas Gifts (http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MRDS133) (emphasis mine):

" The youngest Pevensie, Lucy is a trusting, open child with an unshakable belief in the goodness of things. Her enthusiasm and innocent hope win over Mr. Cummus, making possible her family's entrance into Narnia - and beginning the end of the Hundred Year Winter. Whereas her older siblings are reluctant to dive headfirst into the magical world inside the wardrobe, Lucy is unafraid."

Is Mr. Cummus from the pron version of Narnia??

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Who the fuck is writing these descriptions?

[arayuldaiel.livejournal.com]

Oh man, my soul is seriously craving that charm bracelet (http://www.bobsiemon.com/bobsiemondesigns/default.aspx?ProductID=2790&Spcn=510-327-9991&DepartmentID=4&CategoryID=54&Page=1). I'm a charm bracelet nerrrrd.

Heh, I have the Twinkies lip balm. It tastes okay for a couple minutes, but after that? Blerugh.

your gifts, so far

[ter369.livejournal.com]

Books and socks are my ideal gifts to receive. Always useful, always an extra luxury, and they go well together.

Have a lovely holiday weekend, Miss Cleo.

Re: your gifts, so far

[kvschwartz.livejournal.com]

Now if only someone could invent a book one could wear as a sock ...

[mamak11285.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Good Omens, I just posted a soundtrack to the two main characters here (http://www.livejournal.com/community/lower_tadfield/455579.html) if you're interested.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

The very fact that the terms "Mayan", "epic" and "Mel Gibson" are all thrown together concerning that movie is enough to make me back away slowly. I bet money that there's a rousing speech before a battle though.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

In an authentic Mayan language.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

J.K. Rowling has started a mini-blog on her website. Check it out!
http://www.jkrowling.com

[christwise.livejournal.com]

Terry Pratchett is the man. Small Gods is great too, if it's in that set of yours.

It's weird. I just finished Good Omens which is all about needing a choice between good and evil and am now re-reading Narnia: Lion, Witch and Wardrobe and all I can see is "obliterate evil! summer 4 evah!"

Merry non-denominational generic watered down Holiday-mas everybody!

[redbeardjim.livejournal.com]

Terry Pratchett is teh bomb diggity, yo.

<--points to icon

The "Discworld" books are just fabulous, and Good Omens is probably the funniest book I have ever read.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

OMG FINALLY you have some Pratchett! I kept thinking he's someone you would like but felt like I'd already recommended him to you at some point. Pratchett is awesome. Enjoy! (Also if you do like him and don't have it in your set, his Maskerade is slightly based on PoTO and you might like the parallels/references. Also make sure you read one with Sam Vimes in it, he's awesome.

EEEE Lucy's vial! And Zen Nano! I am totally jealous of your nano even though I have a regular iPod and don't need it, because it's just so cute. *sigh*

[arpeggiodreams.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you still love Glitter!
My favorite of the Yule scents is Midwinter's Eve, which reminds me of Glitter, in a way... :D

[highlystrung.livejournal.com]

*does a little dance* Oh yes, Terry Pratchett and Good Omens. These you will enjoy.

.... Sorry that was so pointless. ^^

[someway.livejournal.com]

Happy YuChrisHanuWanzaVusYear!
(That's Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Festivus and New Year)