And so it begins, this solitary Xmas eve & Xmas morning. I shall have to say mas to X. Or maybe say it to O. I like hugs, too, after all, plus there are the magical connotations of zero in there, I reckon.
We were a Christmas Eve present-openin' clan. I think maybe sometimes we had stocking stuff on the following morning? I dunno. I do remember scheming with my brother to prove that Santa was our parents by comparing his handwriting with each of theirs. They got on to us after that and faked it better, but I think it was with some delight that they experienced my coup of a subsequent year: I proved the nonexistence of Santa by asking my mother, months after Christmas, where she'd bought the Monopoly game Santa had supposedly given us. Her answer, "Western Auto," sealed it.
It was a coming of age of sorts in a (pseudo-)rationalist family.
It feels nicely transgressive to be playing my end-of-year song mix on the actual SPEAKERS here in the Ref Room. I bet they're going to have some cool days next week, with just the few around. I kinda hate to miss it.
So what ya'll are getting for Capitalistmas from me, besides my hearty wishes for a fine new year, is a copy of this CD, if you want it. (Some of you are getting one even if you don't!) It's a sort of a song cycle of a shitty year, so you may want to pass if that's unappealing to you. Otherwise, give me a holler. I'm trying to burn enough for my holiday visitees first, but when I get back I'll be able to pass around and/or send out your very own "Out With the 2004." Thanks for your contributions to it,
Well, okay, not like dishwater, exactly. Not at all like dishwater, in fact.
Sometimes those glib expressions are hard to resist, hard not to try to force/fake-fit, in all their off-hand glory, where they don't apply a whit.