A peek at the Gilby Paper Dolls I made.

He boxes and loves Muhammad Ali, so there's a boxing outfit (modeled off a robe he wore in a picture.)

And he loves Star Trek and Picard, so he has a captain suit.

He once sang Javert's "Stars" song from Les Miserables (he loves musicals) so I made a Javert suit.

He identifies with the Gail Wynand character in The Fountainhead, so I made Gail Wynand with Ayn Rand on his arm

And a Roman senator, because he's all about the Rome stuff.

Oh, and an old school work outfit, from when we met.

And for Star Wars, I thought a Lando outfit would be more original than a Jedi. Gilby and I love to say: "We've got to give him more time!"

This is what happens when you send your boyfriend/husband to the dog house.

http://bewareofthedoghouse.com/video.aspx

I do like that they spend all eternity folding laundry and matching socks.

teeveeees

Friend Gilby gave me the entire The Office, American version, on dvd for Christmas. (He's the only friend I exchange gifts with... he refuses to stop.) I've barely watched even one episode of the US one, so I have many hours of frolicks to look forward to. I'm going to save it. For, like, next time I'm sick. Or in a depression, or something.

He also gave me a special edition box set of Freaks and Geeks, but I already have the regular edition (also given to me by friends, before we stopped giving presents.) I'm going to exchange it for something else... wee! I like getting DVD gifts, cause I rarely buy them for myself. (As opposed to books and music, which are my biggest extravagance.)

movies

Tonight I've been working on Gilby's birthday-hanu-Christma-festivus present (which, by tradition, has to be creative or homemade on my part.) When I'm doing crafts I play movies I've seen before, so I don't have to watch closely. Tonight I watched the two versions of Miracle on 34th Street.

I agree with Connie Willis that this is a great Christmas movie (for the many reasons she enumerates.) I used to think the remake was pretty good, but watching them back to back, it does suffer. As Willis points out, almost everyone in the original (except Santa) makes decisions based on self-interest, and that's where much of the humour lies. The new version introduces more charitableness--sappiness, and is therefore not as clever.

Now I'm watching Clash of the Titans. I loved this movie so much as a child, it's what started my interest in Greek mythology (everyone goes through that phase, non?) and Andromeda and Cassiopea became my favourite names. I loved Medusa, she was like a feminist anti-hero. One of the coolest chick-baddies I'd ever seen.

Here is the Calibos action figure my brother had.


















Here is Medusa, created by master special effects dude of the time (my brother worshipped him) Ray Harryhausen.

Christmas in my parent's backyard...

The History of Me: In Winter, or Ode to My Super Nuclear Mittens

My childhood winter memories are all of me freezing outside. I didn't like tobogganing for more than 30 minutes and I have a vague memory of cross country skiing and hating it cause I was so coldy. I detested having to go outside for recess.

The greatest invention of all winter times were those little sachets you could put in your mittens and to warm your hands. They got me through those stupid winter field trips.

In high school I wore full winter regalia when everyone else wore running shoes and little else. (But my outfit was very cute. A long black military-cut coat, black rabbit mittens, and one those 80s hood hats (so elegant.) I was happy for the youth of today when I saw the fashion change to ski jackets and big boots.
Thinsulate was the next great invention. When my father bought me a pair of nylon shell thinsulate mittens, in Cegep, my life changed. I still own them. (I had a nice black pair but lost them because of Schoolz.) I called the material Super Nuclear.

Last winter I couldn't find my scarf to wear, so I grabbed one of Fernando's boring navy polar fleece scarves, and holy crap! I died from the heat! I ran out and bought myself a dalmation print polar fleece scarf for those -30 days.

The other outfit I only pull out for extreme cold--because otherwise it's so warm I die--is the giant fuzzy jogging suit my father bought me so I can be warm when writing. The Super Nuclear Jogging Suit. Even though it's only -16 today, I was so cold this evening I had to break it out. Ahhh... so toasties.

The Christmas Tree At Last!

This is my last weekend before The Big Week. My last chance to put up a Christmas tree. When I was in school I rarely put up a tree because it required too much Cleaning Up of the Home etc. so I was determined to have my little tree up this year. And I also sorted out all my many ornaments.

This is the nativity scene Delyriam gave me one year, from
10 000 Villages. With a disco ball in it.

This is Christmas in San Francisco 1906.
You can see the richest house is up on the top hill,
and it's right on a fault line. They'll be goners pretty soon.
I added the train because SF was built by the train barons.

My first ornaments were all bought very-reduced at fancy department stores and I quite like them. (Plus some dollar store additions.) But Fernando's foster mother used to make Victorian ornaments and he started buying them for me, in order to support her. So now we have zillions.

Here are some of the crafty types.

My miscellaneous ornaments (many from Delyriam who
would buy them for me at Christmas.)

My Olde Fasionedee ones, plus
the Rudolph ones inherited when Pablo moved away.

The red ornaments (most by Foster Mother.)

The burgundy ornaments (most by Foster Mother.)

The pink collection (most by Foster Mother.)

My plastic fruit - my Indian peeps and birds and elephants
(from 10 000 Villages) - and my toy soldiers.

And the usual balls.
Plus! my best find yet: The red wooden garland.

Every year I have to pick a Theme.
Last year I decorated my brother's tree with my ornaments
(since my place was too insane and messy and sad for a tree--schoolz!)
so I chose a Sober and Masculine theme.
With a flapper on top.

Here is the bare tree...

Decorated...
Lit up!
Ahh... so cozy.Here are the cats' dollar store stockings hung up.

Nombly

Bones

Haley

I think the ornaments I'm enjoying best this year...
My little Indian dudes (each one if from a different province)...

The monkey from Delyriam...

The little birds.

Of course every year I enjoy my Serious Looking Teddy Angel.
He looks like he's taken all the suffering of the world
upon his little velvet covered shoulders.

I also put up a wreath made by the Foster Mommy.