Friends and holiday cheer.

I'm being spoiled. My friends are just too awesome. I sometimes forget that people aren't as cool as them and don't really think about it. But then they go and do something that makes me love them all the more. There is nothing in the world like realizing how much someone understands you. It makes me want to do something amazing for them right back.

Boxing day this year was my christmas gift exchange with Sarah and Emily. We had a lot of fun. Sarah's parents this year had given us all Doctor Who Sonic Screwdrivers. And here is where the appreciations begin. We had fun with toys. While we are all going on to being full fledged adults we can still play and not deny enjoyment in the small pleasures of life. Too many people take themselves too seriously and loose the fun in the world. What is the point of living if you're not enjoying your life?

Sarah had made us personalized christmas crackers with all sorts of nerdy goodies. Mine had in it a tiny hand made K9 and T.A.R.D.I.S. pin, paper Sherlock Holmes and Watson based on BBC's new Sherlock, fun little mustache on a stick to go with an emergency Tea bag and sugar holder, and bubble blowing stuff that makes solid bubbles (so cool... I don't know how it works yet but it is just too cool).

And to top it all off a paper party hat that looked like an evil over lord's crown. I felt immensely pleased to be wearing it when I opened Emily's gift and found a book on "How to Be a Villain". In just the few minutes I spent reading it I can tell that it is going to be fantastic and hilarious!

We spent the evening goofing around, drinking tea, playing with our toys, watching the Doctor Who Christmas Special and making each other laugh.
Thanks for spoiling me and being big kids with me.

Heading home on this beautiful day.

Sarah might have said something profoundly interesting this morning when she came in to wake me but I have no memory of anything before being suddenly aware that I was playing Sudoku. I find that in the morning, as I have no inclination to drink coffee, that a number puzzle wakes me up faster. I sat thinking and letting my brain catch up with the time when I heard the rest of the house singing their morning prayers. It was wonderful and comforting. If I were in anyway a believer this house would be perfect for me to spend a year here as a volunteer. As it is, I feel very welcome whenever I make a visit and am very sad when I've left them.

I packed my bag and loaded my car feeling like I was sneaking out. Thankfully the rest of the house joined me shortly in the kitchen. We shared breakfast and a lot of laughs. I said my goodbyes and headed out on my 6 hour drive home. The only things of interest was my lunch on the side of the road where I ate my sandwich looking at some cows who were over at their fence looking at me. One had its hair up in a sort of mohawk and I was pleased to have them as my company.

A weekend of great people

I drove Sarah back to Winnipeg this weekend and spent the time getting her re-established in her home. We went to the planetarium and saw Galileo live - Rather cute and a very entertaining show... sadly I learned nothing new except that he named the moons of Jupiter after the Medici family. Why are they everywhere in history?!! I was pretty proud of myself for identifying Francesco Dei Medici on sight and how he was appropriately accepting of the celestial bodies that were named after him. I'm rather pleased that my time traveling friend was able to change the tone of the discussion. But more about that at a later date if I should feel so inclined.

I finally finished reading a book by Jay Ingram called the Velocity of Honey. Very interesting and amusing with a touch of encouragement to try easy experiments. It has filled the void in my days that has been left by finishing the "Surely you're joking Mr Feynman" by Richard P Feynman. I can't really say his name with out the whole thing.

This weekend has been the perfect refreshment. I'm finishing up my reading of Sherlock Holmes: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Which has been a great relief from the mental pain of Robinson Crusoe... which I'm determined to finish the second installment. A little over 200 pages to go even if the first 300 were filled with racist comments and a feeling that a survivalist handbook would have been a better use of time. Thankfully I picked a few up from the boy scouts store in town a few weeks back. I'm about to start the 'Final Problem' but thankfully I know that there are 5 other books in the cannon series. I'll be able to enjoy his making of notes on shirt-cuffs for a long time to come.

We went to Julie and Julia which inspired me to write up a little thing about my life. For I have thoughts, even if usually it is only my friend Sarah who hears them. But like most of the population I am easily influenced by those things around me and feel that this year might be just the right mix of adventures to form the basis of a blog that I've been thinking about for a while.