Can we, as a society, agree on a date after which one cannot use “Happy New Year” as a greeting? I passed an acquaintance in the hall yesterday and was met with a half-hearted “Happy New Year”.I found it really odd that on January 18 I would still be hearing those words. A few years ago, someone said it to me around January 28th. Did this individual suddenly come out of a four-week coma and hadn’t yet had a chance to look at a calendar? It just strikes me as being completely insincere and lazy.So, let’s agree on a date. How about January 7th? Everyone gets a week to get “Happy New Year” out of their system. After that, it’s off limits.Now, as far as questions like “How was your Christmas?”, I think we can extend the deadline a bit – maybe January 14th. However, if you’re still asking that question on February 1, then I think you may need to brush up on your small talk.Here endeth the rant.
Monthly Archives: January 2007
Aidan’s Slip of the Tongue
As many of you know, A loves Thomas the Tank Engine and all his little train friends. Yesterday, he was telling us a story about Thomas, but his difficulty pronouncing the word “axles” led to this sentence:
“When Thomas pushed his big load, his assholes ached”.
It took B and me about a minute to regain our composure.
Swimming, Hockey and Wine
First, a confession. This is my first blog post under the influence of alcohol. I enjoyed three glasses of wine with dinner (some French Bordeaux and two glasses of R.H. Phillips Shiraz) and now I’ve got increased feelings of self-worth and a desire to hug everybody (I love you all. No, really, I love you.)Aidan had his first real swimming lesson on Saturday morning. We thought he might be reluctant to dive in without us, but he took to it like a, well, like a fish to water.After the lesson, we walked next door to one of the community arenas. For me, it was really cool, a glimpse into a ritual that takes place every weekend in rinks from coast to coast. There was a team of 14-year olds playing, with vocal hockey moms and dads in the crowd clutching their large double-doubles. A couple of kids operated the sound system, with Green Day and Rage Against the Machine playing during stoppages in play. Within minutes I had a craving for a watery cup of hot chocolate from the arena’s snack bar.Our Saturday adventure continued with the NAC’s Young People’s Concert, which featured the percussion section. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see much of the show. There were a couple of model train exhibitions in the lobby and Aidan spent the hour watching them go round and round.My buzz is wearing off but I’m not ready for bed yet. I think I gave Bronwen a mini-bottle of Kalhua for Christmas – maybe she won’t notice if I chug it. XXX OOO
The iPhone Unveiled
I’m a big Mac fan. I bought an iMac nearly 6 years ago and loved how easy it was to use. Great software, intuitive interface, little fear of viruses or system crashes. Then came the iPod and iTunes, and we all know how that turned out.After several years of gossip and rumours, Apple finally unveiled the iPhone today. Boy, it sure is pretty. It also has an impressive range of features – phone, music, movies, pictures, web access, plus all kinds of technical specs that I don’t completely understand. Time will tell how it stacks up to the Blackberry, Motorola Q, and the other smart phones.I have a couple of concerns. 8 GB of memory seems like a lot unless you’re using it to watch TV shows and movies, in which case I imagine it’ll fill up pretty quickly. Plus, I can only imagine what the touchscreen will look like after you read the New York Times online while enjoying your Big Mac combo.So will I get one? Nope. I’m still using the original iPod that came out 5 years ago, so I’m slow to change. The iPhone’s going to retail for $600 USD, which is way too steep for me. I will have to live vicariously through Maurizio and the other early-adopters. In the meantime, maybe Apple will package a new widescreen iPod with more storage space and without all the bells and whistles.Incidentally, I think Apple should have gone with their original design…
Quirky Viewing Habits
I have little time in my life for television these days, which I suppose is a good thing. I would like to catch up on some essential viewing – the Sopranos, Six Feet Under, 24, Extras, Arrested Development – but otherwise I don’t really miss it.Who watches all these programs, anyway? King of Queens just began its ninth season. Is there anyone reading this who has watched that show? What about Las Vegas, According to Jim, Men in Trees, Wife Swap, Stacked, Vanished? Any fans?I think most couples do have at least one personal favourite that might strike others as quirky. For example, one of my friends was a fan of The Bernie Mac Show, something I never got around to watching. Another couple recently revealed they watch Dog The Bounty Hunter. Chacun son gout.
Our guilty pleasure is Kenny vs. Spenny. It’s juvenile, and sometimes gross, but we think it’s really funny. Plus, it’s a Canadian success story, so we’re doing our part to support the industry. Seasons 1 and 2 are on DVD for about $22 each, or you can check it out on Showcase on Thursdays at 9:30 pm or Saturdays at 9:00 pm.So, anyone else have a guilty TV pleasure that they want to confess?
