A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

Yesterday was the start of the real shopping season. Merchants have taught people to hold off on gift buying until after Christmas day. So, Boxing Day sales in Canada now generate larger crowds than the run up to the holiday.

We're not much into the great, end-of-the-year, buying-spree extravaganza. Although I make most purchases whenever there's a need, I did want to venture out yesterday. The crowded Canadian Superstore was enough to send me scurrying right back to the apartment. I did succumb to one purchase though. It's something that will have to be packed away with the Christmas ornaments. They all must fit into one shoe box and this guy's going to make it difficult! He was CDN $4.94 only.



So, here's a 38-second Windows Media Video clip of my singing moose. I was sure that a video file would be better than a picture .. but had forgotten how tiny, fuzzy, and unclear net video must be in order to fit down a standard modem.

Labels: Christmas

We experience fairly warm and wet winters on the west coast. Statistically,
there's a one in ten chance that there might be snow on the ground on
Christmas day. It last occurred in 1998. This year, obviously, it didn't.
The picture was taken yesterday at the Rose Garden area of Queen's Park
in New Westminster.

Labels: Christmas, New Westminster (Page 1), Queen's Park, weather

---

Hey Santa,

This is a follow-up note to my letter of Wednesday.

I waited all day yesterday for your delivery. I figured that since I got my request in late that you were having a bit of trouble getting my wide-screen TV here on time. So, I was quite patient.

Yet now it's Friday and still no show! What's up? No elves answered my email! I am now waiting for the televison AND an apology. If we can't rectify this problem, I am going to have to consider litigation.

Formerly yours,
Dennis Hurd

P.S. I had to feed the cookies to the hamster and you didn't even touch the bottle of wine that I left for you!

---

Labels: humour

Labels: Christmas

CBC Television has a great line up of specials for the Christmas season. There are many holiday classics. It's a Wonderful Life was on again last night. (I mentioned that movie in my December 13th entry when it showed on NBC.) Of course, it is only black and white but it looked great over satellite and an S-video connection. There's something quite seductive about richly-restored b&w movie prints.

Yet, this points to my current problem. My television is now 10 years old! It travelled by ship from the other side of the globe when I left Dubai. It's a 27" Hitachi 'flat screen'. Being multi-system is now an unnecessary option as North America uses only NTSC. It works flawlessly, but 'I want more' as a local electronics chain advertises.

---

Dear Santa,

I'm sorry to make this request so late but I assume that your sleigh still has some extra room. Your elves do process last minute email requests, don't they? Please bring me a wide-screen, high-definition TV for Christmas. I've been a good boy and don't need a plasma, or even an LCD model. A simple new, projection 46" Hitachi will do nicely. The fireplace burns natural gas, so you should just drop off the set via my balcony window.

With anticipation,
Dennis Hurd

P.S. Also, please advise as to the beverage you'd like me to leave with tonight's cookies.

---

Labels: Christmas, humour, television

Okay, I seem to be getting completely into this Season's Greetings fixation.

View a Rocky Mountain Vista

So, click the link to view a photograph taken last week. It was from a Greyhound bus window somewhere near the Alberta / British Columbia border. It is best viewed at 1024 X 768. (The falling snow has been painstakingly added for dramatic effect!)

Labels: Alberta, Christmas, mountains

Hooray, today there's going to be 8:12 hours of daylight. The sun rose two minutes ago and will set at 4:17 this afternoon. The days have started getting longer. Amen!

Click the player to hear a 4:48-minute song by Bob and Doug McKenzie. It's a Canuk-inspired version of the 12-Days of Christmas. Oh, by the way, a toque has become the Canadian term for a knit, pull-over, winter stocking cap for one's head. (This Windows Media Player file requires the minimum of a solid 56K modem connection.)

Labels: Christmas, Mediaplayer

H3 joins in the wonders of the holidays. (Oh no! This is
now just like a silly, photocopied Christmas newsletter!)

Labels: Christmas, pets