:: Jingling Bells ::

"When fighting for a mall parking spot on Christmas Eve, remember to be festive..for example...'Move your holly, jolly ass!' or "I'll deck the halls with your face!'" - commercial I heard on the radio yesterday.

So, Christmas is here in two days. How the hell did that happen. Weren't we just at Lambie's Halloween party, like two weeks ago? Crazy.

Most families have their various Christmas traditions - I know my family has a million. Makes the next few days pretty fun, but over the past couple Christmases we, as a group, have done our best to invent our own yearly events, too, which I always look forward to.

My Christmas kicks off every year when Mike comes down from Kamloops. He's usually here for a night every year - and has been at Bucholtz' birthday ever year since Buchs turned 19. (Happy 22nd today, by the way dude). It's usually that day where my lack-of-sleep Christmas routine kicks in, but this year, thanks for Mike's extra holidays from work, it started a few days earlier.

We haven't done much, really - watched some TV, saw Rocky Balboa (FANTASTIC!), and basically just hung out, doin' our usual thing. The two of us are usually pretty lowkey (except when we're not, watch out. Things get stolen. Cops are called. Fences are jumped).

Tonight though, could be good - it will likely include video games, booze, and perhaps a copious amount of oranges.

But there's more too - for starters, late on Christmas Eve the last year or two we usually end up at somebody's house for a quick gathering and a few beers. One year it was Gorski's house, another it was Jer and Amanda's. Then, on Christmas Day, after dinner has been digested and Chris has already ate 4 turkey sandwiches, everyone usually ends up at my parent's house, where we proceed to get very drunk.

I was trying to think how that little tradition got started, and I finally figured it out. About 4 or 5 years ago, I got a fancy all-glass shot glass set and ice bucket. It also came with a bunch of booze and a book of strange shots, so me, Chris, Jeremy, and Ian - and likely other people i can't remember - gave 'er a test run. I remember drinking absolutely repulsive shots with names like Test Tube Baby, and other less-than-appealing titles.

Good times.

I expect this year to be no different, with all of us convening someplace to get intoxicated. Really, the drinking is the same than any other weekend. But this time, we've been known to wear Christmas sweaters, so that makes it different.

That makes it Christmas.

Have a good one guys.

(As an aside, this guy here could use some Christmas spirit. Or maybe he's inventing a tradition of his own.)

Well, looks like it's officially Friday the 13th.

Happy Birthday dickhead.

:: Conversation with a quarterback (and then, unfortunately, Mike) ::

Tonight I did about a 15 minute interview with current B.C. Lions' QB Buck Pierce. He called me at home - a day after I jokingly was damning him and all the B.C. Lions to hell for not being around during work hours when I needed to talk to them.

The convo was good - he's a pretty cool dude. And then this msn convo happened....

Nick: yo
mike: sup
Nick: nuthin, just finished up doing some interviews from home
mike: who with?
Nick: Buck Pierce - the bc lions quarterback (he lives in white rock).
mike: ahh, him. Damn him, that Mr. Pierce!
Nick: Actually I won't damn him anymore, he's a cool guy.
mike: no! Damn him!
Nick: no, it's true, he's a nice guy. And he talks with a cool accent - kind of half california surfer, half southerner.
mike: It's a trick!
mike: meant to trick unsuspecting victims
Nick: haha maybe.
mike: so he can spread his lies
Nick: All in his diabolical plot to take the starting QB job away from Dickenson right?
mike: that or take over the world
mike: !!!!!
Nick: Okay. I'll be back in a few - I'm in the middle of cooking dinner and I just realized I'm pretty much burning it. You continue with your crazy theories in the meantime.
mike: Already his lies are ruining your life!
mike: first the burning of your dinner
mike: next, the immolation of your house
mike: and after that, the combustion of your car
nick: shutup you crazy fool.
mike: after that, the entire Lower Mainland!
mike: UP IN FLAMES!
nick: you're friggin insane.
mike: the lick of the flames whispering amidst his evil, evil cackling
nick: okay, I'm leaving now.
mike: wringing his hands with a devious smirk as he surveys the bleak, tattered landscape!
mike: Okay, I'm done. After all, what can we do in the face of such evil?
mike: Nothing but persevere and continue on with our lives.

Wow. I don't even know what to say to that.