Gift Fight!

Alison and Graham show off their gift fight winnings

Today was the last of the big holiday get-togethers. What started as our book club's Christmas party has long outlasted the book club itself. We tried to figure out how long we have been having the annual gift fight, and came to the conclusion that it had been at least 10 years.

It was good to see everyone who was there. 2009 was such a busy year that there were many people I hadn't seen since last year's gift fight. Moe and Pam's new place on Lake St. John is beautiful, can't wait to see what it looks like when the lake isn't frozen.

The highlight was the gift fight itself. Many gifts were highly sought after. This created great drama and it may go down as one of the best in the long history of the gift fight. In the end I took home a Glee CD and some flash drives. My gift, a copy of Jeff Lemire's Essex County Trilogy was desired by several people and it is always heartening to see it passed from person to person knowing that they all wanted to take it home. Of course the Stimulator made its annual appearance. It is looking quite bronzed these days. I think this year it went home with Graham.

I hope that in 2010 I get to see these friends more often. They are all great people and we have good times when we are together. Hopefully we can do this kind of thing again before 2011.

TV: an episode from series 3 of QI which I had recorded quite a while back

Family Fun

Lisa's Birthday Dinner

The holidays are winding down, and with New Year's Day being my sister's birthday one of the last family events of the season is a big family dinner to celebrate. This year my father cooked a prime rib roast on the barbecue spit while my mom prepared all the side dishes and dessert. It was delicious.

It was on the whole a pretty lazy day. I didn't leave the house, but I did watch Doctor Who: the End of Time Part 2. I watched it twice actually. Once this morning, and then again tonight since Space was airing it. It is always better to watch these things legally, kids. The episode was a nice goodbye to David Tennant. The good-byes were a little long, but I guess we can indulge Russel T. his final farewells. I have to admit I did shed a few tears, but I'm left excited for what Matt Smith and Steven Moffat can do. I wonder if the entire Russel T. canon is off limits or if we'll see Martha and Mickey, Sarah Jane and Luke and Captain Jack again?

One last holiday get-together tomorrow, and then we move on to the business of getting the year started for real. So far, so good.

TV: Doctor Who: The End of Time Part 2

Book: Oishinbo: Ramen & Gyoza

Game: Rock Band 2 (Break the Ice was Rockin'!)