the domestic zoo

“Given that St. Valentine was a 3rd century Roman priest who was stoned and beheaded, wouldn’t a more appropriate celebration of the evening be taking one’s steady gal to witness a brutal murder?”

We wanted to party like it was 1999…so we pulled out the VCR and watched The X-Files on VHS.

Even Schultzy stayed up until midnight.

Happy 2010!

Funny thing is, I’ve heard a lot of people say that this year was their Best Christmas Ever.

(fishsitting for the holidays)

Our Christmas Eve was quite relaxed. We laid on the couch watching White Christmas until it was time to go to church together, a candlelight service at my parents’ church and then we came home with our traditional Christmas Eve meal: Chinese takeout.

We open all of our presents on Christmas Eve, and I think we were all much more excited to give our gifts than to receive them. When you know each other so well, sometimes even the goofy gifts are meaningful. And you are never, ever too old for fart jokes.

The cats were happy to play in the wrapping paper and reclaim the empty space under the tree. We fell asleep on Christmas Eve to The Polar Express and the aroma of turkey in the oven.

Christmas Day was also relaxed. We watched the Doctor Who Christmas special and the Blackadder Christmas special and feasted on leftover General Tso’s chicken. In the afternoon we went to see Sherlock Holmes. It was the first time we’ve ever gone out on Christmas Day, and the movie was totally worth it.

We came home, finished cooking together, ate turkey, and watched It’s a Wonderful Life (it is, really). And Saturday morning…we went to the beach. We went in our slippers and pajamas, got breakfast at Dunkin Donuts,  listened to music, talked and watched the waves at Nubble Light.

So yeah…Best Christmas Ever.

“Tell me, Spirit. Will he live?”

“I see a vacant place at this table. I see a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the future the child will die.”

“No. No, say he will be spared.”

“If these shadows remain unaltered by the future none other of my species will find him here. But if he is to die, then let him die, and decrease the surplus population.”

“You use my own words against me.”

“Yes. So perhaps in the future you will hold your tongue until you have discovered what the surplus population is and where it is. It may well be, that in the sight of Heaven you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man’s child.”


Stephen: Dude, you just got bitchslapped by Christmas.