Christmas Eve Games

Noche Buena

Noche Buena
Originally uploaded by Mike Dec.

As I've said before, holiday celebrations for me are constantly changing. Having no rules for a noche beuna, I served a jambalaya (not really a traditional dish) with the very traditional brussel sprouts. And the crispy pata? That's just good eating! Tom also whipped up a banana pudding for dessert. Merry Christmas!

Cat and Dog

Don & The Dude
Originally uploaded by Fen Branklin.

Saw this on Flickr today. Very few things I can do at work that our browser allows and thankfully, Flickr is one of them. Wish I had a photo of Mugsy and Jakob like this.

Mugsy Santa

Mugsy Santa 4
Originally uploaded by Mike Dec.

He's such a good sport as I drag out the hat for my holiday photos. The elastic pinches his ears and he's constantly trying to shake them off. Happy Holidays everyone!

Dave Lieberman

Dave L5
Originally uploaded by MHN for short.

For anyone who still hasn't seen his show, it's really a good one plus he's not bad to look at.

Patagonia Vest

Patagonia Vest
Originally uploaded by Mike Dec.

So Alan says that he feels like reading my blog is like reading about someone else. Guess I have been a bit of a Debbie Downer on here, like I'm one disappointment away from a razor blade. Well, far from it. You can be depressed and still be fashionable and vain. Christmas shopping online always leads to personal purchases. Just send me an email that says "Free Shipping" and my credit card numbers spill out of my fingers and on to the "Payment Method" screen. Plus Patagonia supports environmental initiatives and only has organic cotton. What's not to love? Happy Hannukah Alan!

Bejeweled Pears

Bejeweled Pears
Originally uploaded by Mike Dec.

As I slowly drift further away from religion (to the horror of my friends and family), I struggle to find my own meaning for the holidays. I've gone from abject loneliness from being away from home to a complete rejection of Christmas: the hollow commercialization, the petty quarrels of "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays", and the looks of pity I get when I tell people I don't have family or a significant other to spend the holidays with. Sometime this season though, maybe it was that I made concrete plans with my best friends, but I actually felt like decorating. Maybe I fell under the spell of "seasonal decorating", but I actually bought a wreath for myself and hung it over my bed for ME to enjoy. Just don't expect any christmas trees just yet......