As you might be aware, I work from home and my main company for most of the day are four adorable but malodorous pugs. Among other things, this has had the effect of making my already suspect social skills into something approaching shut-in level. As we head into Xmas party season, this is a cause … Continue reading On Unsuitable Topics of Conversation
Tag: Xmas
Merry Xmas
I hope you have as much fun as Santa did.
Xmas Wishes
<Sings>Werewolves and Plastic Trees... Grinches and inflatable Snoopies... That's what Christmas means to me!
Santa’s Tragic End
If Santa didn't make it to your house today, this might be why. Savaged to death by a pack of wild dogs. No one saw that coming. The end of Santa?
On Tintypes
If you don’t know what a tintype picture is, think of those olde-time-y pictures of outlaws like Billy the Kid. Unless you’re thinking of a modern movie still, you’re thinking of something that looks like a tintype. I think I first fell in love with the modern way of making "old" pictures when I saw … Continue reading On Tintypes
Advice for Austinites in Winter
So, summer's over. It's going to starting getting cold again. Sure, it happens (almost) every year at this time, but we're always surprised, right? A little snow on the ground and the only place open is...well, nothing. Nothing is open. However, I am not from here - I am a proud and hardy Northern European. … Continue reading Advice for Austinites in Winter
On Xmas Traditions
As an Englishman abroad, Xmas can be a time of mixed feelings. Life in Austin is mostly wonderful, but it's easy to feel maudlin about family and friends so far away. Although distance does mean there's definitely less pressure on the present-buying front... Starting new traditions is basically a self-serving way of forming a holiday … Continue reading On Xmas Traditions
Rudolph in April
So, it comes to the end of December and you're taking your decorations down. But...maybe one of them has come to seem like an integral part of the decor of the room. For me, it's the fairy lights above the fireplace. For Llano, TX, it's a giant Rudolph leaping forever across a road in the … Continue reading Rudolph in April
On Becoming a Pet Santa
I have an almost infinite list of Things I Will Never Do. I will never run for political office. I will never again do karaoke (I did it once, I count it as the Wild Thing I Did at University). I will never bungee jump, as that is jumping off a secure platform with an … Continue reading On Becoming a Pet Santa
Small Change on Strangers 