Oh Christmas Tree...

What? It is too our Christmas tree.

In the dark.

With no flash.

And with a purposely-moved camera.

I take at least one of these every year. Call it a tradition of pointlessness. Oh, and if you're wondering why there are streaks at the top and dots at the bottom, just consider it AC in action. We use LED tree lights, you see, but the star at the top of the tree still has the old-fashioned incandescents. The star bulbs' filaments continue glowing as the current alternates, but LEDs don't work that way.

[/almost-not-pointless info]

And if, for some reason, you're desperate to see the tree in full light (although I'd have to say you're not much fun if you are)... well... fine. Here it is:

So, the calendar informs me that this is Christmas Eve.

Good thing the calendar knows, because I've been so far behind with Christmas things overall this year that if the calendar didn't tell me I'm not sure I'd believe it.

Odd, really. When I was a kid Christmas Eve was a pretty big day, and not just because of the usual anticipation. I suppose in a way we always celebrated Christmas twice, since it was our routine to spend Christmas Eve over at my grandmother's place and then Christmas Day at home.

On Christmas Eve I'd go carolling if one of the choirs I was singing with was going out (yes, real honest-to-whomever carolling. There are still people out there who do it, believe it or not) and then we'd head over to grandma's to open presents. My father grew up opening presents on Christmas Eve, and the tradition continued when he had children. We'd go to grandma's, open presents, sample whatever my uncle the bartender was fixing that year, and attempt to talk over the noise of the pet birds (usually budgies) and whatever Christmas special was on the television.

Not exactly a Charlie Brown Christmas, I suppose, but it's what I grew up with and the memories are good.

Things change as you grow older, of course. Grandma's been gone for a while now, the old house was torn down when they expanded the chuckwagon track (long story), and while both my uncles still open their gifts on Christmas Eve we do ours on Christmas Day like most North Americans.

And my one uncle no longer tends bar, if you wondered.

You did wonder, right?

If I sound depressed, I don't mean to. Things change, naturally. It doesn't thrill me to hear NORAD tracking Santa on the radio anymore (yes... I know. These days it's on the internet), and Christmas Eve on the whole is a lot quieter than it used to be. That's ok.

It'd be silly not to think about it, though.

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And on a totally different and slightly weird subject, a slightly-obscure 50s pop tune that's been going through my head all morning just started playing on the digital music station my father is listening to upstairs.

That's very, very strange. Let's just say this is the type of song you might hear on an oldies station once every few years, if that, and it shows up on the digital music station on the very same morning I've been singing it myself? WHY IS THE DIGITAL RADIO READING MY MIND???

Should I be nervous?

Should I get more sleep at night?







Probably the latter, yes.

Going now.