Christmas Is Finally Over!

and, not a moment too soon!

don't take that wrong, please. i love Christmastime, i like spending holidays with family and friends, good food, good cheer, and all that.

i hate the commercialization and hype by retailers and marketers, and the stupid protesting by people that don't observe Christmas and are too intolerant of others that think differently than them, and try to censor them rather than accepting their views.

if i had any power, i would propose a law that would forbid retailers from displaying Christmas goods any time before the day after Thanksgiving. kinda like it used to be here in my little town when i was a kid. now, some stores had Christmas decorations and other Christmas themed stuff for sale well before Halloween.

that's just wrong, in my opinion. the holiday is supposed to celebrate the day that The Almighty graced mankind with the gift of His only Son, not iPods and X-boxes and all that other stuff. the only "must have" gifts should be love, kindness and charity. anything more is just a bonus.

however, since Christmas is now permanantly associated with gifts, i guess i'll get off the high-horse and tell you all what i got...

the only thing i specifically asked for (under pressure from Ma, so she'd have a clue as to what i wanted) was the Magic Bullet. being an insomniac, i watch lots of late late night tv, and after having seen the infomercial for this food processor/blender about 100 times, i decided i wanted one. i've only used it to juice a couple of apples and a banana so far, but it seems to work well at least for that. also in the food theme was a Chia Herb Garden, and a big basket of goodies from my favorite local specialty foods store, Cooking Up Ideas. they'll ship anywhere in the country, for extra charge, of course.

i also got several books, most notably this one. i'll start in on it soon!

but, the absolute best gift i received this Christmas was from my baby niece, who will be 2 years old in February. it's a t-shirt that reads "World's Coolest Uncle". i know i'll be wearing it a lot in years to come.

well, that's all for now. hope your Christmas was as good as mine!

let me know what your favorite gift was in the comments.

thanks!