While I have my doubts that the internet has changed very much at all, million channel cable TV sure has changed Christmas holidays. Unlike the early 90's when you were stuck in a living hell of black and white morality plays like the fantastically awful It's A Wonderful Life or that thing by Dickens, now you can actually watch what you want to watch when you have all the time in the world laying around digesting one meal or another. Like sports. Sure it's Tulsa v. Utah in the make-up-a-name-bowl-to-get-ad-revenue-bowl but at least it's a sporting event. And Utah's field goal kicker was popping 40 yarders. I suppose that it doesn't hurt that Christmas itself is on Monday. Getting off work starting 22 December is way better than on the 24th but it would be the worst if you were on the visiting circuit locked in a cell-like basement filled only with that Dickens show, in-laws, temperate beverages and unfortunate Christmas cake. It is better this way: sports TV, yuleglogg and my own rec room.

And food. Food is better now. Today is going to have good food. Traditional fare like last night's pulled pork with turnip greens and BBQ-beer mushrooms with an egg fried on top for breakfast. Tonight, salmon and scallops. I found big Digbys the size of billiard balls at the ever wonderful Mike Mundell's in the east end of Kingston. Nothing like a fish feed. Any leftover salmon goes into a frittata for Christmas morning. And that is but preparation for the leg of lamb tomorrow night. I really am spiraling into a stretch of moderately rare cheeses, brussel(s) sprout-side dishes and eating the flesh of semi-exotic animal life. Stilton with caramelized onion right in it. Imagine. If we could just get that one cheese into the hands of those the terrorists would convert to their evil we might be guaranteed a world of peace after all.

To work on my average for the year, we go to church twice today. I feel like the Czar. Things could be far worse. Far worse. I could be in Paris amongst snobs.