Presents 'N Stuff

Well, I bought myself, or more accurately the household present money allowed me to buy a small, and excellent camera, CANON, Power Shot. Works good. For example, the flash doesn't look like flash the way film cameras used to scream out FLASH!!! All the controls are in the right place. The numbers are good. Haven't devoured the instuction book yet, but what showed up so far is technically astounding.

Wifey bought herself a white (oooooh, lush rich white) JEEP, shaped somewhat like a HUMMER. 4X4. I had never driven either one. Unhappily, Wifey won't drive. She can drive, but won't. A few years ago she was seriously injured when her driver fell asleep. And no that wasn't me. So I'm chaufeur. With the 4X4 and so much room for bedbags (huh?) and folding-down seats making sleeping room, we plan one day to drive down Baha* California. *Sp?. We'll avoid the resorts at the tip, joints OJ frequented - not that we could afford them anyway.

Michael (5) got a literally screaming Dinosaur about a foot and a half long. I hope it eats him. Just kidding. Vincent 12, got his laptop. It sucks 'access' via a 6" antenna placed near our modem. The baby, Mark Andrew got a robot dog and oodles of infant clothes all of which he has almost already outgrown.

Communion with relatives, friends, and all those present at the first Christmas was, quite candidly, thrilling far beyond any thought of deserving.

May the New Year bring Peace love and joy to all our blogging friends and acquaintances.

Love,

Barry

http://journals.aol.com/bbartle3/Vengeance/

Christmas

You know how I know it is Christmas? I mean really Christmas? A street-vending truck driver who peddles candy, icecream and other 'comfort food' came to the downstairs door asking where the children were, children who'd purchased $1 of something or other, blue stuff that discolored their teeth and lips and face. They had not waited for their $4 of change. What makes this display of integrity so outstanding is that I was a tad sharp with him partly because my Spanish is poor, and didn't understand what he wanted! He persisted!

Gotta get that hombre a present pronto!

Barry

http://journals.aol.com/bbartle3/Vengeance/

 

 

To be ascertained.....

Christmas. It's upon us. I notice how secretive I become about the flow of indirect 'who got what, and who will get what,' and 'why haven't I done more Xmas shopping?' I bought my wife a trivial present and joked it was a Xmas (that is, not the REAL Christmas connected gift) and she said, "That's really for YOU!" Gee, foiled again. A craven coward, I give bigger/better presents to those I'm afraid of, rather than to those I love the most. Last Christmas I mailed better presents to a former friend than I gave to anyone in my immediate family simply because he insulted me, after becoming estranged, just to get even. He wants me, and his mother wants me, to know he's well-off. I doubt I ever met his mother but I do remember for certain that the only thing she ever said to me, the ONLY thing, and it was on the phone of all places, that her son had bought the building where he lived in Greenwich Village after college. (We knew each other in college.)  In other words the guy is a millionaire. And, he wants me to know it! It's no secret that money has a reputation for causing evil.

So, how much of Christmas gift giving is generated from needs to dominate, and just how much of the gift giving is an expression of love?!  You be the judge. 

Often, I've come to believe, the best gift-giving takes place on a cold night in June, late at night, annonymously.

Barry

http://journals.aol.com/bbartle3/Vengeance/