So Christmas has passed, new year is almost upon us. So I thought I should file a new post before that happens.

Christmas itself was fine, though the surprise of my ‘big gift’ was less that intense… since I had already discussed with my mother the need for a new TV, and when I got home on the 23rd there was a big box by the tree, so big that they didn’t bother wrapping it and just put a festive cloth of some sort over it, not quite covering the bottom where the box described it’s various input ports. It’s a nice big TV, I can’t remember the inches, but it’s huge compared to the old one, and it’s flatscreen… that is, the screen is flat, but it’s not the ones that are only an inch deep, no, this thing has a hell of a rear end, and, unfortunately, weighs quite a lot. It would be easier to just build the next place I’ll live around it rather than moving out.

On the 24th, went to the family gathering which is tradition, and met some new people, which was odd for a family gathering. Well, it was a relation of mine, and some of her friends who came along. I felt supremely out of place, especially since my brother didn’t come, and our side of the family is a bit out of sync with them, as everyone is either 15 years older or 10 years younger. Well, I was at least able to have conversations with the younger people, got to hear about lots of relationship troubles, some of which quite shocking (for lil ol’ Victorian me), including of course that people there, at 15, had gone through four relationships, versus me with my goose egg, alas. And also had one of the little-boy teens try to bounce things off my gut, so all in all it was up to par with my usual interactions.

In terms of my gifts for others, they were fairly feeble, I never know what anyone wants. The only significant thing I got was a necklace for one of my friends, a nice Amethyst stone in a square gold mount with little diamonds in a row on the bottom, on a white gold chain. I know there is at least (and probably, at most) one other person who very occasionally reads this non-journal who understands the significance of it, or rather the parallels between past and present, which are certainly but regrettably parallel.

I was home home on boxing day, but my home is now in Toronto, and I was shocked at what happened. Jane Creba was one of many people hit by stray bullets as gangs tried to kill each other, and of course, the only person who died was her, the 15 year old girl. She’s dead, and it doesn’t make me want to believe in heaven for her, but it certainly makes me want to believe in hell for those who did this. Which is probably the only justice they would ever have faced, since I doubt the police will catch them, this city is increasingly bathing in blood. Sure, it’s not as bad as a city in the states, but should we be complaisant just because we haven’t descended to the lowest circle of hell? At least she wasn’t the target, so it’s a matter of being in the wrong trajectory at the wrong time, and not another example of misogyny.

Now I’m depressed, so that’s all for now. I’ll put some new years resolutions here once I’ve thought of any, it’s hard when you’re perfect.
“Howls of derisive laughter, Bruce”