Holiday lights

As you can see I am not talking about the lights you use to decorate. It was the second snow of the season tonight and it turns out to be what I call "real snow". It's real snow because it sticks to the paved surfaces as well as the yards, rooftops and cars. While tonight's snow is minimal and I guess unexpected (I don't watch the weather) I am sure the line of cars in front of my house comes from one thing. Moron drivers. For some reason people in the North East where I live, will never learn to drive in any weather event. Ever. It is like a brand new experience for them each and every year and "HOLY S***" (WHAM) "How'd that happen?" repeats the cycle.
There must have been and accident on the highway and everyone is being routed past my house. And I bet a bunch of there poor bastards were on their way to the mall to shop.

Oh well. The circle of life continues.

At least they get to see my 8ft Santa.

Here it is

Here is my rickety old (122 yrs) house with my hillbilly Santa. Since my children wanted it up I decided to make it as obnoxious as possible.

As I mentioned before, I have a snowman:

You can see him in the far left picture.

My children are happy. My mother-in-law said she almost cried.

Jesus.

Subtle

Ya ever see on of those. I have one. I also have an 8 ft. inflatable snowman and an 8ft inflatable Santa. I grew up in a traditional suburban setting so I was not originally accustomed to such things. My wife the same, traditional suburban setting. So where did the love of gaudy, obnoxious, hillbilly lawn manifestations come from? I believe my wife inherited it from her mother. See she was born in Binghampton N.Y. And although it's not completely backwards, let's just say there are more than a few trailers there for my liking.

My wife and Mother-in-Law wait until the day after Christmas to purchase these beauties then I get the pleasure of putting them up and taking their cold, wet, sloppy asses down only to pray for an entire season that the following year they won't work.

Well this year is different. This year my wife has a condition that is keeping her on bed rest. So all of the holiday decorating is being left to me.

I'm taking it slow. One box a day. If I don't like it. It don't go up. Pretty simple. My oldest has talked me into inflating the snowman so we will see where that takes us.

I'll have some pictures tomorrow.

Short but sweet.

One of the finest things ever created was 24 hours of "A Christmas Story". During the holidays it works out great because no matter how busy you get you eventually see the whole thing 2 or 3 times.

Gotta go. Still trying to get the lights going down my railing to work properly. Pictures soon to follow.

Right the first time

So, due to my condition (I'm a father) I had to watch "The Grinch who Stole Christmas" last night with my 6 year old. Now when he first said "Daddy, do you want to watch the Grinch?" I was all excited. My oldest, my boy. Falling in love with one of the Seussian classics. I couldn't have been prouder. Much to my chagrin, it turns out that what he wanted to watch was not the said classic but the Jim Carey rip-off. Now I have nothing against Jim Carey and like some of his movies. But really! Where do he and Ron Howard get off trying to redo something that was already done right.

All of this got me to thinking about the first holiday classic I watched that wasn't the original and how badly it turned out.

"It's a Wonderful Life." We all know it. I love this movie. And yes, it makes me tear. The part where George Bailey is on the bridge praying to get his life back....and then the snow starts to fall. Cue the water works.

When I was about 13, the family and I were sitting around watching t.v. when "It happened one Christmas" comes on. About ten minutes into the movie I'm thinking this is a rip-off. Marlo Thomas plays the part of George Baily and Wayne Rodgers plays his wife. What a piece of crap. At least compared to the original. (Which most people thought was a piece of crap when it was released.)

So sitting there last night with my oldest, cringing every time Jim Carey did (or didn't) do something like the original, reminded me that rarely is remake better than the original.

Any remakes you really hate?

Leave me a note.

For all of Yule

Today, I make my first installment of the "Son of a Thomas" 25 Days of Christmas Spectacular.
It's a simple but good one.

With the children all snuggled all nice in their beds and visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, you and yours can settle down all snug in front of the fire. What? Don't have a fireplace? No prob.

Nothing says Christmas like the crackle of a warm fire.



(If you burn a small piece of furniture in the house, it will give you that realistic smell but remember, your on your own.)

TODAY IS WHAT?????

Crap, it's like the 30Th of November. If I have this right, "Thirty days has November, April, June and Montana. Yeah that's it. Tomorrow is the first day of December which means....
(Da-da,da,da-da-da-da-da)

Welcome to the "Son of a Thomas" 25 days of Christmas Holiday Spectacular."

For the next 25 days, you will be shocked and amazed with post after post of holiday wonderment (not to be confused with wondermeat) that will shock and amaze. Some of them will be personal anecdotes. Some of them returns to holiday classics. Some will be phoned in. But all in all this will be the daily (I hope) gift that keeps on giving. And as a "Son of a Thomas" 25 Days of Christmas Holiday Spectacular warm up, I offer this.