Last night was catchup night on Youtube. Two episodes of SciShow (general coverage of all sciences), one of Scishow Space (astronomy and space travel), and one of PBS Eons (deep time and evolution).

6169 (counting this way is divine)

Quote by verbal
Talia is in Cali, and I am joining her on Saturday.

Have fun. I haven't been to California in a while. We looked at taking a cruise to Hawaii out of either LA or Frisco but went with a Bahamas cruise out of NOLA instead. Hawaii will happen eventually. My boss is taking the one out of LA this coming winter so waiting for his review and advice.

Tetley's OP for now. Probably have Buddha's Blend after lunch (white and jasmine green)

Quiet is sometimes quite calming.

Swim with either, really, but sea turtles might be fun. Wonderful beasts.

Football (soccer) or American football?

Dionne Warwick and Whitney Houston were cousins.

Bit late but I am still first one in. Putting on a nice pot of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. Teas are Irish Breakfast and Earl Grey. Hot water is ready for hot chocolate or other teas and hot beverages.

Need to reboot my writing process and refocus a bit. Actually got through two chapters of reading a novel last night, something that might get me back on track for writing, too. Pulling the plug on some social media (including a site beginning with L) for a while to help with focus.

Later, alligators.

Happy birthday to whoever is the December baby. My mother was a December baby but actually cut it fine. Born on New Year's Eve. Another 24 hours and she could have shaved a year off her age. 🤣

Blame one who isn't present.

Quiet, please.

Fruitcake or Christmas pudding?

The usual diverse themes this month. Frankenstein, Holiday Humour, Utopian SF, and essays on women's reproductive health are among the myriad options.

https://authorspublish.com/49-themed-submissions-calls-and-contests-for-december-2022/

Quote by DenimAngel

Today's cookies are Christmas cookies: Santa Claus, Mrs Claus .reindeer, snowmen, Christmas presents and snowflakes

Oo, how seasonal.

Christmas is getting into full swing at work. Decorations are up in the lunch room and large meeting room. Our sports pool guy at work (an accountant, surprise, surprise) is taking a break from that to run Christmas Bingo. So far I have 4 out of 25 squares (it's full card) including the freebie in the middle. And our Christmas elves were getting the "letters from Santa" out today. This is our program for the children and grandchildren of employees. We used to do a full children's party but are now too geographically spread out to manage that.

Anyhow, I shall try to start coming by in the mornings again. Thanks to those covering for me.

Silly people having silly fun.

A month to until Christmas. Winter Solstice fall just before, New Year's just after. Hanukkah is just wrapping up this Sabbath. So it's time to get some seasonal music going. Could be Christmas carols, secular popular songs, songs from other traditions that celebrate at Solstice or late Fall. Whatever music fits the season for you.

I'll kick off with the Moody Blues. A year ago, drummer Graeme Edge passed away, and surviving members Justin Hayward and John Lodge put the band to rest for good, though they still use the Moody's social media to promote their solo work.

The band's final studio album was December, their 2003 Christmas album. And this song from it is a cover of a favourite seasonal song of mine.

Hey, it's the beginning of Advent. Christmas looms in a month. And various Winter Solstice festivities come just before that. Hanukkah is wrapping up this weekend, too. New Year's isn't far off, either. So we are officially into winter holiday season. And, more importantly, winter parrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrty season!

Coffee is hot and ready. Teas are Christmas Tea (basically a chai) and Red Rose. Kettle is ready for other teas and hot beverages.

Hey gang. Sorry, been kind of distracted of late and not popping by much. Will try to pick up the pace.

Sara, I pushed the thermostat up and also laid in a stock of wood for the fireplace.

I'll make some green and lemon-ginger herbal tea since it's a bit late in the day for caffeine-heavy stuff.

Later, alligators.

Quote by AnnaMayZing

I just discovered this young woman on YouTube. Oh my, what a voice. You have to hear her to believe it!

Her name is 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐓𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐎𝐕𝐀 and this is her cover of Nightwish's Sleeping Sun.

I knew that name sounded familiar. I think I listened to this one when I was going through some other Nightwish covers I found online.

You know the old joke about when you have a hammer, everything is a nail? Well, when you're a top notch power metal guitarist-singer, every song becomes power metal. Here is Tommy Johansson's (Sabaton, Majestica) cover of "Anti-Hero", Taylor Swift's recent single. I quite enjoy his channel. His takes on some of the songs he covers are interesting.

Husky seems more your type, so I vote that.

Laptop or tablet+keyboard (e.g. Surface)

Quote by AnnaMayZing
Still watching the 2022 New Years' Day concert from Vienna.

Mrs. Ape and I usually watch it as soon as it is available, live if we can find a stream.

I spent a chunk of today with this lot.

Hey, it's the weekend. Below zero high for the first time this season (we've been running just a hair above, though). Very winter-y even though the official start of winter is still a month off.

Coffee is a medium roast Nicaraguan from Las Chicas. Teas are Scottish Breakfast and Cream of Earl Grey. Kettle is hot and read for other hot beverages, like hot chocolate or herbal teas.

Going through the 4 or so stories I have in my "Under Review" folder to figure which ones to work on. I have one finished, but it badly needs a sequel given the ending. The sequel I have on the go might not cut it, either. There's a burning temptation to dump'em all and try to start something new but I'm a bit shy on inspiration right now.

Putting on fresh coffee. Teapots are filled to the tippy-top with Orange Pekoe and Black Currant. Kettle is hot and ready for other hot beverages.

I shall take a soccer jersey and spikes. Why? Because OMGWTFBBQ Canada somehow made it to the FIFA World Cup. There's a good chance we will get bounced early but we are there, and that's a rare event. Soccer is really not our sport, at least for our men. Our women are perennial favorites in soccer, though.

Rain. Don't have to shovel it.

Plain milk chocolate bar or some kind of filling?

Quote by verbal
Is it just me, or is the site getting a little bit more traffic lately?

It does feel like it, eh. I like that feeling.🙂

Snow on the drive home today. Not fun but a fact of life in Ontario. I survived.

Ape back. For today, at least.

Got some nice medium roast Costa Rican in the coffee pot. Teas are Irish Breakfast and Earl Grey Supreme (with twice the bergamot!). Kettle is ready for hot chocolate or other teas. Stock of marshmallows and other add-ons and condiments are refreshed.

Snow here, but not a lot. Enough to make things pretty and white but not enough to require shoveling, so I can live with it.

Writing is stalled once again as I figure out what to even write. I was hoping the photo challenge might inspire something but so far, na da.

Later, alligators.

Quote by verbal

I emerged still standing. It'll be nice to not be savaged once a month. Now I get to savage others! (Actually it's a very nice, supportive group of people.)

Wonder if there is a writer's group around here. I am not really ready to do this seriously yet, but when I do...

Definitely the Bear's weather moreso than the Ape's today. Flurries with a risk of squalls and already a cm or so on the ground. Just 24 hours ago I was raking leaves.

Coffee is a Nicaraguan dark roast. Teas are Sunday Tea and English Breakfast. Hot water is available for hot chocolate and other hot beverages. Pulled some more marshmallows out of the supply room now that Sara is back.

Later

Working on a short story (not for here) and listening to Dutch metal band Epica. They dropped a new EP yesterday and it's wild. All collaborations with other artists and some of it is quite out of the norm for them. Which, of course, makes for a great set of songs.