Feast your eyes! Aint it glorious? The Snow Monkeys are 2017 League of Accommodations fantasy football champions. Final score…
In all fairness, it’s all thanks to Todd Gurley and the Carolina Panthers D truly stepped up for my Monkeys.
Ah, victory tastes as sweet as a double chocolate mocha!
So, I’m blazing through my final reads of the year in preparation for my annual Best Books of 2017 blog post. This has been my best reading year since 2014 with a lot of great candidates, but I’m vacillating over how extensive I should make the list. When all is said and done, I’ll have read a staggering 250 books on the year, 125 of them 2017 releases. So, I’m thinking a top 25? What do you think?
Since touching down in Montreal, Akemi and I have settled into a nice little routine. Every morning, we wake up at 6:00 a.m. with Suji who, unlike Lulu, is not a sleeper-inner, and then lie in bed, hoping against hope that she eventually drifts off and allows us a few more hours of snooze time (Spoiler alert! She never does!). Then, after taking the dogs out, we hop in the car, laptops in tow, and head over to a quaint little coffee shop in Pointe-Claire Village (Victor Rose, a cafe so quaint that Akemi says it reminds her of something out of Ghibli movie) where we update our online lives over London Fogs (for her) and double chocolate mochas (for me!). Then, back to mom’s for lunch and whatever she has planned (Today, for instance, it’s a double-dose of visits with the relatives). We usually culminate our evenings with dinner with my sister and Daisy, then it’s home for an early bedtime and two hours of reading.
Just between us, you know what I really hate? New Year’s Eve. Growing up, no event was more overrated than the ringing in of the New Year. I hate champagne. And, as I’ve matured, my bedtime has gotten earlier and earlier. Last year, I could barely keep my eyes open. My attempts to observe UK Greenwich Mean Time, just for this single occasion, have been roundly dismissed. This year, I’m going to try setting the house clocks ahead three hours, play a recording of 2016’s New Year’s Even Live and hope nobody notices. Wish me luck!
Congratulations to the Champions! Whoot!
LOL, on the routine. I have a tiny elderly cat who wants breakfast around four in the morning. If I’m lucky, I get to five or six, but then I’m up. With early waking insomnia, it isn’t as bad as it sounds. I love my early mornings. I never slept in much, being associated with or in the Navy meant early mornings much of my life. I get up to watch the dawn while on vacation … I am resigned to it.
I had to look up London Fogs; I must try this. I have some lovely Lavender Earl Gray and a milk steamer …
Ah, New Years. I have had some good ones. The fireworks wake me up enough I know when it goes off locally. I liked it better when it was pans and wooden spoons.
Haha ..what a coincidence yesterday I watch the 2016 Bye Bye (a french special comedy on every New year eves)
Well done Joe andf good luck with the clocks! In case you miss it Happy New year to you both in advance.
I’m with you, I hate New Year’s. And as I’m in Vancouver this year and still trying to get over my jet lag since arriving from the UK, I’m hoping that is a plausible excuse for an early night.
I kind of feel the same about NYE. We have fireworks in Saint John for the festivities, but of course they are at midnight (so late) and in the cold. Meh.
Looking forward to the book list!
I’m a night owl and when left to my own habits I usually stat up until 2-3 a.m., but for some reason New Year’s Eve always has me yawning by about 10-11 p.m.
I base my summer reading list on your recs, Joe, so the longer you make your list the better!
I’m with you on the subject of New Year – great big load of nothing.
Merry Christmas to you and yours….
x
Good luck with the clocks! NYE is usually one of the nights I plug in a fan and take 1/2 an ambien. The other day is July 4th. Fireworks are illegal here but that doesn’t stop anyone from shooting them off ALL night (early morning). Arg!
As for little Suji, you’ll look back on her idiosyncrasies with fondness in a few years.
Montreal sounds lovely! Would you recommend any good hotels?
As a child, I had a friend that had a great new year’s eve party every year that was so much fun. As an adult I had tried various things to duplicate the enjoyment I had at those parties. I have enjoyed “first night”. It is an event that offers a selection of music performances and plays that last about 30 minutes each, and you choose the ones you want to attend with big fireworks at midnight. I would take a trip to a city that was having a first night. Nowadays I watch tv specials, record the later fireworks and ball drops cause I am asleep way before midnight. Not as much fun, but my body thanks me.
Definitely not one to want to stay up here either. Unfortunately my kids are 18 & 20, so they want to go out and we usually offer to pick them up. My 18 yr old doesn’t drink, but his driver’s licence doesn’t let him drive past 11pm. My 20 yr old…well, I can’t guarantee he hasn’t. LOL
Yay! congrats on snow monkeys official win. Yep, finally, ay!?.:-D
Feel same about New Years eve and actually was forced to work thru Christmas this year, so I have not had much of a holiday other than to be able to take a week off from the twitter classroom hosting duties while students and educators are on winter break.
Also one of my closest and dearest friends had to be rushed to the hospital on December 22nd, so when I haven’t been working, or trying to catch little naps I’ve been there at the hospital with him.
Here’s to hoping 2018 brings a sweeter song to sing.
Snow Monkeys….victorious! Congratulations on a hard fought battle! Raise that trophy high and celebrate until next year.
Continue to Eat, Drink & Be Merry! Give Suji a benedryl so you can sleep in.
Did you catch the Doctor Who Christmas special last night?
Joe , have you not learned the art of sleeping with eyes open yet?!? lean back in comfortable chair … and well, if perhaps you do fall asleep, they might be nice and not wake you,, might I say….good luck. Top 25 sounds like a good idea for the books, if you can get it down to 25….
~I don’t wait for the ball to drop either, beauty sleep is important..
Congrats on the championship!
Rats. Forgot about Daisy in yesterday’s comment. Happy Merry Everything, Daisy!
Tam DixonBackatcha. Thank you.
I worked my last day today. I am officially RETIRED!!!! I dragged exhaustedly over the finish line. I would love to join you Joe in reading books again without falling asleep. There is a library close by my house. I’ll have to check it out now. I plan to be up and ready to go by 7 am each morning. Even if I don’t actually go anywhere that day.
Probably my least favorite holiday. No, wait, that’s Valentine’s Day. Sigh. I once took my mom to Sydney for NYE… talk about overrated and expensive. Never again. I do try to just go to sleep but am inevitably woken up by raging delinquents. Hope your NYE isn’t too bad.
I hate that, post-op, I’ve become a much worse at social situations, but things like Family Gatherings, with more than 2 or 3 people in the room, lead to me getting rather dizzy and unwell. Sucks!!
Last night (26th) was the usual Boxing Day gathering, 8 of us, all having fun and playing games, with the tv in the background, and noise from all corners of the room.
This is my fifth year of trying to cope, and although I’m slightly less worse than I was a few years ago, I did have to eventually give up last night, and escape to my bed.
Not looking forward to New Year!! I’d love to pinch your “observing GMT” suggestion, but I’m already here in the UK, so I don’t think that’d work out very well…
@Ponytail: Congrats on your retirement!
Congratulations to the Snow Monkeys!
I’m with you on NYE. We’re usually in bed by 9:30-10, only to be awakened by fireworks and etc. So really, what’s the point?
Congrats Ponytail! I’m a little jealous.
@ponytail Hugs,Congrats and an early Happy Birthday! just in case I forget or am swamped with work on your special day. XO
How are your parents doing?
…maman ne sera pas contente! À vos risques.
Joyeux temps des fêtes !
Ponytail,, wow, congratulations!! Enjoy yourself, relax and have a little fun!!