seasonal slowdown

I realize I missed posting the weekly caption contest, but I have a good excuse — I had stuff to do.  🙂  I say that partly for humor, but it is true, because it’s been really busy the past few days.

Hopefully none of you regular readers are having withdrawals.  But if anyone misses my daily ramblings, then that means there’s something good going on here.  🙂  And maybe someone will feel inspired to show their support for all this free entertainment by sending in a donation of chocolate-chip cookies (or any similar gift).  If not, I’ll keep rambling anyway.  But chocolate-chip cookies are really scrumptious.  🙂

After the Christmas break, we’ll get back to our regularly-scheduled program.  In the meantime, you just get occasional updates like this, where I write about how I’m too busy to write…  🙂

funny Christmas picture

Things are busy around here, trying to find the perfect gift for people you don’t see often, and going to various Christmas parties.  So posting has been a little slow the past few weeks (and will continue next week).  So here’s a quick post, just so you won’t have withdrawals too bad.  🙂

If you don’t get the joke / pun, it’s that “Feliz Navidad” means “Merry Christmas” in Spanish.  I’m not sure if knowing that makes it any funnier (because it is a pun, after all), but it may cause some of you to groan (which I suppose is the purpose of puns).

Do you sing to your Christmas tree?

I like Christmas songs.  I enjoy the ones promoting the reason for the season (the birth of Jesus) as well as the more traditional ones that are more for fun.  But a few of the “fun” holiday songs make me wonder.  For example, why do we sing a song to a Christmas tree?   I’m referring to “O Tannenbaum”, or “O Christmas Tree”.

I don’t know what the official lyrics are to the song, because apparently there are many versions, with many verses.  Some of them have overt Christian meanings, while some are kinda weird taken by themselves.  Let’s look at a few of the latter variety.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
How faithful are thy branches!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
Green not alone in summertime,
But in the winter’s frost and rime;
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
How faithful are thy branches.

Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou tree most fair and lovely!
The sight of thee at Christmastide
Spreads hope and gladness far and wide
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
Thou tree most fair and lovely!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
You stand in verdant beauty
Your boughs are green in summer’s glow
And do not fade in winter’s snow
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
You stand in verdant beauty

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
How laden are your branches
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Your presence here enhances
Your silver star does glisten bright
Reflecting all the candlelight
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
How laden are your branches

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
You fill all hearts with gaiety
On Christmas Day you stand so tall
Affording joy to one and all
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
You fill all hearts with gaiety

Based on those lyrics, I have to wonder why a song was written to a Christmas tree…  I realize there are a lot of silly songs that have been written, but this song has been popular for hundreds of years…

caption contest, Santa in a SWAT vehicle

For this week’s caption contest, I’m using a Christmas-themed photo.  Well, it features Santa Claus, so it’s festive and stuff.  But this is no ordinary holiday photo — Santa is driving an armored SWAT truck, and he’s being followed by a helicopter.  So obviously there’s some action story behind this picture.  And it’s up to you to write the story.

(To see the other caption contests, click on the “Say What?” category in the sidebar.)