What to do on Boxing Day

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That's Christmas over for 2010! The presents have been opened and already the empty packages are now in the garbage.

So far, there aren't any unwanted gifts. How could that be?! Normally there's always a couple of gifts that get returned. I don't mind in the slightest returning them. I always volunteer gladly. Guess what I do with the in-store credit I get? Go on a spending spree for myself!! LOL.

I didn't make it to the shops this year on Boxing Day. That's the best time to return things, even items that you purchased months ago and have no price tag. The shop assistants are so busy with long queues that they'll give you in- store credit without any problem. It was just too cold for one thing. Then, there was nothing to return. I'll go another day soon, however. Just stop me from rummaging through the goods on sale!



The local news was full of images of crowds of people mingling at the stores on Boxing Day. It got me to think about other things people can do on Boxing Day besides go to the shops.

1. Don't discard the wrapping paper that people ripped like crazy as they opened their presents. Instead, fold it neatly and keep for next Christmas. It'll come in handy for wrapping stocking stuffers.

2. Take a nice hot bath with the shower gel you got for the man in your life. It's normally more potent than the gel made for women. Guaranteed to keep you aglow with fragrance.

3. Skype your family and friends. Just remember to place your computer camera as far away as possible so that they don't notice your bloodshot eyes.

4. What made your eyes bloodshot? Oh. It must have been that good bottle of wine you were going to give your cousin twice removed. Was that what you drank last night?! Don't worry, your cousin twice removed will never know.

5. Eat the pecans from the chocolate pecan pie you made. They're not that rich in calories. Honest. Definitely less calories than eating the rest of the pie.

Did you go to the Boxing Day sales?

Christmas at Home

Christmas Lights in Edinburgh

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The Christmas lights in Edinburgh were cheery and enticing. Too bad about the snow, the ice, the slushy mushy stuff, and the frigid temperatures! Actually, if you bundle up in layers the cold isn't too bad. You've got to keep walking, of course, before icicles form in your nostrils!



Actually, the nice thing about the rather odd weather in Edinburgh was that it was easy to take photos. Although there were people out and about there weren't the usual crowds. So, nobody inadvertently meandered in front of me just as I was about to go snap.

There was an ice rink down on Princes Street Gardens. Much as I was tempted to run down the steps and get a better look, I refrained from doing so. What if the steps were icy?! I could slip and stumble and roll all the way down like a giant Humpty Dumpty. People might think I was just a drunken bum, a bag lady, of no importance, and leave me lying in the frigid air.




I still got a nice photo, so that was good.

How lucky not to be travelling to the U.K. right now! Heathrow Airport has had umpteen cancellations and delays the past few days, as had many European airports, including Edinburgh.

I can sit back and gaze on my photos and not worry about lost luggage, closed airports, cancelled trains and other annoyingly annoying events. Mind you, the trip was indeed an adventure. Who doesn't like adventures?!

Edinburgh, Scotland

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What an adventure last week was! Snow, ice, frigid temperatures, public transportation coming to a halt, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a challenge.

The above photo is of the hotel we stayed in. It looks old, but it really isn't. I think it was built in 1990. The architecture blends in with the other buildings on the Royal Mile, making it very inviting for tourists and locals alike.

In the photo below you can see the street outside the hotel. Slushy mushy icy stuff coats the road and pavements.



There was a bum sitting outside the hotel, all bundled up with blankets. His hand held out a plastic up and he'd ask for spare change. Any time I came by he started to smile and laugh. Why? I think he was astonished at the way I was walking! I was so scared that I'd fall on the ice. I ended up taking these teeny tiny steps. Well, it worked, for I didn't fall!

This fellow below must have felt the cold in places nobody wants to! I was so surprised to see a piper on such a cold, frigid day.



Down on Princes Street the Christmas lights were shining, and the carousels and the big wheel were beckoning. Believe it or not, there were lots of people out and about. Their boots probably didn't leak. Mine started to. At first I thought I was just cold, but then I realized my feet were damp as well. Do you know how long I've had these boots? Years and years. I hardly wear them, not even where I live in the United States. That's why I never knew that they leaked.



I was really glad we had a newspaper in the hotel room, for as soon as I got back, I shoved the pages into my boots, hoping that they'd somehow dry out. Why didn't I bring another pair of shoes with me?!

Have you ever encountered really bad weather on vacation?

Snowed In!!

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Have you ever been snowed in? Has the weather been so bad that you don't really want to go out?

It happened to me just last week. I was in Edinburgh, Scotland. Turns out they were having the worst weather in forty years! The airport was closed for a total of four days. Buses and trains were cancelled. People were stranded in their cars for hours and hours as the snow fell and ice accumulated.

I was in a hotel, right down on the Royal Mile, the old part of Edinburgh. At least I had a good view from my room. You can see the roof tops in the first photo. And in the next photo you can see Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano that overlooks the city.



I still went out for a walk. There were tourists braving the weather as well, up by the castle. Edinburgh always has tourists! There were some local people out and about too, doing Christmas shopping. But there weren't the usual crowds that you find.

I'm so thankful I didn't have to drive, catch a bus, or train, or plane. Travellers simply weren't going anywhere for the first few days of my trip. And I was lucky that I arrived in Edinburgh with just a short delay. The day before my arrival and the day after, the airport was closed due to bad weather.

What a cosy hotel room I had, with nice views.

What's your favorite view?

Who said we love the Four Seasons?

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Did I hear the word 'snow'? Snow way. We've jumped from falling leaves to luscious snow.



Now, instead of raking leaves we're into shovelling snow, slipping, skating on ice, trying not to go down with a thump, hoping the car will get out of the driveway.

And we tell ourselves that we love the four seasons. Ouch! Roll on the Spring!!

Here's some inspiring music to help us through the winter. Vivaldi's Four Seasons

The Red Lobster-La langosta roja

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I'm not a lobster person. No, not I. I do go red, however under the Spanish sun, or any sun for that matter. Twice a year we get live lobster which we cook in boiling water. "Ouch!"

I hear the lobsters scream in pain.

Ever wondered why the words in 'La Vida Loca' end in 'a'? Probably not. But, just in case you have, it's because 'vida' is feminine. The article and the adjectives have to agree with one another in Spanish.

La langosta roja. The red lobster. Similarly, the noun is feminine, therefore the ajective is also feminine.

Who cares, right?

I cared when people would tell me that I was as red as a lobster. Never have had a tan in the whole of my life, despite living along the Mediterranean coastline of Spain.

Which is worse, do you think? Looking like a red lobster or a glass of milk? Yes. In the winter I'd be told I looked like a glass of milk. It's nobody's business what we look like. Is it? Well, maybe if we're so horribly ugly that people get offended by our funny face, then perhaps we should hide. Come to think on it, being as red as a lobster is rather odd-looking. I should have buried myself in the sand, or better still, used more sunscreen!

As for the lobsters? They were gobbled up, not by me, however. The people who ate them liked the appearance of the lobsters, all chunky and wriggling, and devoured them ferociously. Maybe appearances are important? Maybe the lobsters would still be alive if they hadn't looked so enticing, if they had been smaller and insignificant?

We'll never know.

How important do you think appearances are?