“… you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.”

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is back on Netflix, and a tiresome day is transformed.

Reading: Why You Should Start a Blog in 2019 (Tedium).

(H/T @tones on Micro.blog!)

Try to top that achievement, folks.

A gift from a friend on the feast of Mary, Mother of God.

Watching the National College Cornhole Championships on ESPN2. When do pitchers and catchers report to spring training again?

Reading: Malware attack disrupts delivery of L.A. Times and Tribune papers across the U.S. (L.A. Times)

Publishers suspect the cyberattack originated outside the United States.

Playing with the Carrot weather app’s location game and admiring its attention to detail.

New year, new notebook system. I loved a lot about my old standard-sized traveler’s notebook, except for the size. So, I spent part of a gift card on a passport-sized setup. I will consider getting past January with this as a triumph.

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Slow work day. Sifting through the 1,120 titles in my Amazon Kindle content stash. Now that Frannie is 10, I’m probably safe to delete the Curious George books and “The Art of Potty Training.”

Watching “Stop Making Sense” on Amazon Prime because I feel like reliving the soundtrack of college parties without all the terrible social awkwardness of 30 years ago.

Reading: Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88 (New York Times)

So utterly sad to see this. I loved her work. Sister Wendy, patron saint of Art Appreciation for the Common People, pray for us.

Just took up @manton on his holiday special and sent out a handful of invitations to check out Micro.blog. If you’re following me on Twitter and want to know more about this great community, DM me and let me know.

Reading: Why Do Jews Eat Chinese Food on Christmas? (Forward)

I love this. I’m Catholic and I remember heading to Chinatown in Chicago with a Christian friend on Christmas Day when we were both single. It was as delightfully busy as I had hoped it would be.

… sleep in heavenly peace. Merry Christmas.

(St. Paul’s Parish, Riverside, Illinois)

I’ve read about the origin of NORAD’s tracking of Santa Claus, but this is a particularly sweet account in the Washington Post, featuring an interview with the daughter of the “Santa Colonel” who started it all.

Jeff Jarvis provides a nuanced take on the Facebook-or-not-to-Facebook dialogue out there now.

H/T to @stevepbrady and @jack (not the guy on Twitter) for linking on Micro.blog.

Presents wrapped. Four pans of fudge created, with at least two more to go before tomorrow night. I think I’m done holidaying for a few hours.

Reading: Benefits of Having a Child on the Autism Spectrum (The Mighty)

This reminds me that I have a couple of Temple Grandin books on my nightstand that are begging to be read. One of my heroes.

Spent most of my afternoon lying down in a dark room and wondering why flu shots don’t always fend off flulike symptoms.

At least decongestants work. Yay.

Fell asleep with “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me” streaming on a random public radio station and woke up to that station’s morning bluegrass show playing Christmas songs. This may be the only way I’ll tolerate holiday music this year.

Leftover snapshot from the week: Sawa’s Old Warsaw, Broadview, Illinois.

Reading: 15 Things You Need to Know If Your Child Is an Introvert (Psychology Today)

(Testing the upgraded Micro.blog iOS app.)

Dodgers trade Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood to Reds for Homer Bailey (ESPN)

The Dodgers traded those guys for somebody who sounds like a character from “It’s a Wonderful Life”?

Dear iPhone autocorrect,

The pickled Italian pepper relish I put on sandwiches is spelled “giardiniera,” not “goat diners.”

Thank you,

Joyce

Pro tip: The best time to remember that cabbage makes you gassy is before you decide on the Polish smorgasbord for dinner.