SORROW

Brown University.

    Bondi Beach.

        Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner

In the middle of the Christmas season and as Hanukkah began.

When will this madness end.

THE 12TH DAY

 . . . before Christmas.

Some people might say it's the 12th day before Christmas.

Some might say it's only 11.

Whatever.

The time is drawing short.

So get those cards in the mail.

If you still send cards.

Hit those stores and search for sales of potential gifts.

If you're still gifting.

Decorate, decorate, decorate.

If you still decorate.

But don't forget the big party bringing friends and families together.

The holidays are truly upon us.

Let's try to enjoy them.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Christmas Day is now less than two weeks away so it's time for my Humor Elves to produce more and more holiday-related memes.

We used to call them "cartoons" back in the Dark Ages before social media but never mind that.

Now I don't mean to disparage the work of the Elves.

They have been supplying me with a lot of holiday joy.

I've just been holding it back to make sure we have enough to make it through.

But now the Humor Banque is properly equipped and I can unleash my awesome power to provoke your Christmas Laughter.

Once again, I can say "I just don't understand those Trekkies!"

But be that as it may, I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, full of enterprise.

May the force be with you.

Oh, and always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . oh, sure . . . )

LAS MONTAÑAS

Today is International Mountain Day, celebrated around the world.

Even here in Arizona, the land of the desert, the San Francisco Peaks house a ski resort a mere 150 miles north of Phoenix.

The Peaks are the home of Arizona's highest point, Humphrey's Peak, that tops out at over 12,600 feet.

Several mountains are contained within the Phoenix city limits, the most famous of which is Camelback Mountain.

But there is also Piestewa Peak, which was known as Squaw Peak when our family first arrived back in the early 1970's.

One weekend day we decided to climb it.

Here am I at the summit.

And She Who Must Be Obeyed, my intrepid wife Judy.

But in spite of our victory, the accomplishment was dwarfed by Judy's son, who had not followed the path but scrambled up the side and beat us to the top.

Here he celebrates with a death-defying pose.

Well, as some of our friends used to say, "those aren't mountains, they're just hills!"

But we have visited their Colorado mountains and others elsewhere.

Here is Judy, enjoying a view of Beartooth Pass in Wyoming.

And just to top off this story, here is an obviously exultant (or altitude sick) Catalyst introducing the Alps in Innsbruck, Austria.

Wherever you live in this big world, happy International Mountain Day!

RUDOLPH, THE RED-NOSED LLAMA(?)

Today is National Llama Day and with Christmas approaching, I couldn't help wondering what it would be like if Santa replaced his reindeer with llamas.

So I asked AI to imagine it and here's what I got back.

Santa's sleigh, pulled by llamas, would present a whimsical and perhaps slightly chaotic scene, replacing the traditional graceful flight with a more grounded, textured, and spirited journey.

Visual Appearance

• Woolly and Varied: Instead of sleek brown coats, the team would be a colorful, woolly assortment of white, brown, black, and spotted llamas. Their long, soft, and slightly shaggy coats would offer a fluffier, cozier visual.
• Unique Heads and Ears: The llamas would feature their signature long, elegant necks and large, expressive, banana-shaped ears, which would likely twitch and turn constantly to the sounds of the night, adding a comical element to the silent, starry sky.
• No Antlers: The iconic antlers that female reindeer keep all winter would be absent, giving the team a smoother, more rounded silhouette against the moonlit sky.
• Festive Gear: To compensate for the lack of natural Christmas flair, the llamas might be decked out in vibrant, hand-knit South American-style blankets or small, festive hats and garlands, providing pops of color and texture to the scene.
• A "Rudolph" Llama: The lead llama might have a brightly colored, perhaps glowing red, nose or a festive bell attached to its harness for the same guiding effect as Rudolph.

The Logistics of the Journey

• Lower Altitude: Llamas are built for high-altitude terrestrial travel, not flying. The "flight" might be less of a graceful soaring and more of a series of magnificent, gravity-defying leaps across rooftops, involving a lot of up-and-down motion.
• Different Sounds: The quiet jingle of reindeer bells would be replaced by the soft, rhythmic clip-clop of hooves on shingles and the occasional, distinctive, and charming "mrah" or humming sound that llamas make.
• Snacking on the Go: Llamas are known for grazing, so Santa might need to make more frequent stops to let his team munch on a rooftop garden or a conveniently placed bale of hay, adding a practical, rustic element to the night.
• A Slower Pace: The breakneck speed of the reindeer would be replaced by a more relaxed, "no drama" pace, allowing Santa to truly savor the sights and sounds of the world below.

Overall, a llama-pulled sleigh would be less about magic and speed, and more about quirky charm, cozy wool, and a laid-back, "Fa la llama la" spirit.

So let's hear it for Santa's Llamas!

 

We might have to change the traditional greeting of Merry Christmas to one the llamas might better relate to: Feliz Navidad!

Hmmmmm

Sometimes my humor elves get a little carried away with their work. 

I got this from one of them a few moments ago, with a message attached to it asking "Was that you last week or was it the week before?"

Which had me wondering, "Should I put that elf on a shelf for his impudence?"

Well I guess not.

After all, we all have to have a sense of humor, even when one is the butt of the joke.

(And my butt still hurts a little from that fall of mine!)

TIME TO PUT UP THE LIGHTS

Ahh, I remember the days in long ago North Dakota, when the Christmas season rolled around and Dad in his big heavy coat and overshoes and gloves and a cap with earflaps would be outside in the snow and cold putting up our annual holiday lights. 

That just had me thinking, "I wonder if that's why we didn't have one of those extravaganzas with colored lights covering the house and inflatable snowmen and reindeer and Santas and elves and . . ."

Could have been.

Happy and safe holiday season, everyone!