hats and 2n and a joke

Well Christmas is over, and I have to, once again, swim against the grain and say that I loved it, and I am NOT glad it is over. Sorry folks, but there it is. I was always profoundly delighted by the event, every aspect of it, and I am still childishly gleeful about the whole thing, although I do manage a greater level of restraint than I did as a kid. I am not even a Christian, and it is still amazing fun. I am Baha'i, but was brought up by atheists who did the pagan style christmas, you know trees, lights, presents, food, but no mention of any sort of god or religion. My husband was brought up Catholic, and I cannot imagine abolishing the whole Christmas thing despite the change in my beliefs, especially as it was never in any way a religious event for us.

The kids and I all had post christmas blues in fact, and we all had moments of weepy unreasonableness. Fortunately not at the same time.

Went skating again....the men at the skate rental seemed to have lost all skill at judging sizes, and it took 4, count them 4 tries to get the right size for the younger daughter and three for the elder. GRRRrrrrrrrr_{rrrrrrrrrrrrr} The elder hurt her wrist falling on the ice, and so we left early. It was suspiciously more expensive than when I went with my Polish speaking sister, although it is boxing day and the priced may simply be different.

The Polish winter outfits are fairly somber, lots of greys and blacks, but there were two kids there with the coolest hats. They looked like those wide fleecy headbands that come down over your ears like the boarders wear, but instead of being open at the top, they had wild pink or blue fluffy hair/chia pet stuff out the top, like a weird field was growing up there, hilarious. Two kids had ears on their hats, and we're not talking toddlers here, one had them pinned on a helmet, and the other on her hat itself, you know those furry puppy dog ears. It was lovely to see people here smiling spontaniously too, although going skating is such a local kind of family thing to do, that probably makes a difference.

There was a buisness on the drive to the rink that gave me pause for thought , it was called 2N, now that was slightly reminiscent of a vast multi-national speciallizing in adhesives, sticky notes, blue tack, duct tape...3m, remember them....? I have to ask my sister what 2n does, and is there a 1o, or a 4L? odd. There was a town named Nowa wona too. Just have to say that one over and over and over again.....

My Dad was telling us tales of life as a shopping mall santa back when he was 17. He found it tricky to go into restaurants dressed as santa, and the bathroom was particularily difficult, kids following him in wondering what he was doing. it remineded me of a joke....

John Wayne goes into a bar and goes up the the bar tender, "Do your bathrooms have stalls?" The bartender replies in a puzzled way that they do not. John shakes his head and leaves. He finds another bar, goes in and again asks about stalls in the bathroom. No , no stalls. This goes on and on, until John is so desperate that he gives in and goes to the stalless bathroom. He walks up to a space at a urinal in the crowded row, unzips and gets to work. The guy next to him glances over and does a massive double take, then, mid-stream, turns, full body towards Wayne (imagine him still holding and aiming straight), calling out.... "Your John Wayne!!!"

This may be too visual a joke to carry here, lets see if you get it...(here's a hint, John gets wet.)