Merry Christmas to all…

I am typing this on my shiny new Samsung laptop. It is very beautiful, very fast, every single one of the keys works every single time I hit it (which is a bit of a novelty), and it is red (because red ones go faster*). The only downside is that my very favourite game, Plants vs Zombies won’t run on the 64 bit version of Windows 7. So my wonderful Tech Support got me a copy of SimCity 4. Am I spoiled or what?

We have had a lovely day at home, just the four of us. There have been blizzards of shredded wrapping paper, lollies and chips flowing free, pitched backyard battles with the pump-action Super-Soakers that Santa brought, remote control cars running rampageous around my feet while I tried to get the pork roast into the oven, followed of course by the traditional Eating Way Too Much, and when it started raining late this afternoon,  we all piled on the couch and watched Toy Story 3 on DVD (if El Buzzo doesn’t make you hoot with laughter, then nothing ever will!).

Tomorrow, we head off to the in-laws’ for a few days with the family (aunties and uncles and cousins, oh my!), then home again in time for New Years Eve.

I hope you have had a bright and beautiful holiday, however you choose to spend it, and if you are travelling, go safely and come home rested and relaxed.

____

*and because they didn’t have a purple one.

Teacher’s Pet Scarf

Finished on Sunday morning, in plenty of time for blocking before the last day of term:

The Vital Statistics:
Cast On: 5th November 2010
Finished: 12th December 2010
Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery for Knitty (Spring 2008)
Yarn: Mi Inca Baby Alpaca 4ply, red, 2 skeins.
Needles: 3.75mm Knitpicks Harmony.
Finished Measurements: 162cm x 23cm (5’4″ x 9″).

This has been such a lovely knit. The stitch pattern is so simple and intuitive that I could knit on it while watching telly (though not while riding in the car, as I quickly discovered last weekend), and my repeat-a-day regime has easily turned into two-repeats-a-day on a number of occasions.

Now it’s time to get back to work on Tech Support’s socks. They have a deadline of New Year’s Eve.

Christmas list.

It’s raining again, so I can’t mow the lawn today as is my wont. Instead, I’ll pose you a question.

Tech Support is threatening to buy me a new ‘puter for Chrstmas. This is an excellent thing, as this machine is old and sad and really needs to be put out to pasture (one recent irritant is that the calculator has vanished from my computer. I never realised how often I used it until I lost it).

So my question is, have you any recommendations for the new one? (Mac lovers need not apply. TS is rabidly anti-Apple for reasons we need not go into here. He would buy me a cat before he would buy me an Apple Mac).

Anyway, what do you think? Should I go laptop, desktop, all-in-one? Touchscreen or not? Any applications, programs or games that you love and think I need? Accessories that you can’t live without?

I’m all ears.

On a completely unrelated note, the School Presentation Night is bearing inexorably down on us (can I get a sympathetic shudder? Thank you). Anyway, all week Boyo has been practicing the following (although without the Scottish accent):

You’re welcome for the brainworm.

We’ve had some rain.

Our local council has a firm grasp of the obvious.

I'm glad I don't have to catch the bus today.

Ducks enjoying the cricket pitch.

Fortunately, this is all downhill from our place, although another night like last night, and we might be wearing our wellies in the house.