Random notes

1) When I'm at the gym, my mind tends to wander as I do my workout. It wandered here today: I don't know how to ice skate backwards, and I'd really like to learn how to do so. Why I thought of this, I do not know. I'm not a fan of either ice or standing and balancing on thin blades of steel, so taken together, I should doubly despise ice skating on principle, right? Not especially. It's been many years since I've gone last, and I think it might actually be kind of fun to go. I think, after a few minutes on the ice, that I have the "going forward" bit pretty well down, at least to the point were I won't fall consistently. However, my legs just don't seem to understand the concept of ice skating backwards, though I have tried. They stubbornly refuse to not go forward. I am latently jealous of the people that make it look easy.

2) Those reindeer were bastards. I heard the Christmas song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" as I drove home today. So, first every reindeer taunts, teases, and alienates the red-nosed one because he's different. Then, Rudolph wins Santa's recognition, and all of a sudden, the reindeer bend over backward (which I imagine is hard for a deer) to become Rudolph's friend. Fickle much? Who wants friends like that?

3) A few days ago, I changed the channel right in time to hear what I thought was the beginning of "O Tanenbaum," the one German Christmas song I remember from Switzerland. I was rather pleasantly surprised they'd play that on the radio here, such an old school carol sung in German. The surprise was short lived, as it turned out to be Snoopy's Christmas, by the Royal Guardsman. I also remember Snoopy from when I was young, so I guess it kind of worked.



This video seems to be missing the "O Tanenbaum" bit. Of course.