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Checking email while on break and someone is like “Midnight Diner is not what it wished it to be.” Um… So it wished it was something other than a lovely and faithful adaptation of its source material?

And this is coming from someone who admitted to not getting past the third episode. *facepalm*

I’ve only watched the first two seasons of the Japanese version but one of the things I loved is that there isn’t a lot of dressing up or altering the main premise, other than making it more culturally applicable.

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I’ve landed on the Home Alone series.

Not exactly schlocky, but it reminds me of being a kid (and loving these films) plus it’ll make me feel better about my fall because pshhht that was nothin’ compared to the Wet and/or Sticky Bandits being outwitted and nearly killed by an eight-year-old.

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Am about to fall asleep because yay painkillers, but I decided to open my parents’ care packages because I was like “dammit I need something happy right now.”

Of note:

  • Christmas wrapping paper that have images of cute brussels sprouts in top hats (Brits will understand why this is Christmas paper)
  • My parents always send me a calendar, and this time i will spend 2016 staring at cute Highland coos. (One of my fave memories of isle of Skye is feeding carrots to the shaggy cows.)
  • A gorgeous Mulan ornament (that will go so nicely with my Mushu shoe ornament!)
  • Handcrafted “set” of the The Princess Bride dvd, the original novel by William Goldman, and Cary Elwes’ book, As You Wish.
  • Lots of dvds (mostly documentaries about Disney – parks, history of the animation, music for the films, etc. I don’t know if my parents are trying to send me a hint or just want to ensure that if we ever go on a Disney cruise again, we’re not going to lose so abysmally during the Disney-centric trivia games.)
  • Lots of treats! Tea and sweets, mostly. I know Minstrels are nothing special – I think it’s the brand we call “Dove” here – but I have yet to find an US equivalent, so I love it when my parents use those as “padding” in the box. (Also Curly Wurly – just chocolate and caramel but still, no US equivalent. Candy is the best padding tbh.)
  • Big Hero 6 figurine set. Fun fact: my parents always send me a figurine set for Christmas, usually Disney-related. 
  • Plush Minnie Mouse doll in her Christmas outfit. This genuinely made me go “awwww” and feel a little emotional because when I was a kid, we had a Mickey and Minnie plush doll set that would sit under the tree, and I remember playing with them ever since I was tiny. So it’s like I can create my own little tradition (I actually think my parents still have those dolls).
  • …yeah it’s a lot of Disney, isn’t it? I still think of myself as a vague, casual fan, but Disney holds a lot of important family memories for us. (Which is why I’m half convinced my parents will tell me to start planning a trip next year or something.)
  • Oh, and not in these boxes: the annual Barbie ornament, shipped directly from Hallmark since Mum couldn’t find one near her.
  • …I swear I’m a grown adult. I swear.
  • …but it’s nice to feel like a kid again at Christmas, even if you’re spending it alone. Or especially if you’re spending it alone.
  • Aw, I’d start tearing up, but man these pain killers are great and I feel awesome so now I’m going to nibble on some chocolate and fall asleep to whatever schlocky Christmas stuff I can find on Netflix or Hulu, since BFQOTY hasn’t aired yet and that’s my favorite holiday thing to watch. OMG I just looked to see if they’d have an additional anniversary BFQOTY like they’ve had the past few years and discovered that not only will the holiday BFQOTY have Richard Ayoade (my favorite) but the second post-New Year’s quiz will have Noel Fielding and Ayoade back together again. I CANNOT WAIT.
  • …ok maybe this isn’t such a terrible Christmas after all…
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I fell at work today for reasons that aren’t important (for once it wasn’t just me being clumsy or stupid), and now am at home in bed, waiting for my prescription-strength pain-killers to kick in.

The nice thing about it, though, is I got to cry through the last couple of hours of my shift and blame it on the pain, even though I’m sure a few of those tears were “poor little me” tears of sadness ‘cause I miss my family.

Officially the worst Christmas evar. *sigh*

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Happy Christmas, everyone! 🎄🎅🎁

Especially to those of us who work in industries that don’t close for the holidays. I’m typing this as I scarf down some of yesterday’s catered feast since I will be soon heading into a 4 hour stretch where I’ll be lucky to have a bathroom break.

I’ve also agreed to work tomorrow even though I originally had the day off. Because I’m a masochist.

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Just saw #MurderForTwo and it was a hilarious delight, especially for anyone who is a fan of not just cozy murder mysteries, but live theatre and the fun that goes into stagecraft. Ahhh, #musicaltheatre aka #mytruelove.

Also had the pleasure of sitting next to the girlfriend of one of the performers (who’s visiting him for the holidays when the show goes dark for Christmas), who made for a fun conversationalist as we killed time by waiting for the show to start, and which added an extra special element to my evening of music and laughter.