The other day I finished all my Christmas shopping.

For the next two and a half weeks until Christmas I can see all the procrastinators rush through the mobs of shoppers frantically trying to finish their lists, and I can laugh heartily with a thunderous "HO HO HO!" as I wrap the gifts that have been sitting in the corner of my room for days and weeks now.

Then I will cut my thumb on the little sharp end of the roll of Scotch tape, because, you know, karma works that way.

Last night, we won the championship for our Sunday ball hockey league! WOOO!! We finished the season at 10-1-1, and got our first ball hockey championship since joining the league over two years ago. Of course, that's mainly because the really strong teams from the Wednesday league did not play the Sunday league as well.

Of course, this is the only league where I don't play as goalie, but it's good to diversify.

Go Spatulas!
We'll flip 'em! We'll fry 'em!
Our goalie will deny 'em!

I've always found it interesting to see what visitors think of Toronto when they tarry in Hogtown. Is it still clean? Is the homeless problem really as bad as we think it is? We don't really say "aboot", do we?

Here's one transplanted Maritimer's take on the T-dot. It's a very amusing take on the city, complete with nights of karaoke, escape from Teletubbies, and the mysteriously missing second "t" in "Toronto".

4 more days!!

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you

I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you

The boys of the NYPD choir
Stood singing Galweh Bay
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas Day

Join together beneath the mistletoe
By the holy oak whereon it grows
Seven druids dance in seven time
Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming

Ring out these bells
Ring out, ring solstice bells
Ring solstice bells

When the snowman brings the snow
Well he just might like to know
He's put a great big smile on somebody's face
If you jump into your bed
Quickly cover up your head
Don't you lock the doors
You know that sweet Santa Claus in on the way

Well I wish it could be Christmas every day
When the kids start singing and the band begins to play
Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day
So let the bells ring out for Christmas

Old Mr. Kringle, is soon gonna jingle
The bells that'll tingle all your troubles away
Everybody's waitin' for the man with the bag
Cause Christmas is comin' again

He's got a sleighful, it's not gonna stay-full
He's got stuff to drop at every stop of the way
Everybody's waitin' for the man with the bag
Cause Christmas is here again

Down the lonely manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent salvation
That blessed Christmas morn

Hallelujah!

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
Jesus Christ is born

Merry Christmas and God bless.

I just saw MuchMusic's annual Fromage awards, recognising the year's cheesiest music videos. This has always been a classic show, and has gotten exponentially better since they made Ed The Sock the host (and cut playtime of each nasty video into digestable snippets so you wouldn't have to experience the whole thing).

Since Ed's introduction to the show, he has taken full liberties in taking Britney Spears's lack of original musical talent head on. It began with wondrously wonderful quotes like "I am woman, hear me whore", and have blossomed from there. This year, Britney asserted her dominance as the Queen of Cheese with three entries in the Top 10, which prompted "You could say 'Ho ho ho!'". Mr Sock had a plethora of gems once again, responding to the lyric "They say I'm crazy" with "No they don't, they say you're a slut", and the observation "Britney makes two kinds of videos: the slutty and the weepy. Both require a hanky."

A new no-musical-talent too-young-to-look-like-that hottie has entered the scene, and Fromage has made plenty of room for young Lindsay Lohan. Ed made a full three-minute speech regarding real talent losing their record contracts while suddenly-endowed pre-nubiles with no musical training got shoved in the limelight. It was a beautiful thing. Add to that the scolding of numerous fat hip-hip performers with videos full of posturing and bling bling who supposedly are against the violence associated with posturing and acquisition of said bling.

We applauded. We called bravo. We begged please, sir, may we have some more? I just uncorked a new bottle of wine...