Across the Sky
Nov. 5th, 2012 04:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rain_gryphonSo, as they seem to do every few years, das Beeb has discovered once again that Americans will occasionally use British figures of speech. I note they miss a few that I picked up from Chris: "a bit of a girl's blouse", "numpty", and the ever-useful "a right pillock". He could be a bit salty when he got going :)
I think they make overmuch of some of these as well. I've heard 'autumn' and 'fall' used completely interchangeably my entire life, for example. I distinctly recall one day about the age of seven or so (1968, for those keeping score), pondering why only one season out of the four had two names.
*****
Chris' funeral was a year ago today. I've cried a bit off and on these past few days, but I feel reasonably okay. I made a donation in his name to Monterey Bay Aquarium, where I once spent a very happy day with him, and got a nice letter from his dad.
*****
Friday I went shopping for Christmas stuff at le Tarzhay. I ended up with a bunch of glitter-coated sputniks* in oddly subdued colours, and had my advice about ornaments and lights asked by two other shoppers, which was odd but entertaining. Apparently I actually look like someone who knows something about Christmas decorations.
*Spiky ornaments. They're pretty obviously supposed to represent the Star of Bethlehem, but 'sputniks' is the traditional name used by collectors and Xmas fans. The fact that 'sputniks' *is* the time-honoured name speaks volumes about the origins of Christmas-collecting as a hobby.
*****
You can get edison base LED Christmas bulbs now that will work in a regular 120v string. I'd not known. I don't like that you can't drive them under-voltage and make them look 'warm' like you can incandescents, but they do come in colours such as pink and purple, which, along with the edison base, goes some way toward balancing out their faults.
*****
I note that both le Tarzhay and Meijer's have begun selling plastic ornaments loose, in bins, as was the custom in the 50s and 60s. In previous years all of the loose ornaments have been displayed on hanger racks. These all look like retro ornaments too, so I have to assume the decision was a marketing one. I liek it - it takes me back :)
I think they make overmuch of some of these as well. I've heard 'autumn' and 'fall' used completely interchangeably my entire life, for example. I distinctly recall one day about the age of seven or so (1968, for those keeping score), pondering why only one season out of the four had two names.
*****
Chris' funeral was a year ago today. I've cried a bit off and on these past few days, but I feel reasonably okay. I made a donation in his name to Monterey Bay Aquarium, where I once spent a very happy day with him, and got a nice letter from his dad.
*****
Friday I went shopping for Christmas stuff at le Tarzhay. I ended up with a bunch of glitter-coated sputniks* in oddly subdued colours, and had my advice about ornaments and lights asked by two other shoppers, which was odd but entertaining. Apparently I actually look like someone who knows something about Christmas decorations.
*Spiky ornaments. They're pretty obviously supposed to represent the Star of Bethlehem, but 'sputniks' is the traditional name used by collectors and Xmas fans. The fact that 'sputniks' *is* the time-honoured name speaks volumes about the origins of Christmas-collecting as a hobby.
*****
You can get edison base LED Christmas bulbs now that will work in a regular 120v string. I'd not known. I don't like that you can't drive them under-voltage and make them look 'warm' like you can incandescents, but they do come in colours such as pink and purple, which, along with the edison base, goes some way toward balancing out their faults.
*****
I note that both le Tarzhay and Meijer's have begun selling plastic ornaments loose, in bins, as was the custom in the 50s and 60s. In previous years all of the loose ornaments have been displayed on hanger racks. These all look like retro ornaments too, so I have to assume the decision was a marketing one. I liek it - it takes me back :)
