Christmas and New Years

I certainly enjoyed my Christmas and New Years in Ontario.

Christmas - Christmas day in London with the nuclear family, then we transplanted mid-day to Toronto for fun with The Extendeds – including an annual family talent show! I started practicing I Would Do Anything For Love on the piano on Day 1 of the sabbatical and achieved my sabbatical-dream of performing it for an audience. The only part of the song I like is at 5:50 when Mrs. Loud rocks out the rest of the song is really long and boring. Lesson Learned: One should confirm that a piano has been tuned in the last 10 years before performing a 12 minute love ballad on it. Painful.

New Years – I went up to Sault Ste Marie to see The Other Extendeds. I had a particularly good visit with my grandparents and particularly good fun with my cousins, aunts, and parents at Search Mount - Southern Ontario’s largest ski resort. The fun included a covert night-op wherein Cousin George and I borrowed some large crash pads from the ski lift, hauled them up the ski hill, and then tobogganed down on them. For one run, we fit four people and two dogs on the mats. Ah, memories.

The next day I joined Cousin George for a New Years party in the Sault. I was expecting to meet some of his friends as the reunited after their first semesters of University. In reality, I was taken to a house rammed full with hundreds of inebriated high school students. A lot has changed in my life since I partook in such high-school spendor, so this was not a typical evening for me (contrasted against my regular crowd of climbers and programmers). Surprisingly, I found myself nestalgic, longing for a time when my social circles were comparably massive, tight-knit, and excitable. George was certainly loved by many.

It was great to re-connect with family and to see so many positive changes - whether it be in people's personalities or in the events of people's lives.