I'm ready to write Mattel and tell them I'll gladly pay an extra $5 per toy, to cover their losses, if they'll stop securing each toy like it's a national treasure.

YES. Apparently you can blame Toys R Us, who pioneered toys in great big stacks on shelves, so the toys have to be displayed to best advantage, hence wire. Wire wire wire.

Happy Christmas, all. I am baking Krusteaz blueberry muffins.

Karl!

belated tacklehug

Long time no see, love! (You say the nicest things.)

What a nice Christmas day. Well, I mean, it was the least Christmassy Christmas Day I've ever experienced, but nice food was had, and my parents liked their presents, and my Nana liked her present, and my wee sister spoke to us over the interpipe using the miracle of Skype, and I got some nice things. In particular, weesisterJay sent me a Nightmare Before Christmas bag from Taipei, and some Hello Kitty candy. Because she rocks. Bless her.

The Vincent Price ep is in season one, but it's missing a song. There are a handful of things missing from the first season since apparently it was expensive to get the rights.

Yep, here's what's missing from Season 1:

* "Stormy Weather" (Joel Grey Episode)
Sung by Wayne and Wanda
* "Gone With The Wind" (Jim Nabors Episode)
Sung by Jim Nabors
* "The Danceros" (Jim Nabors Episode)
Sung by The Danceros; also cut backstage and intro
* "All Of Me" (Paul Williams Episode)
Sung by Two Monsters; also cut intro
* "Old Fashioned Way" (Charles Aznavour)
Sung by Charles Aznavour with Mildred; also cut intro
* "You’ve Got A Friend" (Vincent Price Episode)
Sung by Vincent Price, Uncle Deadly and a chorus of Muppet Monsters

Disney also put the original promotion on that was used to sell the show to the networks. At the end there was a moment where Kermit said "What the hell was that". Disney cut that comment since they wanted the discs to be more family friendly.

The Muppets! Ahhh...total love. The DVD's sound like a must have, even with the missing content.

I got Wicked - the book!!!!! And Serenity. I'm quite the happy camper. The rest of the family is in post-unwrapping-rapture. DH is the only one who seems less than thrilled with his haul, though I'd gladly take his loot.

Fay is such a babe.

We have yet to open presents, we're waiting for the rest of the family to get here. Then, we will start gorging on cookies and crackers and finger food galore until the roast is done.

I'm just so happy to have my family around me. I spent so many years overseas with just friends, that while I always had a good time, there was always something a little missing. Family. Even when it means stupid presents you can't use and arguments over politics, it's still the only way Christmas feels like Christmas.

Presents have been opened. JZ got Emmett the Puppybowl on DVD which caused much squeeage, and is now playing while we eat our way through cheesy eggs and bacon and raspberries and mimosas. EM and Emmett are assembling Playmobil. JZ is contentedly flipping through her Taschen book on the history of fashion.

I scored an iPod! Last member of my family.

Emmett got a Mega-Gir and has been hugging his Calvin & Hobbes box set.

I'm getting JZ a sewing machine but decided to just go shopping with her to select one since I didn't want to buy it without her input. So I felt my presents for her were a little inadequate until I walked into Things From Another World on Friday and they had the just released Battled Damaged Angel Puppet from Smiletime. The clerk was pimping it to me, and I said, the main question is whether the nose comes off. He bent and looked and twisted and announced, "I see velcro! It comes off." JZ laughed and laughed and laughed like a drain when she opened it.

Emmett got so much stuff it's ridiculous. Insane amounts of presents. And he's still got presents to come from his godparents and JZ's family.

He's not complaining.

I'm drinking an Odwalla mimosa with Chandon champagne. Pretty spiff.

The Puppybowl=too cute.Loved it. I've never actually done the mimosa thing. Rocky says Hi. Actually just meow, but hey...

Not a single present has been opened here. Other peopel's families are so weird!