It’s now early afternoon on Christmas Day, and I am trying to come up with something poignant to say about it being the day that it is. Before this, I was relaxing on my couch under a big afghan with a smoky dark roast, contained in a most excellent MNO mug. I am almost done the Stross novel I’ve been picking at for the last few weeks, and am gazing with eager anticipation at the small mound of Kay novels on the corner of my coffee table. Because, you gotta have goals, right? I will be returning to my couch in a few minutes.

Things are quiet. I walked into town earlier, and everything is, obviously, closed up. Ray Henry was working in his new restaurant, trying to get it up and running as soon as possible. Dedication. For obvious reasons, a dedicated gourmet burger place doesn’t thrill me, but I do admire his drive and focus, even on a morning such as this.

I’ll recommend two tracks this afternoon. The first is a fairly traditional one that I like this time of year, Arcangelo Corelli’s Concerto Grosso (Christmas Concerto), which is really quite fabulous. The other, heh, is something that most people who know me would know that I’d like. Ronnie James Dio, formerly of Black Sabbath and his own band, Dio, does a great cover of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. The staccato guitar riff when he sings “tidings of comfort of joy, com-fort-and-joy” is most excellent. Enjoy.