Xmas swag

[ejp626]

We had a fairly restrained Christmas, which was fine. I was kind of hoping to get the Akiyoshi/Tebackin Select, but I got the Chicagoan book instead, which was just as cool. I got my wife the new Batman movies, which she actually requested (it wasn't one of those where you give the gift you want). The kids are already fighting over their toys, since they both want to play with the same thing, regardless of how many other toys they have. Ah youth.

So I'll probably order the Select for myself in the near future and the Complete New Yorker on DVD.

[jazzbo]

A sweater! A shirt! A check for 250! A "Harley Davidson Encyclopedia" book! A "Marvel Vault" book (which I got from my youngest brother, and got from my sister last year, but I didn't let on and neither did she!)!

Lots of good holiday wishes!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

A much needed pair of slippers, as I wrecked my old ones a while ago and my toe was sticking out.

Lots of goodies to make me fatttttt!

A nice non-kosher wall calendar with pics of pigs! (I'll join them after I've finished all the goodies )

MG

[BERIGAN]

I got a Philips MP3(and video) Player...I must have been the only person in the gym still lugging a cd player around. Got a 10 cd set of Benny Goodman for me, and a 10 cd set of Artie Shaw for my Dad. Since they were only $15.99 originally, then 7.88, then half off that at an FYE closing, It didn't break the bank!!! Got a Teddy Powell HEP cd for $2.00 used, A Don Redman in 1957 Drive cd for around the same price, a rip off Count Basie Complete Columbia 1939-42 4 cd set(Hey, I only got it cuz it was used, and about $9)And a few cds that did not arrive in time for Christmas.

Got my Dad some gifts I will enjoy, or have to watch with him eventually. The final set of the Fox Charlie Chan films, The Alec Guinness Box set from Anchor Bay(I think it was $90 originally, got it from Deepdiscount for under $17 !!! )The Complete Fred and Ginger Box set for around $42- Paid that for just part one several years back. Bogie and Bacall set for about $20. A Fish Called Wanda for $5.50 at target, and it's a 2 disc set! If you have a biglots around, check out the dvd dump, I found Dames, Gold Diggers of 1935, and The Band Wagon for $3 bucks each!

Yes, I admit it, I'm cheap! But, damn there were deals out there this year if you looked around!

[BERIGAN]

And MG, I really like that Sig you got now!

[RDK]

My wife and I agreed to no gifts for each other this year, and my extended family had planned on a "white elephant" year - except for the kids - since we all have too much crap already and not enough money. But even given that I came down with a wicked bug yesterday and missed the annual trip to my sister's house this morning, preferring instead to rest, feverishly, in bed all day - so no X-mas for me this year!

[Jim Alfredson]

SOCKS!

And a house full of family, gathering around a great meal (roast leg of lamb with apple/cranberry chutney (the new tradition!), goat-cheese gratin cauliflower, a pretty sweet green bean / mushroom dish from my mother-in-law, mashed potatoes, a carrot / raisin dish that my dad used to make and my step-mother brought this year, brussels sprouts with bacon, and all the sweets you can eat!)

Zora and Stella made out like bandits due to all their aunts and uncles, which is good since we didn't have a lot of money to buy them much this year. Zora was up at 3:30am playing with the gifts that Santa brought, though. Finally got her back in bed around 6am. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, but the lamb came out perfect today, and this old house likes entertaining family.

I miss my dad.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

[Aggie87]

I didn't get my kids until 8:30 pm today, so they unwrapped their gifts late. Going to visit family tomorrow.

Just being around my kids is my swag.

Edited December 26, 2008 by Aggie87

[ValerieB]

5 long-time friends/family members gave me an SD790 IS Digital Elph!! blew me away. will be great for my Jan. jazz cruise! also, for those of you who have heard of Costco, a friend gave me a membership. of course that will end up costing me a lot of $$$! got a gorgeous cashmere scarf from a co-worker. i might add, probably worth a lot more than what i bought her!! yikes, t'was a little embarrassing!!

[sidewinder]

And a house full of family, gathering around a great meal (roast leg of lamb with apple/cranberry chutney (the new tradition!), goat-cheese gratin cauliflower, a pretty sweet green bean / mushroom dish from my mother-in-law, mashed potatoes, a carrot / raisin dish that my dad used to make and my step-mother brought this year, brussels sprouts with bacon, and all the sweets you can eat!)

Fantastic spread ! It's occasions like that that Xmas is all about.

I'm suffering from post-sprout syndrome this morning too..

[sidewinder]

Lots of gifts of booze and food (including a really nice after-dinner selection hamper with coffee beans, port, italian biscuit delicacies etc). Other than that - a good jazz book selection including the Nica book (fabulous) and the latest (last?) edition of the Penguin Guide. Also a copy of Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia.

As for music - I treated myself to the Grachan Moncur Mosaic Select from True Blue and a few of the Cannonball Capitols that are about to go OOP.

[sidewinder]

I didn't get my kids until 8:30 pm today, so they unwrapped their gifts late. Going to visit family tomorrow.

Just being around my kids is my swag.

Way to go !

[Royal Oak]

I didn't get my kids until 8:30 pm today, so they unwrapped their gifts late. Going to visit family tomorrow.

Just being around my kids is my swag.

Way to go !

Yes. My eldest is now 5, and pretty much every Christmas day has descended into a "not enough sleep-too much stuff to play with-want more chocolate" tantrum-fest. This year, it didn't happen and he was bloody lovely, which was VERY nice.

[CJ Shearn]

a couple MMA DVD's: PRIDE Bushido 12 DVD , EliteXC Smith vs. Lawler II DVD, Chick Corea Rendezvous in NY DVD set Bobby Hutcherson: Components, Horace Silver: The Stylings of Silver and Six Pieces of Silver. And a new comforter set. I also pulled the trigger on a LOT of Jackie Mac, Vertigo, Right Now!, Jacknife, Old and New Gospel, Let Freedom Ring, Destination Out!.

[king ubu]

The Steve Kuhn ECM 3CD box (lovely!), the new cheap (25th anniversary) edition of William Claxton's "Jazz Life" (which was my wish from my parents), another couple of books, some chocolate, a sweater, two bottles of wine (to be shared with my girlfriend) and some vouchers for the local arthouse cinemas (again to be shared). Too much, as usual... the Claxton book is awesome, only just flipped around in it a bit, wow!

[AndrewHill]

A bunch of RVG's and Conns, a new dress shirt, belt and a good pair of black socks

[patricia]

I manned the stove on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, with my daughter and son-in-law sharing both with my husband and me. Went well, although cooking more than a couple of things at the same time almost paralyzes me. But, everything was ready on timel and everybody enjoyed themselves.

Chrismas morning we all opened out gifts and with a snag or two, that went well too. Everybody seemed pleased. The one sour note was a set of knives that my daughter had hinted for that I gave her. The contents had been switched by somebody in the store and she ended up with some cheap serratedblade knives instead of the 16 piece two-man Henkel's that I thought I had given her. INFURIATING. My son-in-law is now faced with the task of attempting to exchange them with no receipt. Grrr!!

On a brighter note, I received a new camera, a Canon EOS Rebel XS 1000D, my first digital. I have been using a Canon AE1 for thirty years and am very apprehensive.

I also received a new turntable that converts vinyl to CDs, though I haven't set it up yet. I'll have to move my current one out of my office and figure out the new one.

Then the usual bath stuff, PJs, chocolate..........................you know.

My daughter and son-in-law did Christmas dinner, their first since they got married this past August. All of us ate WAY too much, as is usual this time of year.

Doubling the time on the treadmill as penance.

Edited December 27, 2008 by patricia

[king ubu]

What I gave for gifts:

Bill Wyman's great diary of his years with the Stones, a huge collection of drawings by Robert Gernhardt, a small one by Blaise Cendrars to my girlfriend... (and some more)

Peter Beard - The End of the Game + Herbie Hancock "Empyrean Isles" (to my dad)

Nina Simone - The Philips box + the latest book by Christian Kracht (to my mother)

Stan Getz - Getz Au Go Go (to my girlfriend's mother)

Ry Cooder - I, Flathead (to my girlfriend's sister's ex)

Hartley's The Go-Between (new German translation, to my girlfriend's sister)

Kronos Quartet - the african disc + the first volume of the complete Mumins comic strips (the the sister and her ex' son)

just so I don't seem too greedy

[paul secor]

My wife and I haven't exchanged gifts yet -probably later today - but a couple of friends joined us for Christmas dinner yesterday, and that was a great Christmas for us.

[carnivore]

THe new Benny Goodman Mosaic box.

[BeBop]

I was the only one giving me gifts this year. And I gave myself the best one of all: time. I took off work at 2:00PM. Spent the afternoon with the year-end Economist (newspaper). And dropped in at the Organissimo board.

[Dave James]

Ubu,

Was the Wyman bio you referred to, Stone Alone?

Thanks.

Up over and out.

[sheldonm]

....received some new Adobe editing/workflow software which I can't wait to dig into...a little cash, socks, a sweater and a few other odds/ends. Spent a lot of time with the family and a few friends.....nice.

Happy New Year to all!

Mark~

Edited December 26, 2008 by sheldonm

[CJ Shearn]

I also received rather than the RVG, I guess Amazon didn't list it right, that weird Spanish blue cover version of "Further Explorations Of the Horace Silver Quintet" that is really the TOCJ. Really interesting odd BN in my collection.

[blind-blake]

SOCKS!

And a house full of family, gathering around a great meal (roast leg of lamb with apple/cranberry chutney (the new tradition!), goat-cheese gratin cauliflower, a pretty sweet green bean / mushroom dish from my mother-in-law, mashed potatoes, a carrot / raisin dish that my dad used to make and my step-mother brought this year, brussels sprouts with bacon, and all the sweets you can eat!)

Zora and Stella made out like bandits due to all their aunts and uncles, which is good since we didn't have a lot of money to buy them much this year. Zora was up at 3:30am playing with the gifts that Santa brought, though. Finally got her back in bed around 6am. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, but the lamb came out perfect today, and this old house likes entertaining family.

I miss my dad.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Socks! Gee, thanks Hanukah Harry! (Remember the Saturday Night Live routine. One of their best.)