Thursday, 6 January 2022

Positive Presents For Negative Christmases*


(*I didn't have that negative a Christmas... but given everything that's going on again, we can hardly call it a positive one, can we?)


Alyson shared some of her family's Christmas presents in a recent post, tempting me to do the same. This may be of zero interest, but I was fascinated by her presents, and I'm sharing the ones that I'll particularly want to recall when I'm reading this post back in 20 years time. (Elderly Rol is always my target audience.)

Above is the bag that Louise got me to replace the one that died on the day before I left my old job at The Bad Place. Twin Peaks fans might recognise the badges I stuck to it... the tiny red and blue one reads "Save Ferris". 


Louise also tends to buy me a Shining-related gift every year or so. Previous gifts include an Overlook Hotel doormat and a framed poster of a typewriter typing "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". This year, it was Lego Jack Torrance, who is currently guarding my Elvis Costello CDs.


Finally, another Stephen King-related gift. Not the novel, which is by Garth Risk Hallberg, a present I specifically requested as it's set in 1970s New York City, a time and place I find endlessly fascinating. (That said, I didn't know it was that thick! At my current reading pace, I won't have finished it by next Christmas.) No, I'm referring to the bookmark, which you might have to click on to make bigger... it's a library card from Derry Public Library, dated November 1963. Fans of It will get the reference... I'm sure Martin will dig that gift.

Here's the best song about giving gifts that I can think of today...



10 comments:

  1. Excellent stuff Rol but your EC albums not filed in order of release??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They used to be chronological, but then I moved house too many times... I only just managed to get the artists alphabetical again! Give me time...

      Delete
  2. Save Ferris badge... want.
    Overlook Hotel doormat... want.
    All Work print... want.
    Lego Jack... want.
    Derry Library card... want.

    Can I just have all your stuff please, Rol?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can't afford the price I'd charge.

      Delete
  3. I got a few books as presents too - the latest Val McDermid, which I've already finished and the latest Jo Nesbo and Lawrence Block books, but my favourite prezzie (from my niece) was a Kylie Minogue wall calendar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just finished Grifter's Game by Lawrence Block.

      Can't go wrong with a Kylie calendar.

      Delete
  4. Glad my family's presents inspired you to share yours - Very cool gifts indeed although I did have to do a bit of sleuthing to work out the significance of the bookmark. Get it now and will have to get a copy of that book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just realised that the library number at the top of the card is It's publication date, which is quite a nice touch.

      Delete
  5. Like CC, I too noticed the out of sequence EC CDs for some reason. I've no idea why though - my own CD collection is all over the place!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Have you been to Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition? A must for
    fans of The Shining. Don't know if it's still in London though, moves round the world. You can probably catch it on YouTube.

    ReplyDelete

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