I'm not the only one living in the future....

I am both croggled and delighted to see the CNN report that Buckingham Palace is going to post Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas message on YouTube. On the Queen's royal YouTube channel, no less! Complete with archived footage of her first Christmas message 50 years ago.

My YouTube search foo is weak -- I don't think I even knew about YouTube channels before 10 minutes ago. I've searched for individual videos by topics, but I've just now stumbled across YouChoose08. My searches for the Queen's channel aren't turning anything yet, but you can bet I'll keep looking. I wonder if they'll be adding a "Heads of State" channel category anytime soon. It would amuse me to see it in the alphabetical list right there between "Gurus" and "Musicians."

I love living in the future!

Sunday Night, a week later: Snow Report

It's raining. Snow is melting.

It's been raining on and off for a couple of hours. There's enough wind action and odd sounds that it keeps catching my attention. That's enough melting action that my driveway is snow-free for as far as I can see (I admit that isn't far, but if the snow's all gone down on the pavement and blacktop down here, it probably is all the way to the top, too.)

It's nearly 10pm and the outside temperature here at Toad Woods is 48 degrees Fahrenheit. The forecast is for daytime temps above freezing every single day from now until New Year's Eve.

I love Massachusetts.

I doubt the rest of the snow will melt fast enough to give us a green Christmas, but we may well get a green New Year's Day. I saw it happen four years ago, when the 40 inches of snow that fell Smofcon weekend had all melted by the time I sold Toad Hall, flew east the next day, and celebrated New Year's at debgeisler's and benveniste's. I'm doing the same this year as far as the New Year's celebration goes. I hope I'm less tired and fried than I was then. Shouldn't be overly difficult -- I don't have to sell a house, pack and move 20 years worth of belongings, or fly to get to Boston.

At least, not according to the current plans. I'm knocking wood that the coming week doesn't bring anything that changes any of that.

Happy Holidays to all who celebrate them!