A truly splendid sight.

This post of 100 Photos of the Day from 2012 is well worth your time. Below, a few of my favorites.

I know what I'm watching while I wrap Christmas presents tonight.

*If the pictures don't immediately move, just put your mouse pointer over them.

I smell like a Benihana salad.

So, the great Thanksgiving Plague of 2012 which took down my family like a line of dominoes has me terrified of a repeat over Christmas, and I am taking steps. I have implemented Aunt Kathy's regimen of vitamins C and D and zinc, I'm carrying anti-bacterial wipes in my purse, and I'm bathing in peroxide and ground ginger.

"What was that?," you ask.

I happened upon this recipe for a detoxifying bath and I gave it a try because I'm giving anything a try right now. Basically, you run a hot bath, dump in 3 pints of hydrogen peroxide and 2 ounces of ground ginger, and soak in it for 30 minutes.

It did make me sweat, but not like a faucet as the above author said. It also made my skin feel really warm. In fact, at first I thought the ginger was doing something to make the bathwater retain its heat, but then it felt like the water was getting warmer and warmer and I realized it was my skin. I actually had to get out before the full 30 minutes because the heat was intense.

Also, the ginger will make it look like you're in a mud bath and make you smell like a Japanese restaurant. Two ounces of ginger is quite a bit. My bathroom looks like a mud wrestler came to visit.

I don't know if it detoxed me but I'm going to choose to believe it did. All part of my plan to trick myself into staying healthy.

Marathons and cheat sheets

Well, This past weekend I attended a 14-hour Lord of the Rings movie marathon. They showed all three films in the extended editions and it was marvelous. A couple of things I had forgotten:

How completely awesome Legolas is. I mean, come on. The markmanship. Surfing down the staircase at Helm's Deep. Mounting the moving horse during the warg attack. No wonder he's Julia's favorite character. Even if she thinks he's a girl.

How heartbreaking Boromir's death is, with Merry and Pippin seeing him take arrow after arrow to save them. And then this: "I would have followed you my brother, my captain, my king." I was a mess and I don't mind telling you that.

What magnificent piece of casting Viggo Mortensen was. I cannot imagine anyone else in that role. When he fights off the Nazgul at Amon Sul, it is breathtaking. He fully embodies the heroic ranger, the self-doubting man, and finally, the king. It's a terrible shame he didn't get an Oscar nomination. That speech at the Black Gate would have been the perfect Oscar reel.

"A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day!" What a great moment.

Finally, is everyone ready for The Hobbit? If, like me, you're concerned about confusing Bifur for Dwalin, here's a handy cheat sheet. (Click to enlarge.)

To Russia! Let's go!

Who's with me?

You know, you're going to have to eat some of that stuff.

In the checkout line at the Target (after being turned away from my movie theater viewing of The Walking Dead because all the seats filled up 40 minutes before showtime I mean come ON people!)

Checkout Guy: Did you ever eat anything made in an EZ Bake oven?

Me: When I was a kid.

CG: Well, if you eat some of this, let me know how it is.

Me: It’s cake cooked with an electric light bulb. How good could it be?

CG: Are you buying this for your daughter?

Me: My niece.

CG: You know, you’re going to have to eat some of that stuff.

Me: Yeah, I know.

Beautiful Destruction