Bill W

Aloft not only refers to going up in a balloon or plane, but sailors also went aloft in the rigging on wooden sailing ships, usually to unfurl the sails or to scan the horizon for hazards or other ships.

Scandinavian source circa the 1200s from Old Norse 'a lopt', where lopt meant 'up in the air'.

I also watched Christmas at the Opry, which was a 2 hour show, and they started out with different performers singing various Christmas songs. However, I have to give them credit, because along the way I heard I also heard Mary, Did You Know, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, all sung by Wynonna Judd. And although some of the artists talked about their favorite Christmas memory, most of which involved gifts they received, one person talked about spending time with his family, They also wished the Audience Merry Christmas multiple times, and I believe at least one of them made a reference to the Christ Child as they were doing it, so this show wasn't totally secular, like the Manilow Christmas show. I apologize - I thought I was editing the previous post, but I ended up duplicating and expanding it at the same time.

I also watched Christmas at the Opry, which was a 2 hour show, and I have to give them credit. In addition to singing the usual Christmas songs, they also included Mary, Did You Know?, O Holy Night, and Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, all of which were sung by Wynonna Judd.

I'm not sure if any of you saw it, but I decided to watch Barry Manilow's A Very Merry Christmas special. When he first came out he said something like, 'It's the Christmas season and you know what that means. Get out the credit cards'. Oh yeah, we've got to advance the idea of commercializing Christmas. And then, besides singing some of Barry's hits, he also sang some holiday songs that mentioned Christmas, and he did wish the audience a Merry Christmas at one point, but none of the songs mentioned the 'reason for the season'. They closest the came is the band played a traditional Christmas song as Santa's sleigh moved across the stage, which if memory serves me correct was Joy to the World, however no lyrics were sung. And multiple times Barry wished the audience Happy Holidays, not Merry Christmas. So much for celebrating the underlying reason for why we even have Christmas.

After watching those videos, I know I won't be visiting Australia or certain parts of South America any time soon. I think you might expect to find spiders in outhouses or a porta-potty, since they're outdoors and not frequented as often as an indoor facility. Bathrooms are used for other things, such as baths, showers, brushing your teeth, etc., so you wouldn't expect to find a huge, poisonous spider on your toilet. The only scarier thing I can think of is the story about snakes, some of them poisonous, coming up through the plumbing and into the toilet, and their bite is bigger than that of a spider.

Besides giving me a shiver, it makes me wonder how difficult it would be to coordinate the movement of eight legs. I know switching from walking on two legs to walking on all four limbs would be difficult enough, but to coordinate the movement of eight appendages would seem mind blowing.

The term Maharishi was used in India and became popular in British literature during the 1800s, while India was a British colony. The famous author John Rudyard Kipling was born in British India and many of his stories and poems were set there.

The first known use of the word Maharishi was in the late 1700s, and the first written use was in 1785, in the writings of C. Wilkins.

Maharishi is derived from a Sanskrit word, maharsi, where 'maha' means great, and 'rsi'' means saint or seer.

Scrams first know use was in the 1920s, possibly a word that was used to clear out a speak-easy that was being raided. It's possibly a shortened version of the word scramble, because the people would be taking off like cockroaches when the light is turned on.

I'm glad to see that Brad and Charlie are hitting it off, and I'm also glad to see that they've decided to give up smoking. Being a former smoker who quit after 13 years, I hate when I see young people smoking cigarettes or vaping. They don't realize what they're doing to their lungs and may come to regret the habit when they grow older. I'm also wondering if Charlie will be able to leave Michael and eventually move in with Brad. It would only make sense if they decide to make a go of a relationship. I'm also pleased to see that Michael is working things out. He's applying for a part-time job, thinking about returning to college, and making some friends. I'm sure he'll start making even more friends once he performs in the Christmas show. I just hope nothing happens to the guitar and amp. And I'm glad to see that Harry is doing better, but I still worry that he isn't out of the woods next. It's also nice that he decided to talk to Brad about his son and got to learn more about his son's life after he was no longer living at home. And now an upcoming fair and fireworks. Sounds like fun. I don't know much about Sue and Adele yet, or if they might be a couple, but if not, is there a possibility for Michael with one of them?

@Anton_Cloche, thank you for adding the link for Dominick the Donkey for those who hadn't heard it before, long with the visual aid. I'm sure it will be a big help and explain a great deal. And thank you for the kind words of support about the story, as well as expanding upon some of the things I'd written about. I want to wish you a Merry Christmas in return.

Quixotic is often used to describe a person who is excessively idealistic, exceedingly unrealistic, and vastly impractical. This term might also be used to refer to a project or a task.

Don Quixote fancies himself as a knight, hence his chivalrous manner, and is accompanied on his journey by 'his squire', Sancho Panza. During his journey he encounters a woman, Aldonza, but Quixote is convinced she is Dulcinea, his lady love.

Quixotic - referring to Don Quixote romatic idealism and overly chivalrous manner in the novel from the early 1600s bearing the name Don Quixote and written by Midguel de Cervantes. .

Al, thanks for pointing that out. . It's a another good reminder that we should show love and kindness to people 365 days of the year and not just during the Christmas season. And Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones as well.

Thank you, drs, for summing it up so nicely. There's a Christmas song - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - that is a lovely tune, but it misses the entire point of Christmas. If we're going to celebrate, then we might as well know the reason we're celebrating.

Thanks Tony. I'm glad you attend a church that preaches love for all, and I should have know I could count on you for more words of wisdom. We shouldn't limit the feelings of love and job and the way we treat our fellow man to just a month and a half each year. Merry Christmas, my friend, and if we're lucky, there will be peace on earth.

Thank you, and I wish to return the appropriate greeting of Merry Christmas to you, on behalf of everyone here at GA. I hope they don't mind me taking the liberty of doing that in their absence.

Cane, thank you for taking the time to respond to my story. Yes, it's unfortunate that the legacy of a pious monk who did his best to tend to his flock and was later canonized was turned into a jolly old white haired and white bearded overweight elf that has been used to guilt people into spending huge amounts of money to buy enormous amounts of gifts at Christmas time. It's also a shame there are so many homeless and people that fall below the poverty level when humongous amounts are paid to CEOs, entertainers, and sports figures, many times more than college professors and teachers. If those salaries could be spread out to help those in need, this world would be a much better place. Maybe this should be our Christmas prayer and the New Year's Resolution for those that have the power to change things. But for now, I'll just wish you and everyone else a Merry Christmas and hope this insanity comes to an end.

I had a feeling mentioning that might cause people to hit Google or Youtube to investigate what I was talking about. 😈 😵

Yes, you're correct and too many people don't talk to strangers or even their neighbors. I'll admit that I'm guilty on that front, but every time I got to know some of my neighbors, they moved. I'm living in a very transient area and I'm probably the only one who has lived hear for any length of time - 14 years now. However, in this day and age where you might be shot for showing up at the wrong door, that might not be such a bad thing. Anyway, I'll do my talking to friends and strangers through my stories. And Merry Christmas to you too.

Thank you, Chris, and a Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones as well. And that goes for everyone else too, since I didn't always mention that in my response to otheres.

Thank you for stating that so concisely. It's what I was alluding to when I talked about the 'Golden Rule' in my response to weinerdog.