Christmas Bells

Despite going to bed last evening around 10:45 p.m. with my cellphone alarm set for 3:30 a.m. to get me up for a wee a.m. outing to work my damaged right leg and maybe get some exercise at the elementary school playground ca. ¼ mile away, I no sooner settled into bed than I suddenly dismissed the notion of getting up so early and I cancelled the alarm.

I think that it was a little after 5 a.m. when I rose to use the toilet for the second time since getting to bed, and it was beginning to get light outside. Notwithstanding, I still felt needful of sleep, so I returned to bed for another hour.

When I then rose, I dressed and went outside to water the front yard garden plants for my wife, but the soil still appeared damp enough; and the sky was quite cloudy.

I was feeling far too stiffened and overworked physically to yet be able to handle any token exercising out in the backyard tool shed, so I chose to boil water for a mug of strong instant coffee with the works. I figured that if I did not burn out instead, the coffee ought to provide sufficient prowess to deal with the shed's effort.

Then well ahead of 7 a.m. and before I was likely half done my mug of coffee, my younger brother emerged from his bedroom, apparently unable to sleep further.

And so went my hopeful plan for an early shed session.

Normally I do not join him for T.V. until a little past 9 a.m., but with such an early start on both of our mornings, I joined him towards 8:30 a.m. At that point he had gotten his fill of morning news shows and immediately invited me to take over with our Android TV Box.

My first choice was a 1½-hour (2:28:50) video published yesterday to Rumble's Action4Canada channel: The State of Canada with Tanya Gaw and David Lindsay, May 21, 2025.

Are you concerned about Alberta Separating or Canada’s Sovereignty? Have you considered the pros and cons?
On this Empower Hour, David Lindsay, co-founder of Common Law Education and Rights (CLEAR), tackles the pressing questions surrounding Canadian sovereignty, Alberta’s autonomy, and constitutional authority.

David addresses issues such as:
• What it would take for Alberta to become sovereign
• The role of the Canadian Constitution in provincial governance
• The implications of Canada’s ties to the Crown
• Why a biblical foundation is essential for any move toward sovereignty

Website:
https://clearbc.org/

I suspected that initially my brother was in no mood for Tanya Gaw, but David Lindsay's presentation proved intriguing.

Figuring we had a lot of morning remaining, I next tuned in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ─ episode five ("The Other Thing") of season six. Darn, that's an exciting series!

With the episode's conclusion at approximately 10:45 a.m., my brother surprised me by announcing that his morning was done and he was returning to his bedroom for further rest. He would later drive off to replenish his beer supply; and then 'pon returning home, head off afoot to drink beer and play pool at Donegal's Pub, I expect.

His early return to his bedroom for rest was not disappointing, for it was something of a blessing in disguise. I was feeling fairly energized and capable enough of that token session of exercise out in the backyard tool shed.

And so I was to repeat my performances of each of what may now be the past five days of token exercising out there: a single repetition in each of two sets of pull-ups, two sets of chin-ups, and two sets of pull-ups between a pair of bars. The sole difference this time was that at the finish of that very last pull-up, I managed a dead hang for a 60-count. As usual, these were all done from the child's playground slide ladder that I have stretched across some roof rafters:

And then I put in 25 ─ primarily assisted ─ full flat-footed squats. I managed the final three without any assistance. As always, performed between a pair of apparatus very much like here:

My damaged right knee's lower quadriceps architecture is still so crippled that the very first squat is slow and nearly excruciating to gain a complete descent, so being able to finish the final three squats without using that apparatus seems remarkable by comparison.

I still cannot walk down stairs by alternating my feet on the steps, although for a few weeks now I can ascend stairs with alternating steps, but I have to practically heave myself upwards like some serious gimp.

Will I ever find normal locomotion and knee movement again?

It is presently 5:20 p.m. ─ I am going to break now and work my leg in my wife's vacant bedroom, as well as practice a few isometric 'movements' or poses.

🟥🟥🟥

Dispensing with some routine of late, I opted to watching some entertainment here on my bedside computer ... well, possibly around 6:30 p.m. Why bother waiting for my idiot brother who no longer displays interest in any evening T.V. with me?

I was not much in the mood, but I chose a Christmas movie regardless because I had the time for a movie. I chose 2018's Christmas Bells Are Ringing.

I am very familiar with lead actress Emilie Ullerup, having watched every episode of Chesapeake Shores. And she's attractive!

Lead actor Josh Kelly seemed a little familiar, but I cannot exactly identify why in looking at his credits at Wikipedia. Same goes for attractive supporting actress Rebecca Staab, looking pretty darned good as the main character's father's fiancée.

I was enjoying the movie, but never overcome at all until the wedding ceremony of Emilie Ellerup's character's father and the character played by Rebecca Staab. When the phenomenal hit "Christmas Canon" played, I completely dissolved into a weeping wretch.

For me, it is seldom because of the beauty of the moment, but more often because of profound loss and regret. It feels as if God has forsaken me all of my life, and deliberately denied me having happiness or even the love I always wanted with the only woman I was ever to marry.

It reinforces so very painfully my lament and plea to God that if I am to die unfulfilled as I understand the concept, then I want to be destroyed eternally while I sleep in death ─ there is no need to resurrect me for judgment. I am guilty and have no desire to have a seemingly malevolent Creator terrifying me hereafter just to pronounce my destruction when I do not require this assessment ─ I am a loser, so let's just end me forever at my death.

And I only had two cans of Cariboo Malt (7.9% alcohol)!

My movie source was this YoMovies link.

It was not even dusk yet when the movie was done. Even so, between working further on this post, supping, brushing my teeth, making a Facebook post ... before I knew it, the time was 9:45 p.m.

And still my brother was not home.

Fast forward to well past 10 p.m., and I have no idea what is happening here at home as I remain behind my closed bedroom door. I know my wife has returned. Also, Bev has the T.V. in her bedroom and the living room running. But I cannot tell if my brother is home yet.

Like I say, I don't know what the heck is going on, so I am going to call it an evening and go to bed. At present, it is 10:28 p.m.