Merry Christmas Eve to all the good kids out there. To the bad kids: Coal.

Another uneventful day spent on the couch…fighting over control of the clicker and blankets. Pathetic, eh? Yeah, sure…but, it is pleasantly wonderful to do absolutely nothing with my brain or digits. The highlight of the day was going to the grocery store to stock up on provisions for the next couple days.

Played the guitar for about 20 minutes of the same ol’ licks and riffs. I plug in, tune up and go through about 30 favorites. No, not songs…just riffs and stuff. “Factory Belt” by Uncle Tupelo, tune down a step for songs 1-6 on Son Volt’s “Straightways” album, calm it down with a couple Johnny Cash pickin’s and round it up with failed attempts at a couple favored J Mascis solos. No dice. Just chords. I need some pedals so I can get some fuzzy sounds. His fingers go too fast. My pinky gets all fucked up in those hi-number frets.

Melissa is miserable too. Cabin fever is the disease of choice on the Factory Floor. We just aren’t inclined to do anything it seems. Those freeways offer no solace. The funds are nil, the spirits sore and we miss our parents. Oh well, bah hum bug.

Pat “the eYe” Bridges and Viper Photo’s own Evan Rose are invited to the first annual Draplindustries Factory Floor Christmas Supper tomorrow. Our favorite grocery store is open ‘til 1pm or something so we’re gonna concoct a feast, shop for the rations, clean the house, cook it all up and serve our buddies for the night. That’s about as family as it’ll get down here for us. No snow either…and man, I’ve been prayin’ for it too.

Off to bed. I think of 20 years back…scamperin’ up the steps with high hopes. The night’s duties were completed. The meal was covered: We left a Cornbeef sandwich, some cookies and a cold beer out for Santa in case he was hungry when he stopped in. I remember lookin’ out the window at the top of the stairs, my nose pressed on the cold condensation on the window, looking up and wondering where “he” was. Even at a young age I was dumbfounded by the logistics Santa was faced with. It had to take him a good 15 minutes or so to drop our presents off and chow down…and man, that was an hour considering stops to Ronnie’s, Brent’s and Andy Montgomery’s house next store. How could he handle the whole world? It was boggling. I remember trying to stay up…not able to sleep due to savory anticipation and burning curiosity. I wanted to see him in action. It was so magical. I believed in all of it.

We’d wake up to a mountain of presents. It was absolutely mindblowing. There would be a note of thanks next to cookie crumbs and an empty glass. Full stockings lined the shelves. Then Mom made us round up for a quick photo…talk about some big smiles! Then we tear into everything…full scale assault! And this was at like 7am or something. I cherish those mornings. Thanks to you know who…

Good night from the Factory Floor.