Dino Drac’s Countdown to Xmas!
Welcome to Dino Drac’s Countdown to Christmas! This feature will be updated daily (or close to daily) through December 25th, with some kind of holiday-related thingamajig. You never know what might turn up!
This one’s really for the old schoolers who prefer blogs to algorithmic timelines full of ads for dicey hair products. I won’t be plugging it often off-site. If this is up your alley, remember to check back often! (And visit After Dark and the Xmas Jukebox, too!)
12/14: Empire Snowman Blow Mold! (1960s)
Is this my first-ever Christmas blow mold? It might be! As mentioned previously in this feature, my family didn’t do the blow mold thing when I was a kid, and I can’t recall picking up any on my own as an adult. So yes, this is a historic moment, and I look forward to selling the movie rights for fabulous cash.
This 13” rosy-cheeked snowman was made by Empire in the 1960s. I’m stubbornly refusing to believe that it was a reissue from the ‘70s or later, even if that’s just as likely. Whatever the case, he’s definitely vintage, he’s definitely adorable, and he’s definitely improved my life in dramatic ways.
PS, here’s a hot tip for any would-be blow mold collectors. One reservation I’d long had is that the original cords are ancient fire hazards, but those cords can be affordably replaced with modern ones. Just look for C7 accessory cords, and while you’re at it, grab a pack of C7 LED bulbs, which emanate almost zero heat.
12/14: The Season Moves Too Fast!
Counting the cotton balls on my 7UP poster tells me that today is December 14th, which is RIDICULOUS. I’m used to the holiday season’s breakneck pace, but the fact that Thanksgiving was already more than two weeks ago is straight-up black magic.
I’m trying to remind myself that while Christmas Eve is in just ten days, the holiday vibes usually last through New Year’s. Really, that’s all I’m concerned with. I can live without an extra adventure, and I can almost stomach the idea that fresh cranberries will soon be out of season, but I’m definitely not ready to disassemble my junky tree, nor to fall asleep without obnoxiously Christmassy background videos looping on YouTube.
Still, there are a few little things I wanna do before Santa’s arrival. I haven’t watched many holiday movies this season, so that’s on the docket. I would like to go to a mall, any mall, because I’m the big lame-o who still appreciates “mall culture” at Christmastime. I’d also like to work in some nighttime drives around the neighborhood to see everyone’s lights, with one hand on the wheel and the other wrapped around a Dunkin holiday cup.
That’s a pretty easy checklist. It’s good to have low standards, sometimes.
12/12: Betty Crocker’s Eggnog Pie! (1965)
A classic recipe from Betty Crocker in the ‘60s, Fruit Cocktail Eggnog Pie was exactly what it sounds like – a pie made with whipped eggnog, topped with a ring of canned fruit cocktail.
I’ve seen similar magazine ads containing this recipe floating around social media, and the reactions are always mixed. I’m not even a pie guy, but I dunno, I think this looks pretty great? It has all the visual charm you’d want from a retro recipe, but there’s nothing off-putting about it, either.
Will I make it for the family Christmas party? I mean, I want to, but historically, what I want to bring to the Christmas party (crockpots of marinating cocktail franks, celery-stuffed Jell-O molds) and what I actually bring to the party (ten dollars’ worth of cookies bought five minutes before arriving) are very different things. But it’s a nice thought. Read More…