Category Archives: boxing day

A group of Biff Bam Pop! friends have an annual tradition: they get together every Boxing Day, grab an early morning coffee at the Starbucks at Yonge and Wellesley in downtown Toronto and then head out on a post-Christmas shopping binge. On their lists: comics, books, CD’s, DVD’s and electronics. It’s an event they all love: friendship and explicit consumerism, all wrapped up into a half-day affair. The build up to this happy occasion can be just as exhilarating as the day itself. Here then, is a multi-part, behind-the-scenes-look into JP’s exuberance over 2009’s Boxing Day extravaganza. Enjoy!

Read Part 3

Saturday, December 26 – Boxing Day

I gave myself plenty of time. You know, like I always do.

My alarm went off at 7 but I was still running late for the annual 9 a.m. meeting with my Biff Bam Pop! Boxing Day pals at Starbucks. A few last-minute, tissue-wrapped gifts set me back. Flying down the Gardiner Expressway, excitement rising, I threw on some music. Elbow’s One Day Like This hit my airways, a live recording with the BBC Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios from earlier this year. Strings. Choir. Wonderful.

And perfect. One day like this a year would see me right!

Only fifteen minutes late wasn’t bad considering the time I actually left my place. I said my “good mornings” to the gang, threw my jacket over a chair and made my way straight to the ordering counter.

Does anyone else know that Starbucks no longer serves Peppered Bacon Breakfast Sandwiches? Oh, they have a bacon sandwich all right. Apparently, a marketing genius at the company changed the product mix around some time ago. Big mistake, to my mind. Maybe if I had purchased the product with more regularity, it would still be around. But then surely my cholesterol level would be higher and my waistline a little larger. I don’t dwell on these thoughts for very long. Really, it’s only a minor despair. Perhaps the early morning loss would have affected me more had I been on time (or early) but sitting down at the table with the rest of my chums, I don’t let the lack of pepper ruin my morning.

With a creamy hot chocolate in my other hand, wherein Starbucks makes mighty amends, we’re a gaggle of laughs, of wrapping paper, of gifts and of lists. I take mine out from my coat pocket, slowly unfolding it to the peering eyes of my pop culture cohorts.

“That’s a lot of stuff,” someone says with a measure of incredulity.

“Yes it is,” I reply, proudly staring at my list.

Elias shows us a variety of sketches he made over the holidays, images of us, the Biff Bam Pop! crew, as superheroes. (We look mighty, indeed!) David regales us with tales of family Christmases present and past. (They sound adventurous!)

As much as I anticipate and enjoy the crossing of items off of my list, this is, undoubtedly, the best part of the day for me: the initial chit-chat of the last week of our lives. We discuss how family has been, what gifts we’ve received, what movies we’ve seen and what movies we want to see not to mention the specific items we’re looking for on this Boxing Day. Everything up until now has been prologue, but here we are, together, of singular mind (and wit), enjoying each other’s company during the holiday season, a full day of economic socializing in front of us.

There’s no snow in Toronto today – just a grey, overcast sky that doesn’t dare rain on our parade.

We make our way down Yonge St. from store to store, from line-up to line-up, always checking to see how each other are doing; ensuring someone is not lost in HMV’s second level, music DVD section or the World’s Biggest Bookstore’s non-fiction area. Instant messages are sent to Andy B. Where are you? A tap on the shoulder. “Right behind you.” A cell phone rings. Where did Scotty and Denny go? A relieved sigh. “Bottom floor, sci-fi row.”

Strangely, smiles broaden in relation to the amount of cash spent and the number of times credit cards are swiped. It’s a strange, once-a-year dynamic.

We have brunch together and I partake far too much of the buffet: eggs, sausage, french toast and a second helping of bacon. Third, if you count the sandwich earlier in the morning. (I don’t.) This time, there isn’t even room for Jello.

Some of us go our part, going our separate ways in the afternoon while the rest of us head back to Andy B’s place to drink some tea, look over our spoils and watch movies. It’s a relaxing finale.

Boxing Day 2009 was a perfect day. I did everything I wanted to do.

And my list?

U2? Check.

Hamlet? Check.

Puma shoes? Check.

Comic books? Oh, yes. Check.

Friends? All here. All together. Check. Check. Check.

Boxing Day 2010 is less than a year away. Time to start writing a list.

A group of Biff Bam Pop! friends have an annual tradition: they get together every Boxing Day, grab an early morning coffee at the Starbucks at Yonge and Wellesley in downtown Toronto and then head out on a post-Christmas shopping binge. On their lists: comics, books, CD’s, DVD’s and electronics. It’s an event they all love: friendship and explicit consumerism, all wrapped up into a half-day affair. The build up to this happy occasion can be just as exhilarating as the day itself. Here then, is a multi-part, behind-the-scenes-look into JP’s exuberance over 2009’s Boxing Day extravaganza. Enjoy!

Read Part 2

Sunday, December 13

Ah, Sunday. The day of rest. A good day to review my Boxing Day list which is growing – not in items but in chicken-scratch checkmarks, arrows, highlighted phrases, words in word balloons, hand written questions as well as hand written answers. It’s looking a little messy as the page become full with jet-black ink.

A little sketch of Dracula winks at me with approval from the bottom corner of the list.

I know I’m on the right track this Boxing Day.

Wednesday, December 16

I met up with a family friend at Curry’s after work. He was looking to purchase some art supplies for his grandson for Christmas and wanted my opinion on various materials. (Grandson, if you’re reading this, it’s not your Grandfather I’m talking about here.)

There. That should absolve me of any Christmastime spoilers.

One of the reasons I met him was because I was due for a visit at the art store as well. I bought the ink pen set with the interchangeable nibs that I had put on my list. I’m scratching them off right now – but there needs to be a replacement, an equal yet opposite reaction on this sheet of paper. I’ve taken away, now I must give back. (Didn’t The Beatles sing that?)

I scribble: Comic Book Drawing Pages.

There, List. Now we’re settled.

I’ve got to get back to designing that Boxing Day invite for all the Biff Bam Pop! buddies. Although I was able to quickly scribble the design layout of the invite in the back of a duo-tang notebook, it took me a few hours to retrieve all of the jpeg images I needed off of the web. I think that Google image searches sometime means breaking copyright laws. Oh well. It’s for private use.

Saturday, December 19

I met up with Denny downtown again. Of course, we visit the same shops as we did the previous week but really, for me, it was more than just a Christmas “present shopping” exercise. I pretty much finished all of that a few days ago. No. For me, it is a test, a taunt. This was a tease, by me, for me, to see if I could withstand the siren’s call of this list that I’ve created for myself. I feel a bit like Dr. Frankenstein.

At the Silver Snail, another monster, the Tomb of Dracula Omnibus Volume 2 plaintively called for me.

At the shoe store, my Puma’s beckoned, waving me forward.

HMV’s pink lights summoned me towards U2’s Unforgettable Fire Remastered Edition.

Instead of heeding, I split off from Denny, who, it seemed, did not have the same psychological haunting as I did. I headed westward, ducking into clothing stores, looking for something for my brother, one of the last items of seasonal shopping I needed to complete. But the lure was strong and when my cell phone rang and Denny told me that EB Games has Assassins Creed 2 on sale – for that day only – for $30, I turned around and made a straight line for the store.

I got the game. Of course I did – it takes place in Renaissance Italy! It wasn’t even on my list. The purchase eased the temptation to cross yet another item off that is. I felt more at peace with myself. A little, anyway.

Boxing Day can’t come soon enough.

Tuesday, December 22

I finished the Boxing Day invite and emailed it out to everyone. Well, it wasn’t really finished. I had a fight with Photoshop last night. We’re not seeing eye-to-eye right now.

On this very website, Scotty G reminded me that I want District 9 for Boxing Day. The temptations are everywhere! I wrote it on my list in big letters. It’s there beside Hamlet (starring Kenneth Branagh) and Primer, some Philip K. Dick novels, the latest albums by Kasabian and Grizzly Bear, the Immortal Iron Fist Deluxe Hardcover and “those shoes at Fluevog”. Somehow, I notice a Mac laptop has made the list, highlighted in a bold, black box under a new heading titled: Technology. Who put that there?

This list has grown a mind of its own and it’s out of control. Not only will I not find all of these items listed on it, I won’t be able to afford them either! My 2009 Boxing Day Purchase List has somehow morphed into a wish list for items to purchase after I win the Wednesday night million dollar lottery!

Hell, why not throw in a new car? BMW X1, there, under a new heading: Automobiles. Why use the plural? I don’t know! That car’s not even on the North American market yet!

Ok. Full stop and a deep breath. In, then out.

Alright. Here’s what matters: Good friends. A day out. A hot chocolate. And a Peppered Bacon Breakfast Sandwich.

And a list of ideas…

Boxing Day, December 26, 2009 is only four sleeps away.

(Concluded next week…)

A group of Biff Bam Pop! friends have an annual tradition: they get together every Boxing Day, grab an early morning coffee at the Starbucks at Yonge and Wellesley in downtown Toronto and then head out on a post-Christmas shopping binge. On their lists: comics, books, CD’s, DVD’s and electronics. It’s an event they all love: friendship and explicit consumerism, all wrapped up into a half-day affair. The build up to this happy occasion can be just as exhilarating as the day itself. Here then, is a multi-part, behind-the-scenes-look into JP’s exuberance over 2009’s Boxing Day extravaganza. Enjoy!

Read Part 1

Monday, December 7

Played Peter in Call of Duty on Xbox Live the other night. The game is wildly fun but I’m not that good. Does Peter, a five-star General in the game, enjoy playing with such a novice? My frantic gesticulations in response to onscreen action constantly yank the headset cord out of the controller and I wonder why Peter doesn’t talk to me for twenty minutes during game play. He doesn’t make quips over my gaffes, he doesn’t answer my pleading questions and he doesn’t heed my cries for help. Towards the end, I’m swearing belligerent, profanity-laced proclamations at him for being so cold, so indifferent to my neophyte gamesmanship.

Finally noticing the dangling wire, I gingerly plug the communication device back into its socket. I’m glad he didn’t hear what I was saying.

A wireless headset is now on my Boxing Day list. I file it under Games, right below the scratched-off titles, Dragon Age and Left 4 Dead 2.

When I play online multi-player games in the future, I’ll be sure to hear the twelve year old kids belittle both my gaming abilities and my manhood.

Wednesday, December 9

Charlotte Gainsbourg has a new album out and its getting pretty good reviews. I’m putting it on my Music list. She was great in that Michel Gondry film, the Science of Sleep. Which reminds me: I need to see Antichrist. Not the most Christmastime of movies, I gather. Maybe I’ll wait on that one for the bleak, cold depression that is February when post-Christmas bills come a-calling.

Thursday, December 10

Someone at work mentioned that Boxing Day is just a trumped up, materialistic, corporate propaganda event that has no place during such a special time of year.

I beg to differ.

Only on Boxing Day does the collective world (well, my world) take to the street and, for one beautiful, fleeting day, be of such single-mindedness that all other weighty concerns and worries such as war, globalization, green house gas emission and harmonized sales tax oblivion cease to exist.

Those hand gestures made while you scoop a parking spot? Respect.

That push on your back while stuck in a crowd? Encouragement.

That elbow in your kidney while standing in the cash register line? Adoration.

A scrunched up face with flared nostrils? A deep inhalation and appreciation for the air that is life.

And just like that, I’m adding a new section to my Boxing Day list: Apparel. The first item listed under it will be new Puma shoes. Future Cat style. Two pairs: one for now, one for later.

Saturday, December 12

I woke up this morning and added another section to my list: Art Supplies. I need ink pens with interchangeable nibs of different widths. That means visiting an art store, which, in relation to where I’ll be shopping with my Biff Bam Pop! pals, is a little out of the way. Still, I plan to have my arms full of all sorts of goodies on Saturday, December 26^th and a little drive out of the way won’t hurt anyone but the wallet.

Denny calls me up wanting to know if I want to head downtown to the comic shops with him and, perhaps, grab a little lunch. I should be working on the design for the Boxing Day invite. Instead, I say yes.

Within thirty minutes I’m at the Silver Snail staring at the second hardcover collection of Tomb of Dracula. It’s a big book. It’s got Gene Colon art. I love me some Gene Colon art. Although I’m as tempted as a thirty vampire drawn to virginal blood, I don’t purchase it. Instead, I put it on my Comics list. This Boxing Day, Tomb of Dracula will be virgin.

Since I’m practically there, I visit Curry’s, the art store. I buy my pens and scratch them off my list. I’m as opportunistic as they come.

We visit the Beguiling and I put Queen & Country volumes 3 and 4 on my Comics list. I put the brand new Criminal hardcover on it too. I love Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips has been one of my favourite artists since his Hellblazer days.

There are so many interesting items on the shelves here. I mention to Denny that I will one day buy all three of the Starman omnibuses (I don’t put them on my list, instead saving them for next year), I contemplate Swallow Me Whole, Heavy Liquid and a collection of James Jean art books. I have to leave before desire breaks me.

Denny casually jokes how he read the first part of this diary and states that I’m not-so-secretly making a shopping list for my friends and family for items they should buy me for Christmas.

I realize it could look that way but really, that’s not what my list is about. For those reading, let me be clear: what’s on my Boxing Day list is solely for me to purchase on Boxing Day. This list is my mission. Maybe I’ll find all of these items (at greatly reduced prices) and maybe I won’t – but every Perceival needs his holy grail. Or grails, I this case.

That said, I’ve been good this year and deserve great presents from friends and family.

Denny and I grab a slice of pizza for lunch. All I can think about is Boxing Day’s chill morning air, when a group of friends that share similar passions meet up at Starbucks, and I have a hot chocolate in one hand and a Peppered Bacon Breakfast-Sandwich in the other.

And a list as long as my arm.

(Continued next week…)