i can't make this stuff up.

So. Home in bed and doped up most of the day, which isn't as much fun as it sounds, but still. Helped shuck the Christmas ornaments. Tree has a nutcrackers and Star Trek ships theme and is not a little disturbing. Tree topper has gone AWOL for several years.

Went out at three-ish for stuff you really don't want described and magazines. No magazines, but B&N had the boxed Batman book-comic-Mego set in the remainder section, so came home lugging giant bat-box.

"Whatcha got?" Mom asks.

"Batman doll." I display its spiffy wired bat-cape.

Very long pause. Then: "Put him on top of the tree. I've got some of those twist-tie things."

So the menacing figure of Batman now graces the top of our Christmas tree.

(I should mention that she's the one who buys the Star Trek ornaments every year. For me, she says. Yeah-huh.)