Watched VotD again this morning on my commute to work.

So apparently, according to Outpost Gallifrey, the overnights have the viewings at an average of 12.2 million, with peaks over 13 million viewers. Which gives Who a 50% audience share for the timeslot… and as perspective, during a couple of the five-minute timebocks, over 1 in 4 people in the nation were watching Who.

That’s farking insane. Amazing and wonderful and completely farking insane.

Oh yeah… and Corrie? Was in 9th place or something insane. Who was in 2nd. Its ratings are good enough, if they stand, to place it as the fifth most watched broadcast in the UK for 2007.

Farking insane.

I have to say that it flowed much smoother for me on the second viewing. So it’s one of those “better with subsequent viewings” pieces. For what it’s worth, Runaway Bride was the same way for me. Maybe with the extra time, RTD feels he can jumble more things in there? I dunno.

I’m a bit surprised with some of the shipper backlash for the kisses. I mean, okay… I understand that it’s not going to be an episode that everyone likes. That doesn’t bother me. I tend to be one of those people who likes the ones few others do, and not like the ones that others seem are ga-ga over. (X-Files Bad Blood, for example, has never done it for me).

But really… I’m not sure what the hoopla is about these kisses. She kisses him the first time. He gives her a very sad, farewell kiss at the end. Shippy? Eh… no. Romantic? Yes. But there’s a difference between romance and relationships, IMHO. I don’t see anything wrong with the Doctor kissing Astrid, particularly when taken in context – and within a Christmas episode. I mean, really – it’s such a farking dark episode. Let the poor lonely man have a kiss. He needs one.

As for the kiss in the previews? Not concerned about those either, given that there’s no context given in the trailer, and hell – if I survived 1/2 of the crap the Doctor goes through on a daily basis, I’d be kissing the first person I saw, too!

Anyway – it is much better on second viewing, in my opinion. Still not The Christmas Invasion, which continues to be the best one of the specials lot, IMHO. But it was enjoyable and I imagine it will grow on me even more as time goes on.

More in a sec… I get to switch computers…

12 noon

Okay… anyway…

On a more generic front. The holidays were nice this year. Erich and I drove down to Mom’s for the weekend, coming back Sunday night because he had to work Monday. It was nice to see everyone in a non-wedding related arena again.

But…

I had a couple moments of faith frustration this weekend – one on Saturday night, which I don’t feel comfortable discussing. The other was with my grandpa, who I love dearly, but who has been increasing the religious pressure ever since May when the whole blow-up about our not getting married in a church came up.

This weekend’s edition had me sitting on the floor against the kitchen cabinets next to Grandpa (who was at the kitchen table), and he was pushing into us about going to church on Christmas Eve, and how we were Christian and needed to do this.

Now, I love my grandpa. I really do. And I know his faith is important to him. But I don’t share it. I’ve never shared it – I’m not, never have been, never will be Catholic. And I’m not about to start an incident at the family gathering for Christmas, here. So I bite my lip (literally) and say nothing. And unfortunately I know I don’t exactly have a means of support in my mother in this, who has told me that grandpa insisted he’d say his peace at the wedding, and it would be over with.

Well, apparently it’s not. And this year’s religious events are just making me that much more sensitive to not being accepted for who I am and what I believe in (which, being in severe doubt and crisis these days – is a whole ‘nother story). It’s continuing, and I have a feeling it’s going to continue.

*sigh*

I don’t expect him to accept my religion as truth. What I wish, though, is that he’d accept that I am free to make my own choices in faith, and respect my privacy. I have NEVER discussed faith with him. I honestly don’t want to.

Just… irritating. A very sore point on an otherwise good weekend.

Monday and Tuesday, for the most part, felt like a normal weekend. Very casual, not much going on. I’m exhausted by this year and I know Erich is, too.

So we played a lot of World of Warcraft together. I downloaded a crapload of old Doctor Who (my Doctors 1-5 set is now complete. I’m only missing 6 and 7 now to have everything to watch).

And that’s it, really.

Didn’t feel much like Christmas, I suppose. But honestly, I was so tired that I didn’t care.