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The 3rd Annual 2015 Land of Le Beef Christmas Advent Calendar: Hollywood Edition

Thank you all for joining me on the amazing thrill ride that is the Land of Le Beef Christmas Advent Calendar. In case you missed it, below is the full set of cartoons. I already have a few ideas for next year's calendar (which may or may not include animals wearing Christmas sweaters). From me and all of us here at the Land of Le Beef headquarters, Merry Christmas, and good tidings. 

Join the Land of Le Beef Facebook Page to make sure to get in on the action next year.

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Dear Diary: Chapter 4

In the past I have called this segment '6 Things Happening in My Life Right Now'. Obviously that doesn't exactly roll of the tongue, so I decided to find a new name for it. After countless minutes of brainstorming (one name that I wisely rejected was 'A Peek Behind the Beef Curtains'), I finally found one. These segments are sort of like a visual journal, so the new name, 'Dear Diary' seemed fitting. Anyway, without further ado here is a peek inside my personal diary:

1. At age 1, my daughter has become infatuated with a Russian kids show called Masha & the Bear. It's about a young girl who hangs who spends her days pestering a bear that lives in the woods. We don't know why she loves it so much, but my wife and think it's because she sees a lot of herself in Masha; she sort of looks like her, and she also loves harassing fury creatures.

2. I bought a new pair of boots recently to prepare for the coming Vancouver winter. They're rugged, stylish, and they make my feet feel like they're receiving a warm hug.

3. Once again I am currently back in Hong Kong for a few weeks for work (it's not easy being an internationally famous photographer). This will likely be my last trip to Hong Kong for a little while, so I will be stuffing myself with as many dumplings as possible while I'm here.

4. I make a special point of not crying on airplanes. Usually this is very easy - sit there, don't cry. On my recent flight however, I happened to watch a movie that made me break down in tears next to bunch of strangers . The movie was 'Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl'. It was actually a really funny movie, and overall well done. I recommend it. I also cried when I received the plane food, when my seat wouldn't recline, and when there was a line-up for the washroom.

5. I'm been busy working on this year's Land of Le Beef Advent Calendar, and I'm really excited for it. If you're new to the Land of Le Beef, every year I post a series of festive Christmas cartoons everyday from Dec 1 - Dec 25. This year it has a Hollywood theme, featuring elves re-enacting famous movies lines. I predict that it will go viral and sweep the nation. By Christmas day I should be pretty famous.

6. While in Hong Kong I'm staying with friends who own two cats, whom I refer to as the grey one and the brown one (this is what I call the cats, not the friends). They grey one really likes me.

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Another Six Random Things

It's time for another exciting edition of 'Six Random Things Happening in My Life Right Now' (if anyone has a better name for this, please let me know).

1) This past week my daughter celebrated her first birthday. The day before her birthday she said her first word (it was 'cat'), and took her first steps. It was a great week.

2) My wife just bought a fancy sewing machine (anyone who knows my wife will be surprised by this; she's not always the most domesticated woman). I'm secretly excited about attempting to make my own pants.

3) Once again I'm back in Hong Kong for a couple of weeks for work (my actual work, not this cartooning business. However if anyone wants to fly me across the world for cartooning, be my guest).

4) This week I was one of the millions of Canadians who voted in the national election. The voting station was in an charmingly outdated school gymnasium which reminded me a lot of the elementary school that I went to (shout out to my Graminia School peeps).

5) On the plane to Hong Kong I finally got to watch Jurassic World. The movie itself wasn't that great, but I do love seeing dinosaurs come to life. Fun fact about me: I used to be a designer at a palaeontology museum (shout out to me Royal Tyrrell Museum peeps).

6) I make these iron-rich pancakes for my daughter using baby formula, and they taste even better than regular pancakes. Last time I made them I got distracted and left one on the frying pan for over 10 minutes.

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the Adventures of Maddy and Alphapup

Today is my daughter's birthday, so like any good father I made her an illustration of her riding her favourite toy over a city building blocks. Happy first birthday Maddy! I wonder what I'll draw for you next year.

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Six More Things

Here's another exciting instalment of 'Six Things Happening in My Life Right Now'

1. For the first time in my life I own a sandwich maker, and it's everything I was hoping it would be and then some. My favourite sandwich that I've made so far is banana, peanut butter, and chocolate.

2. My daughter, Maddy, has a bunch of blocks that she likes to play with, but I'm pretty sure I like playing with them more than she does. Also, I build way better towers than she does.

3. Last summer I bought and painted a rocket ship bird feeder. This summer I finally have a yard to hang it in. The birds have been a apprehensive about it; they obviously don't realize how cool it is.

4. Next week I'm heading back to Hong Kong for work. I'll miss my wife, daughter, and sandwich maker. 
(update: By the time I actually posted this, I'm already in Hong Kong. It turns out that I don't miss the sandwich maker as much as thought)

5. I noticed on Google Maps that there's a place near my house called 'God's Chair' in the middle of a park, so Maddy and I went to check it out one afternoon. We had to walk through a forest and climb a hill, and finally we were standing atop God's Chair, overlooking a natural rock formation where I guess God could sit if he wanted to, but I don't think it would be very comfortable.

6. I bought a child bike seat attachment for my bike on Craigslist so that Maddy and I could go on wild adventures together. We've been out biking a few times, and I think she enjoys it. I enjoy it too, but I don't enjoy the fact that the seat juts into my chest, makes it hard to get on the bike, and makes it hard to turn. I think I'll eventually have to get a better one.

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