It's that time of year again! I've been listening to Christmas music for the past two weeks (yes, since before Thanksgiving). I *love* Christmas. Wanna know why?
1. I love the warmth of the indoors because of the COLD out-of-doors.
2. I love buying presents that will make people happy.
3. I love wrapping presents.
4. I love Toys for Tots.
5. I love knowing that people all over the world are genuinely concerned about the well-being of strangers, if only for a short period of time. That short period of time is these next few weeks, and I love this holiday for it.
6. I love all the little kids running around desperate to get on their parents' (and Santa's) good side just in time for the parade of presents.
7. I love turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing.
8. I love that people complain if they love their family's home-cooking but aren't able to have it. How often do you get to hear people saying nice things about being with their families?
9. I love White Elephant gift exchanges.
10. I love Christmas music.
11. I love shopping when the people around me are also shopping with the same goal -- to find the perfect gift for someone on their list. How often during the year do we have shared goals with virtually everyone around us? It's the great, invisible, Christmas bond!
12. I love sweaters and scarves and gloves. I love when they're printed with snowflakes and other cold-related symbols. Cozy!
13. I love Christmas generosity -- like when you're out with friends or family shopping, and one person volunteers to run out in the cold/rain/snow to fetch the car, while everyone else can huddle together for warmth. Or when people give money to those "annoying" bell-ringers outside of every grocery store, just because it's Christmas.
14. I love creating surprises!
15. I love overcoming a good mystery (like figuring out what my gift is before Christmas -- sorry, Bug).
16. I love the smell of pine needles and Winter spices.
17. I love to bake.
18. I love seeing a beautiful Christmas tree decked-out with candy canes and lights and presents, not to mention a star on top!
19. I love driving around neighborhoods to check out Christmas lights and decorations -- the outward, physical evidence of a community's celebration of a holiday is so special. No matter how they celebrate or why.
20. I love the simplicity of Christmas. People are generous and happy (or at least attempting to be both). And there are only so many symbols of Christmas, and yet they're re-interpreted every year and for each new generation. Santa, snowflakes, snowmen, the tree, stars, gifts, candy canes, sleighs, reindeer, lights, wreaths. Everyone knows the stories. Everyone knows the songs.
I love it! You can think it's cheesy. You can be cynical. But I plan to be happy. I plan to be generous. I plan to be refreshed by the season. You Summer-lovers have had your "day in the sun." I plan to enjoy my day by the fire. =) Happy Christmas!!!
Tuesday, November 29
Wednesday, November 23
Scattered thoughts
My mood is all over the place today. I'm listening to fast music, depressing music, foreign lyrics, hip hop, Tori Amos.. weird. I usually like to stick to one style (that's the way my moods work, anyway).
Anyway, I'm scattered today. I think it's because of the anticipation I'm feeling about this weekend. Jesse and I are headed up to Groveland for Thanksgiving tomorrow morning. We're meeting my brothers and parents there. The last time Jesse and I went away for Thanksgiving with my family, the atmosphere was a disaster. I'm really, really hoping that doesn't happen again. Also, Jesse will be worried about our cat, Phillip, because we'll be gone for longer than usual. And I'm tired. I haven't been able to fall asleep lately, but I still have to get up at the same time in the morning. =) In any case, I just don't think this will feel like a "long weekend." I think it'll be more like a long weekend.
On top of that, I'm at work today.. and lots of other people are, too. But the parking lot is empty as though no one's here. It's really bizarre. It's just a bizarre day. And I'm doing someone else's work, because that person is already on vacation.
It's sort of like the Twilight Zone. Ever have one of those days? It's the middle of the week, but it's the end of the week. Remember how I said I was having scattered thoughts? Toldja so.
Anyway, I'm scattered today. I think it's because of the anticipation I'm feeling about this weekend. Jesse and I are headed up to Groveland for Thanksgiving tomorrow morning. We're meeting my brothers and parents there. The last time Jesse and I went away for Thanksgiving with my family, the atmosphere was a disaster. I'm really, really hoping that doesn't happen again. Also, Jesse will be worried about our cat, Phillip, because we'll be gone for longer than usual. And I'm tired. I haven't been able to fall asleep lately, but I still have to get up at the same time in the morning. =) In any case, I just don't think this will feel like a "long weekend." I think it'll be more like a long weekend.
On top of that, I'm at work today.. and lots of other people are, too. But the parking lot is empty as though no one's here. It's really bizarre. It's just a bizarre day. And I'm doing someone else's work, because that person is already on vacation.
It's sort of like the Twilight Zone. Ever have one of those days? It's the middle of the week, but it's the end of the week. Remember how I said I was having scattered thoughts? Toldja so.
Monday, November 21
Multi-media reviews, in short
"Elephunk" by Black Eyed Peas
I know this is their older album, but I just imported it to my iTunes list, so I'm actually listening to it now. Good stuff! Super energetic. Great production. Catchy tunes. Not always the most elegant choices lyrically ("Let's get retarded," "The girlies in the club got the plump lump-lumpas," etc.), but it's the beat and the production you listen for... These guys are geniuses when it comes to the hook. It's money well-spent. I encourage you to listen to BEP, if you don't already. My favorites: "Let's Get It Started" (the extended album version is really good), "The Boogie That Be," "Smells Like Funk," "Shut Up," and "Hey Mama" (this is the song that made me start IMing with exclamation marks for no reason -- happy music!).
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Holy smokes! Good movie. =) I'm all caught up on the books, so they sometimes blur together in my mind. I went into the theater knowing the basic chunks of the story, but not all the details and relevant characters. Let me tell you: this movie tells the story well! I never felt like I was falling behind on the story, and yet it didn't drag at all ([ahem] Chamber of Secrets [ahem]).. in fact, I found myself gasping at some of the more adrenaline-driven moments. Amazing special effects, great story-telling (tons of the content from the book was removed with a great result), better acting overall ([ahem] Emma Watson still over-acts a little [ahem]). I even really loved the music. Yay, Patrick Doyle! I loved his work on Great Expectations, among other movies.
Go see the new Harry Potter movie. =) And buy a BEP album.
I know this is their older album, but I just imported it to my iTunes list, so I'm actually listening to it now. Good stuff! Super energetic. Great production. Catchy tunes. Not always the most elegant choices lyrically ("Let's get retarded," "The girlies in the club got the plump lump-lumpas," etc.), but it's the beat and the production you listen for... These guys are geniuses when it comes to the hook. It's money well-spent. I encourage you to listen to BEP, if you don't already. My favorites: "Let's Get It Started" (the extended album version is really good), "The Boogie That Be," "Smells Like Funk," "Shut Up," and "Hey Mama" (this is the song that made me start IMing with exclamation marks for no reason -- happy music!).
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Holy smokes! Good movie. =) I'm all caught up on the books, so they sometimes blur together in my mind. I went into the theater knowing the basic chunks of the story, but not all the details and relevant characters. Let me tell you: this movie tells the story well! I never felt like I was falling behind on the story, and yet it didn't drag at all ([ahem] Chamber of Secrets [ahem]).. in fact, I found myself gasping at some of the more adrenaline-driven moments. Amazing special effects, great story-telling (tons of the content from the book was removed with a great result), better acting overall ([ahem] Emma Watson still over-acts a little [ahem]). I even really loved the music. Yay, Patrick Doyle! I loved his work on Great Expectations, among other movies.
Go see the new Harry Potter movie. =) And buy a BEP album.
Tuesday, November 15
I got a few haircuts...
No, that's not just me being unclever, messing up the already-unfunny saying "I got a few hairs cut." I actually got a few haircuts.
On Friday, I went with two other friends to get a haircut. I went first. I didn't *love* it, but you know.. sometimes you just need to put your own styling flare on the 'do before it looks right to you. Fine. Then our guy friend got his hair cut. Then my other girl friend got her hair cut. She didn't look thrilled, but she wasn't saying she didn't like it .. just that she "didn't know." Oh well.
So we all went our separate ways Friday night.. I got home and decided I didn't like my hair. I felt like I had a mullet. Too many short hairs up front, plus long hair in back = mullet. So I resolved to get it fixed somewhere else. I made an appointment on Saturday afternoon -- it was settled. I would be getting my hair fixed on Monday evening!
On Saturday night, I went to another mutual friend's housewarming party. My haircut buddy girl friend had chopped all her hair off!! Apparently, she went home crying that night and decided to get it fixed an hour later. Our sentiments weren't too far off from each other! =)
So yesterday, I finally got my turn to get the haircut fixed -- another small fortune later, I love my hair. I went from mid-back to shoulder-length, and it's a much nicer style. Mullet is gone. The stylist said it wasn't perfect yet, because there was still a majority-rule of short hair in front, but you so can't tell. It's fixed, as far as I'm concerned.
So I went from having really long hair and only getting a cut twice a year to having shoulder-length hair after two haircuts in a single weekend. ;) Even though it cost me an arm and a leg to go through the ordeal, I'm still really happy with the result. =)
On Friday, I went with two other friends to get a haircut. I went first. I didn't *love* it, but you know.. sometimes you just need to put your own styling flare on the 'do before it looks right to you. Fine. Then our guy friend got his hair cut. Then my other girl friend got her hair cut. She didn't look thrilled, but she wasn't saying she didn't like it .. just that she "didn't know." Oh well.
So we all went our separate ways Friday night.. I got home and decided I didn't like my hair. I felt like I had a mullet. Too many short hairs up front, plus long hair in back = mullet. So I resolved to get it fixed somewhere else. I made an appointment on Saturday afternoon -- it was settled. I would be getting my hair fixed on Monday evening!
On Saturday night, I went to another mutual friend's housewarming party. My haircut buddy girl friend had chopped all her hair off!! Apparently, she went home crying that night and decided to get it fixed an hour later. Our sentiments weren't too far off from each other! =)
So yesterday, I finally got my turn to get the haircut fixed -- another small fortune later, I love my hair. I went from mid-back to shoulder-length, and it's a much nicer style. Mullet is gone. The stylist said it wasn't perfect yet, because there was still a majority-rule of short hair in front, but you so can't tell. It's fixed, as far as I'm concerned.
So I went from having really long hair and only getting a cut twice a year to having shoulder-length hair after two haircuts in a single weekend. ;) Even though it cost me an arm and a leg to go through the ordeal, I'm still really happy with the result. =)
Monday, November 7
No sleep for a good sleeper...
Last night, Jesse and I jolted awake to the sound of a loud THUMP, only to realize that our bed was no longer parallel with the floor. He was downhill from me. It was very obvious that the bed had somehow structurally failed us. So sad.
Shaken and traumatized, we resolved to get up (it was about 12:30am, I think) and disassemble the bedframe. We moved the heavy pieces to the side of the room, and went back to bed -- which was now just a boxspring and mattress on the floor. Our pillows kept falling between the mattress and the wall. Neither of us got a good night of sleep.
As if that weren't bad enough, I woke up in the morning the sound of the TV crackling (like it had been turned on) and then ceasing to make any other noise. Curious, I popped my head up to take a look around... the alarm clock was flashing "12:00 .. 12:00 .. 12:00" ... That's right, the power went out.
So I happily recalled that I have a battery-powered alarm clock next to the bed for just such an occasion. That clock read 7:19am. It's 10min fast, so it was actually 7:09am. Our alarm goes off at 7:10am. [sigh]
Shaken and traumatized, we resolved to get up (it was about 12:30am, I think) and disassemble the bedframe. We moved the heavy pieces to the side of the room, and went back to bed -- which was now just a boxspring and mattress on the floor. Our pillows kept falling between the mattress and the wall. Neither of us got a good night of sleep.
As if that weren't bad enough, I woke up in the morning the sound of the TV crackling (like it had been turned on) and then ceasing to make any other noise. Curious, I popped my head up to take a look around... the alarm clock was flashing "12:00 .. 12:00 .. 12:00" ... That's right, the power went out.
So I happily recalled that I have a battery-powered alarm clock next to the bed for just such an occasion. That clock read 7:19am. It's 10min fast, so it was actually 7:09am. Our alarm goes off at 7:10am. [sigh]
Wednesday, November 2
Doh, he's gone.
Yes, him. But not gone gone. Just on a short vaycay to visit family. I took him to the airport this morning, bright and early.. or overcast and early. =( Doh.
Oh well. Working away, waiting for the chick flick to come in the mail fron Netflix. I ordered it special, since there aren't many chances for me to get away with watching crappy TV/movies, now that Jess and I live together.
Speaking of crappy TV.. Seriously, I don't watch it anymore. And I used to watch a lot. Some of my favorite crap: HGTV/TLC home improvement shows (which I would typically only watch until a commercial came on, then would continue my surf), infomercials (yes, the Magic Bullet, the plastic containers that all fit on the spinning holder, anything by Ron "Set it and forget it!" Popeil), the MTV faux reality drama Laguna Beach, etc. I kinda miss it all. Maybe I'll channel-surf and stop on shows I actually want to watch for the next couple of days, so I can get it out of my system again. =)
I actually have lots to keep me busy.. I'm getting that movie in the mail, I'm planning to hang out with a couple of our friends (T and Mark) at their new house one of these nights, and I have to get up super early on Saturday morning to distribute voting precinct supplies for the Registrar of Voters.
That's right, California! The governor's Special Election is coming up, next Tuesday (November 8th). Don't forget to vote.
But I digress... Lots to do. I also ordered some new potholder loops so I can get started on some crafty Christmas presents. Anyway, Jesse will be home soon, and it'll be like this separation never even happened... right?
Oh well. Working away, waiting for the chick flick to come in the mail fron Netflix. I ordered it special, since there aren't many chances for me to get away with watching crappy TV/movies, now that Jess and I live together.
Speaking of crappy TV.. Seriously, I don't watch it anymore. And I used to watch a lot. Some of my favorite crap: HGTV/TLC home improvement shows (which I would typically only watch until a commercial came on, then would continue my surf), infomercials (yes, the Magic Bullet, the plastic containers that all fit on the spinning holder, anything by Ron "Set it and forget it!" Popeil), the MTV faux reality drama Laguna Beach, etc. I kinda miss it all. Maybe I'll channel-surf and stop on shows I actually want to watch for the next couple of days, so I can get it out of my system again. =)
I actually have lots to keep me busy.. I'm getting that movie in the mail, I'm planning to hang out with a couple of our friends (T and Mark) at their new house one of these nights, and I have to get up super early on Saturday morning to distribute voting precinct supplies for the Registrar of Voters.
That's right, California! The governor's Special Election is coming up, next Tuesday (November 8th). Don't forget to vote.
But I digress... Lots to do. I also ordered some new potholder loops so I can get started on some crafty Christmas presents. Anyway, Jesse will be home soon, and it'll be like this separation never even happened... right?
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