I officially declare the holiday season in full swing. It happened kind of fast for me; first I was waiting "patiently" for my birthday and Thanksgiving weekend, and then suddenly November was over. And then suddenly we're barreling into part II of December and the light at the end of the tunnel of things to do is somewhere vaguely in the middle of January (assuming the world doesn't end on December 21).
Speaking of the impending apocalypse, I'm obsessed with it. I have always had a thing for apocalypse movies (except those of the zombie variety) and I love to track the cultural psychology defining the vessel of human destruction each time a new one comes out. For example, I've been watching a decent amount of suspense movies from 2003-ish and the common plot thread is computers becoming too smart and trying to assume authoritative control over American society. Now, 9 years later, we've just given in to being controlled by technology and have turned our terror to slow scorching/drowning via climate change.
Back to the latest apocalypse, which is cloaked in the mystery of a forecaster extinguished by the very ancestors of we who will suffer the rapture... As I flipped through the month of December in my planner (which I am excited to replace in just a few short weeks) I discovered that I already have a plan for the apocalypse. Apparently there is no out, either. I have committed, in capital letters, to spend my last night on earth at Applebee's with my roommates. Drinking our regular drinks and eating half-price appetizers.
In other parts of the country, friends of mine are hosting apocalypse parties where they will collect nonperishable food items that, in the event this whole end-of-the-world thing turns out to be a hoax, will be donated to the food bank. My mom asked me if I would be free for a dinner with some family friends on that evening, and I said, "No, Mom, I'll be celebrating the apocalypse DUH."
There are many things to celebrate these days, though, and many less morbid than mass oblivion. As you may recall, I have been looking forward to the Spirit of Christmas in Old New Castle, an annual event on the second Saturday in December (i.e. the day before yesterday). On Friday night, though, while I was at an Eric Hutchinson concert (!!!) I got the following text message from my friend Annie: "Hi, crazy question- any interest in going to NYC tmrw?"
Guess how much I miss text messages like that in my routine, responsible, adult life. SO MUCH.
She told me the next day that I was the only person she could think of in Wilmington who would even consider doing something so wild. We ended up deciding between the holiday tour of New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, and after being made to see reason we settled on Philly's Christmas Village and that city's Macy's lights show.
We spent the day checking out different crafts from all over the world, watching German-American heritage groups performing traditional dance, finding our birth moons (here's my really awesome birth moon), eating German food and drinking hot spiced wine. We also got talking about how we can cruise on spontaneous, exciting events far longer in the sunny summer months than in the cold dark of winter. We decided to link up and help each other keep things fresh (and keep popping vitamin D) until the sun comes out again. THE LESSON: Having a partner in crime makes this a much less daunting task.
I'm still cruising on the concert Friday night and having the most awkward possible meeting with Eric Hutchinson on Friday night in order to get the new album autographed (see photo). Concertgoing is not a hobby of mine, but I've seen Eric Hutchinson live twice and it never gets old. Plus, all Jason and I have wanted to listen to this weekend is the new album. Check it out: Moving Up Living Down. It's excellent.
And I'm still cruising on Saturday's excursion and the warm, sparkly holiday spirit of the lights and the wine and tradition. Plus, we were counting Santas from Philly's annual Running Of The Santas pub crawl... which got me SO EXCITED for Wilmo's Santa Crawl pub loop next Saturday.
As if I don't have enough of a cloud cushion to cruise on, Annie and I made brunch plans for Sunday that turned into an all-day hot spiced wine pumpkin pancake homemade granola extravaganza. It's been rainy and foggy and damp and cold here, and no snow on the horizon, but it really turns the world around when you have good people to share it with.
Keep an eye out for:
- our fambly Christmas card, complete with all THREE roomies and BOTH cats
- holiday finances inspired by a fellow post-grad blog and my dwindling bank account
- a cookie exchange
- the Santa Crawl
- Longwood Gardens
- holiday food and drink and the long-promised pumpkin beer post which I SWEAR really is in the making!,
- my brother's 21st birthday
- AND gatherings of good people (siblings, grandparents, friends, other people's families, etc.) through the holiday season.
Stay on the bright side of this holiday season, friends. I wish you love and happiness this season.
Speaking of the impending apocalypse, I'm obsessed with it. I have always had a thing for apocalypse movies (except those of the zombie variety) and I love to track the cultural psychology defining the vessel of human destruction each time a new one comes out. For example, I've been watching a decent amount of suspense movies from 2003-ish and the common plot thread is computers becoming too smart and trying to assume authoritative control over American society. Now, 9 years later, we've just given in to being controlled by technology and have turned our terror to slow scorching/drowning via climate change.
Back to the latest apocalypse, which is cloaked in the mystery of a forecaster extinguished by the very ancestors of we who will suffer the rapture... As I flipped through the month of December in my planner (which I am excited to replace in just a few short weeks) I discovered that I already have a plan for the apocalypse. Apparently there is no out, either. I have committed, in capital letters, to spend my last night on earth at Applebee's with my roommates. Drinking our regular drinks and eating half-price appetizers.In other parts of the country, friends of mine are hosting apocalypse parties where they will collect nonperishable food items that, in the event this whole end-of-the-world thing turns out to be a hoax, will be donated to the food bank. My mom asked me if I would be free for a dinner with some family friends on that evening, and I said, "No, Mom, I'll be celebrating the apocalypse DUH."
There are many things to celebrate these days, though, and many less morbid than mass oblivion. As you may recall, I have been looking forward to the Spirit of Christmas in Old New Castle, an annual event on the second Saturday in December (i.e. the day before yesterday). On Friday night, though, while I was at an Eric Hutchinson concert (!!!) I got the following text message from my friend Annie: "Hi, crazy question- any interest in going to NYC tmrw?"
Guess how much I miss text messages like that in my routine, responsible, adult life. SO MUCH.
She told me the next day that I was the only person she could think of in Wilmington who would even consider doing something so wild. We ended up deciding between the holiday tour of New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, and after being made to see reason we settled on Philly's Christmas Village and that city's Macy's lights show.
 |
| love park at christmastime |
We spent the day checking out different crafts from all over the world, watching German-American heritage groups performing traditional dance, finding our birth moons (here's my really awesome birth moon), eating German food and drinking hot spiced wine. We also got talking about how we can cruise on spontaneous, exciting events far longer in the sunny summer months than in the cold dark of winter. We decided to link up and help each other keep things fresh (and keep popping vitamin D) until the sun comes out again. THE LESSON: Having a partner in crime makes this a much less daunting task.
I'm still cruising on the concert Friday night and having the most awkward possible meeting with Eric Hutchinson on Friday night in order to get the new album autographed (see photo). Concertgoing is not a hobby of mine, but I've seen Eric Hutchinson live twice and it never gets old. Plus, all Jason and I have wanted to listen to this weekend is the new album. Check it out: Moving Up Living Down. It's excellent.And I'm still cruising on Saturday's excursion and the warm, sparkly holiday spirit of the lights and the wine and tradition. Plus, we were counting Santas from Philly's annual Running Of The Santas pub crawl... which got me SO EXCITED for Wilmo's Santa Crawl pub loop next Saturday.
As if I don't have enough of a cloud cushion to cruise on, Annie and I made brunch plans for Sunday that turned into an all-day hot spiced wine pumpkin pancake homemade granola extravaganza. It's been rainy and foggy and damp and cold here, and no snow on the horizon, but it really turns the world around when you have good people to share it with.
Keep an eye out for:
- our fambly Christmas card, complete with all THREE roomies and BOTH cats
- holiday finances inspired by a fellow post-grad blog and my dwindling bank account
- a cookie exchange
- the Santa Crawl
- Longwood Gardens
- holiday food and drink and the long-promised pumpkin beer post which I SWEAR really is in the making!,
- my brother's 21st birthday
- AND gatherings of good people (siblings, grandparents, friends, other people's families, etc.) through the holiday season.
Stay on the bright side of this holiday season, friends. I wish you love and happiness this season.
 |
| believe in macy's |
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