Simply Ha-a-vin'...

Oooh, am I a fan of that song! I don't know why it escaped me in recent Holiday seasons!

I know it's not unusual to like Christmas songs, and I know this isn't the *only* reason, but I've recently had an epiphany about them: I like almost every single one, because they're ALL covers. And you know how much I love covers. I know all the words, and different versions are played all day...the only difference is, I really only like old or classic-sounding versions. So I'm not so keen on, for example, Madonna's "Santa Baby" (EW. Just, EW. 50-year-old women should NOT be singing in a baby voice. Plus I just saw her on Britney: For The Record on MTV and her plastic surgery is ABOMINABLE. Who could look in the mirror and think that's an improvement?)

This year has been a little different for me, because I've discovered that KPLA changes to The Christmas Station before Thanksgiving, and I'm in the car a LOT more than I ever was previous years, so I listen to the radio for about an hour every day (with the occasional Stephen-Fry-read Goblet of Fire commute), and I'm getting to know a lot more versions of songs than I ever knew. I also sometimes play it quietly in my cube in Jeff City, and always when I'm at Stephens, to cheer me up from the feeling that I'm all alone and a killer is waiting for me in the Penthouse and is going to corner me in my office and I shall have no choice but to break through the windows into the Bitter Bitter (Way Too Bitter For December, People) cold to escape, but I will have forgotten my keys AND my coat so I'll have to walk to Dad's house and he can drive me home.

I'm loving The Chrismas Station, and have been discovering a few new songs--the aforementioned John Lennon vehicle, Trans Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Eve in Sarajevo (which I'd heard of, but avoided in recent years because what kind of scary name for a carol is that, PLUS the name of the band doesn't sound traditional), and also their Christmas Canon, which almost makes me cry every single time. Damn you, little kids who can sing good! Why must you tug at my heartstrings so?? Also, I'm not ashamed to admit it: I am loving Last Christmas. You know how I feel about George Michael.

Songs I'm not liking so much:

Grown-up Christmas List. By Anyone. Yuck. I mute the volume and wait three minutes every time it comes on. SHOULD BE OUTLAWED.

Same Old Lang Syne, Dan Fogelberg. Depressing, sounds like the ending of a bad 80s movie, and I have never, ever liked Auld Lang Syne.

Christmas Shoes, by some country guy. I. Don't. Like. Feeling. Guilty.

Apologies, Lambsons, but...anything by the Carpenters. It's not the *sound* that bothers me; she has a clear, beautifully simplistic voice. I just can't ever forget that she died from anorexia and I think about it every time I hear her voice. It's the same with all dead singers really. "I like this song, but now I'm sad because they're dead." This doesn't generally apply for really old-school singers like Bing or Rosemary or Satchmo, or those who have lived a good long life. It's Death Before Their Time that gets me.

In other news:

1. This week, my mileage hit the very delightful 22222!

2. Last night, my hubs and I got a takeout G&D's large pep and settled in to finally, finally watch "Charlie Bartlett," which we have had in its Netflix envelope since August, at least. I'm not kidding. I'm going to watch the commentary with a pumelo to distract me, or a hidden object game or something, because....wow, I didn't really get it. I mean, I *got* it, but it was jaw-droppingly unbelievable. I won't get into it, but if anyone's seen it--let's talk.

However, the pizza was incredible. I always forget...G&D's has such average OTHER fare, that the yumminess of their pizza always surprises me.

3. I'm going to sign up for Weight Watchers soon. I just have no time to prepare all the things that makes low-carb bearable, for me, and while I know I won't like WW, I do know it works. So we'll just see. I was going to sign up for it this past week, but Lily was all "I bet after the New Year they'll have sign-up specials" and I was all "Oh lord, you're right, and this gives me an excuse to eat bad for two weeks. Awesome!" I mean, she made cornflake wreaths and they were sitting right there beside Dad's homemade pumpkin walnut bread. I'm not gonna effing diet right now.

4. This month, though unfairly cold, has been really great, personal-life-wise. Neil seems like his old grinning and sweet self, I love love love my new job, I rarely sleep past nine on the weekends, I'm caught up with Christmas gifts (only one to go, and it's for baby Micah, so it won't be that hard--I already have an idea), and we're doing all right financially. My one complaint is fitting in my Stephens job. It's been really tough during this time of year to run every OTHER errand that needs doing, work twenty extra hours, and do anything but fall into bed exhausted with no leisure time. I went down to 10-12 hours starting this week, so it'll be much easier, but because it's getting down to the wire this week, it's almost harder now than it was at 20 hours. I know it'll be over soon, but I fear I may have to work a dark, cold, lonely evening this coming week to make it work.

5. We're leaving for Ohio on Christmas night, after things settle down at the Dawson home post-festivity. We'll arrive sometime late Friday night, then the next day is Paul's 40th birthday open house, followed by this huge UFC fight, which will be a good opportunity to hang with my girls Stacy and Becca. I have to be back at work, so Neil will take me to the Cleveland airport Monday morning to catch a flight to St. Louis, where I hope some kind soul will take pity on me and allow me to hang on to their bumper as they drive back to Columbia. Or, Lily or Dad will come get me. Neil has the whole week off, the stinker, so he's gonna spend some high-quality time with the Family Dazet, and I'm off to StL after work on Wednesday to spend New Year's with Emily and family. We haven't had a leisurely visit in *so* long, and I'm mondo excited to see her!

6. I got two pumelos the other day. They are gone. I love them so, so, so much. Yesterday I managed to spend a FULL HOUR peeling one in front of 91210 Season Four. It was absolutely perfect. I have to get more.

7. Today, Dad, Joe, Neil & I took our annual Downtown Chistmas Shopping Trip. Dad and I had hit Cool Stuff last week, so we stuck to Absolute Vintage, Swank, Britches, Columbia Art League, Alpine Shop, Mustard Seed (Emily I was SOOOO tempted to get Noah a sweater there that he would completely hate when he was old enough to fit into it), Arsenic Leopard, Butterfly Tattoo, Candy Factory for stocking stuffers, and of course, a PERFECT lunch at Booche's. Seeeeeeriously perfect. We didn't do other stocking shopping, because we're shaking things up a bit this year: everyone draws someone else's name, and they are responsible for that person's stocking, and the person will guess who it is. We'll do them when Steve visits in January, and Gib is part of it too since he'll be back then. I'll let you know if it's an unmitigated disaster.

I'm out of words, but I have miles to go before I sleep. Happy hols, everyone!

I know, I know, it's a stock image. I ain't a photog, peeps.

P.S. I keep forgetting to do the iTunes meme and blog about our NKOTB concert...I never have time to blog at home, and I need resources there to do both things. Dangit.

In the gloom of January, I'll be glad to have something to do, though.