Friday, December 23, 2005

Hangin' with da Homies (And Other Holiday Treats)

Christmas day will
Always be,
Just as long as
We have we!

-"How The Grinch Stole Christmas"

You know your life has changed when snow boots & long underwear are at the top of your Christmas list, as opposed to the "I Didn't Ask For Them & Now I Have To Look Thrilled To Have Them" list. And you know your life's changed when you can't wait until Christmas to open said items and immediately start trying them all on. And you know your life's changed when people describe the 40 degree weather as "balmy"... and you agree.

Yes, winter has landed in Norwood. Our very first snow lasted 18 hours--quite a magnificent show. All the lights are strung on the houses. Telluride's lights are beautifully subtle--a virtual Winter Wonderland. Quite a change from the garish displays of Hollywood and the Third Street Promenade. And as quickly as the winter has come, so have "The Holidays." Every year it's a devilishly fast time of baking, buying, wrapping, and visiting. This year is no different, with the exception of the cold, wet, white stuff outside the window and under my feet. I'm sad, though, because I have to retire my beloved Converse sneakers for the winter. (Good thing I just got snowboots!)

Dancing lured me back to Los Angeles the weekend before Thanksgiving for 3 crazy days. There literally weren't enough hours in the day to see everybody. The hardest thing about being in L.A. was sitting in traffic. The 2nd hardest thing was realizing how much I miss my girlfriends. Not that I don't miss my male friends (because I do), and not that I don't have great female friends here (because I do), but there ain't nothin' like single, thirty-something ladies to hang with. I love 'em, and I wish I could pack up every one of them and move them out here with me.

After running through L.A. at triple-step speed, it was off to New Jersey for a Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat with the family. (And I had another Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat with friends when I got back to Norwood. Ummmm... turkey... )I dragged my mom all over NYC for a day--first to Harlem for a Malcolm X exhibit at the Schomberg, then to the Met for an amazing Van Gogh exhibit, and finally to Carnegie Hall to see Arlo Guthrie. (It's the 40th anniversary of "Alice's Restaurant," you know!)

Now, we all know that I'm the only person crazy enough to drive a Christmas tree across 400 miles of wind-blown desert.

Yes... I did.

The extra time it took to get home from Flagstaff due to the added 50 pound drag on my car--plus the hour it took just to get the tree in its stand--gave me plenty of time to re-think the option I had chosen. I started making a list of questions I should have probably asked myself before I bought the tree, such as:

1.) How heavy is it?(Meaning: will I be able to lift it by myself when I get home?)
2.) How wide is my door?
3.) How high is my ceiling?
4.) Will it fit in my tree stand?
5.) Was it really worth it to buy the cheap tree stand?
6.) Will my tree-inflicted wounds heal by Christmas?
7.) Am I too old for this shit? (Answer: Not nearly)
8.) Where are my ex-boyfriends when I really need them?
9.) Is it acceptable to go to bed with pine tar in your hair & needles in your ears?
10.) When do the artificial trees go on sale?
11.) How many spare vacuum bags do I have?
12.) Do I really need a fresh pine scent in my home?
13.) What will be the pet-to-tree water ratio?
14.) Is the Hanukkah Bush a better, safer alternative?
15.) After 35 consecutive years of viewing, why have I not learned Charlie Brown's lesson that the smallest, scrawniest tree is the best? (Also it's 40th Anniversary!)

Despite all the drama of the tree this year, I do have to say that it looks marvelous in the bay window of my living room. Now if I could only find that 1 bulb that made half a strand of lights go out...

In closing, I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah and thank you not only for the love and support you've given me this year in particular, but throughout the years.

Girlfriends, this is for you:

On every page, you will know how much I love you.
In every line, you will see how much I care.
With every word, we will grow a little closer,
Even though we both know I can't be there.
That's why I'm writing it down...
It's for you, and for me,
And the whole wide world to read...
Writing it down.
--Uncle Kracker, "Writing It Down"