Our back deck, December 3:

Our back deck, December 16:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

So we're in the home stretch now. Shopping is done, wrapping is on the list to be done today, I believe Serdic is planning to do some baking today as well. Sadly, the Christmas concert I was supposed to sing in this afternoon, which I have been looking forward to for ages and which was going to be extremely awesome, especially when we sang the Hallelujah Chorus with the brass ensemble, has been cancelled due to weather (we are currently under a Severe Weather Warning and it is pretty nasty out there).

So instead I bring you the Christmas survey I just received by email. Feel free to play along in the comments or on your own blogs.

Wrapping paper or gift bags? For Christmas, I prefer wrapped gifts. I'm usually a gift bag girl, and I haaaaaate wrapping, but the gifts under the tree need to be wrapped.
Real or Artificial tree? I prefer a real tree, but I currently have an artificial one. Living in an apartment on my own (up until this year!) there was no way I was going to be able to maneuver a real tree in and out and artificial ones have a lot of pluses, but I still prefer the look, feel and smell of a real one. We always had real ones growing up and if/when I have kids I'd like to go back to having a real tree.
When do you put up the tree? Usually the first weekend of Advent. This year it went up the weekend before that.
When do you take the tree down? Sometime in early January.
Do you like eggnog? Yes.
Favorite gift you received as a child? I don't think I could come up with just one. Probably Joey, the doll my mom made for me when I was very young (2 or 3, maybe?) and who I still have, and who has moved with me to every new place I've lived (yes, he is here in the new apartment, although I think he might still be in a suitcase somewhere)
Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. It is from Willow Tree and I love it
Hardest person to buy for? Probably my Grandma and Grandpa. They are just at a stage in their lives (they're both in their 90s and still live in their own home!) where they don't need anything (everytime I visit them they are trying to give stuff away). I love them dearly but I find them very hard to shop for!
What was the worst Christmas gift ever received? I don't really have an answer for this one, either -- my family and friends are generally really really good about gifts. Maybe the year I received a pen with a calculator in the end of it from a distant relative -- the idea was sound, but the calculator was too small to be any good. The funny part of the story was that my sister received a similar box, but hers was empty (we believe that to be the fault of the store, not the relative who gave us the gifts!). After she saw what was in my box she just tucked hers away and thanked the relative for thinking of her.
Christmas Cards? Love them. Love sending, love receiving.
Favorite Christmas movie? Probably the original Grinch (the cartoon). Or Charlie Brown Christmas -- it chokes me up every time. More recently I love Love, Actually or The Polar Express.
When do you start shopping for Christmas? Early November, generally.
Have you ever 'recycled' a Christmas present? I don't think so.
Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My maternal grandmother's turkey dinner.
Clear lights or colored on the tree? Coloured.
Favorite Christmas Song? Too many to list. I can't pick just one. I prefer the triumphant carols, like O Come All Ye Faithful and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Quieter ones I love include Do You Hear What I Hear? and I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day. O Holy Night and Silent Night have special significance as well.
Travel at Christmas or Stay Home? Fortunately don't have to travel too far, just about 90 minutes down the road. Will be going to my parents'. When we were kids my parents had a very strict rule that we woke up Christmas morning in our own beds in our own home, and any travelling could be done after that. I intend to institute the same rule for my own children, but for now I go home to my parents.
Can you name Santa's Reindeer? Of course. Can't everyone?
Do you have an Angel or a Star on top of your tree? An angel.
Open the Presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Christmas morning. Stockings right away when we get up, then breakfast and clean up, then tree gifts. Tradition dictates this very firmly.
Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The commercialism and the fact that Christmas has become very "in your face." Why do stores need to start decorating the day after Hallowe'en? Also the fact that the weather can play havoc with your plans.
Shopping...Mall or online? I love the convenience of online shopping, but there's nothing like wandering a mall with your hands full of bags. A lot of my shopping is impulse, too, especially for stockings, so the mall is better for wandering and being struck with the right idea.
Do you decorate outside for Christmas or just inside? Just inside right now, as we're in an apartment building. When I have a house there will be lights outside as well.
Favorite Christmas cookie? my grandmother's marshmallow squares. Not that I ever get to eat any, as they're also my mother's favourite.
Do you own Christmassy clothing or jewelry? A few red sweaters and a Santa hat.
Do you believe in Santa? Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Still alive

So we have been poked, virtually speaking, by various people wanting to know if we are still among the living. The answer is a resounding yes, but unfortunately we have been keeping such a hectic schedule lately that it leaves little time for either of us to blog. I am also hampered by a new "acceptable use" internet policy at work, which is where I did the majority of my blogging (hence the need for an "acceptable use" policy -- fear not, I see the irony). So I need to blog from home, but this is the first evening I've had at home with nothing to do in weeks.

Since last we spoke, Serdic and I have, separately and collectively:

-- hosted a 40th birthday party for my dear friend D (who is in no small way responsible for Serdic and I finding each other again, as she told me about plentyoffish.com)
-- decorated the apartment for Christmas -- I will try to get some pictures up this weekend, but rest assured it looks awesome, and we really enjoyed putting the tree up together for the first time
-- had a 10 month anniversary dinner at a fabulous restaurant (called Isaac's -- unfortunately they have no website) where I had what I would rate one of the top five dinners out (beef tenderloin in a balsamic cream reduction, roasted potatoes and veggies) of my life -- Serdic made all the arrangements and would tell me nothing more than "dress up" and "our reservation is at 8," which made the anticipation of the evening that much more enjoyable, and the final result did not disappoint (not that I was worried it would!)
-- attended a wonderful Christmas party hosted by my sister, Doc, and her husband, Numbers (I'm trying out new nicknames, but I'm not sure these will stick), which meant meeting some cool new people and getting into the Christmas spirit. It was nice for me to meet some of my sister and brother-in-law's friends and colleagues, and put some faces to the names I hear so often
-- hosted game night, which was a new experience for me, although my role consisted mostly of serving some kick ass garlic bread (if I do say so myself) and then staying the hell out of the way
-- been snowed in (neither of us worked on Monday, as I knew I wouldn't be able to get to work on the bus and Serdic was not sure it was safe for him to be driving either, so we had a snuggle at home day instead -- "I'm going back to bed, are you coming?" are some of the sweetest words in the English language)
-- had more than one hellish commute this week, not related to the weather but related to the stupidity of both companies that provide public transit to the "National Capital Region" -- those rants are pretty much a blog entry in and of themselves, so perhaps that will be elaborated on later in the weekend
-- lost my good winter hat, the only hat I have ever owned that looked (dare I say it?) cute on me, during one of the aforementioned hellish commutes. Serdic and I are going to go to the STO headquarters tomorrow to see if it has turned up in their lost and found, but I do not hold out great hope. Sigh. I loved that hat.
-- cursed the snow that has fallen EVERY FREAKING DAY for the last two weeks. I love snow, I love Christmas, snow gets me into the Christmas mood, but we passed "too much of a good thing" about five days ago. Enough already.

Add to that the usual weekly rounds of choir rehearsals, chores, work, and all the rest, and you find me one busy beaver. And the rest of the month will just get crazier. Four more parties, I'm singing in two concerts (concert pimping to follow in separate post), Christmas lunches at work, trying to get my shopping finished (Doc and I have a blitz planned for Sunday -- I pretty much know what I'm getting for everyone, I just have to track everything down) ... the list feels endless. However, I'm really looking forward to everything, and this is my favourite time of year. I'm also really looking forward to getting home and spending some good quality time with my family. I am very blessed to be able to see time with my family as one of the highlights of the holiday season, not one of the reasons to dread it, and I fully intend to celebrate every minute of that. Plus this is my first Christmas with Serdic. I can't wait.

The heavens ring, while the angels sing
Peace on earth and goodwill to men
They are singing of God's gift of love
It is Christmas in Bethlehem

Urban Observations

What is it about the first snowfall of the year that turns people into such idiots? Have they forgotten how to drive in snow between last winter and this one? The same thing happens every year around this time, people. It's not a difficult concept.

J and I went to a play at the NAC the other night, and I arrived a bit early so I got to hang out in the lobby for awhile waiting for her. Our appointed meeting place was near the box office, which is right at the main doors, so nearly everyone who arrived for the play came in right past me. After awhile I noticed just how many of the new arrivals were bickering as they came in. I have known couples who bicker a lot, and as much as you tell yourself that it's just their way of communicating and they don't mean anything by it, it always makes me a little uncomfortable. I just thought it was sad how many people would get dressed up and come out for an evening of great theatre, and spend it bickering.

Btw, the play? Very well done, and we enjoyed it very much. It also had possibly the weirdest final ten minutes I've ever seen on stage. As we were leaving J said to me "I'll let you know tomorrow whether I liked it or not; right now I need time to digest it" and I thought that pretty much summed it up.

There has been a bit of a kerfuffle here in Ottawa lately over the failure of the bus drivers to announce upcoming stops on their routes -- it's getting a lot of publicity right now because of a blind passenger who asked to have his stop called out and was ignored, and therefore ended up lost in a different part of the city and unable to make his transfer. OCTranspo's proposed solution was a multi-million dollar automated system that would announce the stops, and they wanted the city to pay for it. As budgets are being slashed around the city and transit fares are already among the highest in the country, the reaction of just about everyone else was "or, you know, the drivers could use the already installed microphones or even, shockingly enough, raise their voices to call out the stops." OCTranspo has promised to try this. So in my very scientific survey of the bus routes I ride regularly, I have discovered that just like every other time when you require a group of people to do something, some drivers are refusing to do it, some are doing it grudgingly, some are doing it half assedly, some are doing it cheerfully. And some are doing it with their own ... shall we say "unique" style? I encountered one such driver one night this week on my way home. He was providing a running commentary much like you might receive on a tour bus, announcing each upcoming stop and also providing information about the services, landmarks, and stores you might find around each stop. The twist was, he was delivering it all in the most Eeyore like monotone I've ever heard. A sample: "Next stop, Bay and Albert. Last chance to transfer to the transitway. If you want. I certainly don't care. It makes no never mind to me. I'll just be driving the bus. It's up to you. Transfer if you like. Also, you might want to stop into the Quickie and pick up a Krispy Kreme donut. They're carbalicious. If you like donuts, that is." Later he provided a "weather" report ("Currently, it is dark. It will remain dark for several hours, at which point it will likely not be so dark. Until it gets dark again."), commentary on other routes ("Here you can transfer to the #2 to Bayshore. The long way to Bayshore. Bring a book." Anyone who has ridden the #2 will know how true that comment is!), and helpful reminders ("Please remember to take all your belongings with you, hats, scarves, purses, small children, packages, etc."). It started out amusing, quickly circled around to irritating, and by the time we reached my stop it had cycled all the way back around to amusing again.

City living, b'y. Nothing like it.

A Short Play, in one act

The scene: A dark, quiet bedroom in a cozy little apartment somewhere in the frigid Northern tundra (a.k.a Canada)
The time: 6:45 a.m.

The alarm goes off. A weather report on the radio echoes through the bedroom.

A woman, still half asleep: Did he just say 'snow'?
A man, looking out the window: No.
The woman: You're lying to me, aren't you.
The man, after a pause: Yes.

End scene.

Too hot to Handel

A couple of weeks ago Serdic said to me, "You like Handel, right?" When I answered in the affirmative he said "there's some kind of Handel recital or something going on in a couple of weeks ... would you like me to get tickets?" I needed a bit more information than that so we turned to my trusty friend Google, and with the information Serdic had we were able to figure out that one of the Anglican churches downtown was presenting Handel's Messiah. So the answer to "would you like me to get tickets" was a most definite "yes!" Messiah is, for me, one of the most glorious works ever written, and it has been years since I've heard the whole thing performed live.

So Sunday night, we went. And I am still speechless, and riding the high that only such glorious and well performed music can give me (see the quotation from Plato that sits at the top of this page -- the man was smart). It was breathtakingly beautiful from beginning to end, the soloists were all in top form and the chorus had a full, rich sound that just soared. And that music! There is a reason the Hallelujah Chorus still brings people to their feet, no matter what their faith or belief system, 250 years after it was written. It is quite simply one of the most incredible pieces of choral music ever written.

As the daughter of a church organist and choir director, music has always been a huge part of worship for me. My favourite part of all the different seasons (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc.) is the hymns and music, and I feel closest to God when I am lifting my voice in praise. So this performance of Messiah was also a very moving experience for me, as the glorious music told the story and made it fresh and new again. It was a great way to prepare my heart and soul for Advent, which is just around the corner.

And, you know, it was just some kick ass music. I'm always in favour of some kick ass music.

Blow-vember

Among a certain group of my friends, this month is often referred to as "Blow-vember." The idea being that November, well, blows. The weather turns cold and nasty, the days get unbearably short (it was dark before 4 p.m. here the other day), we're not close enough to Christmas yet but we're past the lovely part of autumn, and it just generally is a month with not much to recommend it. I know I've certainly been in what one could term a Blow-vember slump for the last couple of weeks. In my case one of the major symptoms is an absolute inability to haul my arse out of bed in the morning (it doesn't help that I now have someone else who is consistently getting up, making the coffee, and bringing me a cup in bed ... what incentive do I have to leave my cozy little nest???). I didn't even hear the alarm this morning, that's how dead to the world I was. I am sleeping later, making a later bus, which means a later transfer downtown, which means getting to work later, taking longer to get settled and productive at work ... blah blah blah.

I'm not complaining, really. Life is still pretty damn good. I've just not been feeling 100% lately, and I think I'm mostly just run down. Serdic and I decided to stay in last Saturday with pizza and a movie, and when we started really thinking about it we couldn't remember the last Saturday night we were both home with no plans ... I think we had to go back to July to find one. So that's definitely part of it. Good things are happening, but sometimes it's too much of a good thing. So I think we're planning to spend this weekend laying low and recharging the batteries, and then before we know it we'll be fully into the swing of Christmas. I've always loved Christmas, but this one is going to be particularly special, as our first Christmas together, so I'm really looking forward to it.

But I need to get some sleep first.