Damn You Bing Crosby!

OK. Enough already. The Christmas spirit is still here, still feeling goodwill toward men and all that, which is good because we postponed our Christmas until tomorrow. But really ... enough with this weather. It is still snowing!!! Where is the rain we were promised? Why doesn't Santa love me? I have been a very good girl this year and all I asked for was a little rain. I couldn't even get inside the grocery store today because my car kept getting stuck in the parking lot because of the ice/snow/slush piles and Albertson's inability to rent a plow.

Seeing this white stuff flying around outside my window makes me want to run out in the street and punch each little fluffy flake in its little fluffy face. Fast flying fists of fury!!! Righteous weather rage! I realize that this might make me look like a bit of a lunatic but oh how glorious it would feel.

On another note, I never want to hear Bing Crosby sing how he is dreaming of a white Christmas EVER AGAIN. Bing can take that song and cram it up his Bing-hole.

Merry Christmas You Old Building and Loan!

It's back! I have the Christmas feeling again!!! Late in coming and sticking this year but apparently the best thing for my crabby self was to go to work today. Christmas spirit and good cheer was everywhere. Even with the lousy weather everyone was upbeat and friendly and full of warm Christmas wishes for all. A resident's wife that I helped back in May thought enough of my help that she brought a card and a 2 lb. box of See's chocolates for me. People wishing each other "Merry Christmas" in the halls as they leave for their holiday. Something about saying "Merry Christmas" to people just melts my little withered heart. It also helps that our family Christmas was postponed to Saturday so no one had to worry a bit about the weather tomorrow. I now have a three day Christmas Eve and can get out to the store on Friday and gets some things for Christmas dinner and for a little Christmas baking. Stretch out the joy!

On my way walking home from work (with detour for cheap 7-11 wine) the Christmas spirit made me feel a little like George Bailey. I felt like yelling out: "Merry Christmas convenience store! Merry Christmas faceless condos growing like a cancer in my fair city! Merry Christmas you old fabulous nursing home!! Merry Christmas all you people driving in the slush! Merry Christmas apartment building!"

Most importantly, a heartfelt "Merry Christmas" to all of my friends. As Clarence tells us every year on Christmas Eve (you all ARE watching aren't you): "No man is a failure who has friends".
I am truly lucky to have such wonderful friends and to have you all in my life. I hope your holidays are filled with much love and joy!

P.S. Don't worry. Snarkiness will resume shortly.

Blue Christmas

I love Christmas. I look forward to it every year and I can hardly wait to feel the excitement and the joy of the season. This year has been quite the opposite. No matter how hard I try I can't seem to sustain any sort of Christmas spirit. I decorated trees, visited reindeer, listened to music, did the luminaria walk at Green Lake, saw "The Nutcracker", made out Christmas cards, drank eggnog, wore my reindeer antlers, bought and wrapped packages and still . . . nothing. This happens to varying degrees some years but this year I blame Mother Nature.
I know some of you LOVE the snow but it has dampened the holiday spirits of most everyone I know. A little snow was pretty but a week and a half of ice and snow and not feeling like we can drive anywhere is enough. All I want for Christmas is 40 degrees and rain. Glorious, gray Seattle skies and rain. Wash this crap away.
Because of the weather we have cancelled my dad's birthday party twice. I had my traditional Christmas dinner and gift exchange with a good friend cancelled. My mother was to come up for a girl's night at Hotel Ann-Marie -- cancelled. Two different outings with two dear friends -- cancelled. Now there is a very real chance that we will be postponing our Christmas to this weekend because of the weather. UNCLE!!! UNCLE!!!
However, I know that shaking my fist at the sky and complaining won't change things so I am trying to look on the bright side.
I can't get out to visit my friends and family but at least I have wonderful friends and family I want to visit and who want to visit with me.
I can't get to the grocery store to get food for Christmas but at least I have the money to buy the food and am quite clearly not going hungry.
I might have to slog down sidewalks packed with at least four inches of ice but at least I have a good job to go to and really great co-workers.
I can't dump my garbage or recycling and it is piling up in my apartment because the city can't get here to empty our dumpsters but at least I have food, newspapers, magazines and (most importantly) Diet Coke to consume so I that I need the garbage service.
I can't get out to go anywhere but it has allowed me to spend a peaceful few days organizing the apartment, really unwinding and snuggling with the kitties.
I can't ramp up my running like I wanted to when school was over because the sidewalks are far too dangerous but I have my health so that running is even an option for me.
Thinking about this situation in these terms seems to make it a little bit better.
But Santa? 40 degrees and rain please.

Happy Solstice!

Hooray! Starting today the days get longer. I can't wait.

I left my little cocoon today and went for a walk this morning. Here is what the first day of winter looked like around my little corner of the city.

Christmas Cocktails

One of the beautiful things about Christmas is that it is so heavy on tradition. There is something comforting about listening to the same songs, eating the same foods, and watching the same movies each holiday. It is nice to have new things thrown in as well but it is the traditions that really make it feel like Christmas.

Growing up one of our traditions was the Christmas Eve "Christmas Cocktail". We would all get our "cocktail", a.k.a. a Shirley Temple, and have our pictures taken while we felt very grown-up. It was just one more way of adding something to look forward to to the evening. These are a couple of pictures from all of our cute years.

I just might make a Christmas Cocktail for myself tonight. Of course, mine will be a Roy Rogers made with diet, caffeine-free Coke and I have no footy pajamas but the spirit will be the same.

Ice

Dear church I pass on my walk to work,

Next time you feel the need to ask yourself "What Would Jesus Do?" why don't you include de-icing your fucking sidewalk in that answer?

Love,

Ann-Marie

Nursing Home Entertainment Gets Edgy

Oy! Christmas Trees!

There are few things I love more in life than a Christmas tree. I light up like a little kid whenever I see one and I look forward a ridiculous amount to decorating mine every year. Last weekend I got the pleasure of setting up and decorating four different Christmas trees. Sadly, they aren't all mine but I do get to spend lots of quality time with them.
First, on Thanksgiving night, Kevin and I set up my little tree. Then my boss and I set up our tree and village at work the next day. It is much prettier now that we have covered the pictures with wrapping paper and big bows.

Friday night Kevin bought his first big Christmas tree. It is still pretty minimalist because he doesn't have many ornaments. I fully intend on fixing this.

Since the parent's health isn't so great these days I spent Saturday decorating their tree while Matt and Kevin put up their outside lights. Six of the 18 gallon tubs of ornaments later the tree was mostly done. There was at least another tub that we were missing but we ran out of time and energy. I come by my love of the anti-minimalist tree naturally. I hope you all enjoy decorating your trees. I, for one, am quite done for the year.

Stop Dashing My Hopes

For the second time in a week someone has taken the last of the See's Chocolates from the box, closed the lid and left the box sitting on the table for poor, hungry, unsuspecting co-workers to find. What kind of sadist does this? I'm this close to setting up some sort of "Snack Cam" to catch the culprit. Maybe I can school them in the use of the new fangled invention called the garbage can.

Takin' My Baby to the Poor House

The former Multnomah County Poor Farm (House) to be exact. Constructed to house the poor in 1911 and used for that purpose until the 60's when it was turned into a nursing home. Now it is McMenamin's Edgefield Hotel and it is the Greatest. Place. Ever. This was my birthday present to Kevin.

The Edgefield is this big beautiful building that is surrounded by about 30 acres of vineyards and gardens and open space. They have kept the character of the building and fully embraced its past. This was hands down the most charming hotel I have ever been in. So much character and warmth in this old building. All the old buildings have been turned into restaurants, a spa, a distillery, winery, brewery and lots of little pubs all around the property. Former incinerator? Great place to shove a tiny little bar where you can throw peanut shells on the floor. Former morgue? Home for the pottery studio. Former power station? Pub with movie theater and meeting rooms. As with all McMenamin's properties this one had their distinctive artistic touches everywhere. Most notably was on the exposed pipes throughout the building.

There are creative touches like this everywhere. It would take years to spot them all.

We had the most relaxing weekend I have probably ever had. Lounging around doing nothing, getting a couples massage, soaking in the heated outdoor salt-water soaking pool, eating tasty food, getting ridiculous amounts of sleep, more soaking in pool, wine tasting, beer drinking, more food, more sleep, etc. etc. If you ever get the chance. . . go here! I have heard good things about the other McMenamin's hotels too and we can't wait to try them all.