Excitement

Here's my holiday rundown, for those interested....

We had a nice holiday with our family. It was uneventful but filling. Tasty foods seem to have been particularly prevalent in our house recently, with leftovers being heaped on us as we enjoyed tailgating/babysitting/cold-fighting leftovers or a good shared meal with friends or family followed by the other party leaving town. Thus Italian food, Indian food, pizza, chili, ham, and more ham crowded the refrigerator after months of spaciousness. I loved that our holiday dinner with my dad featured ravioli and a green frosted cake (both of which we inherited). I didn't make cookies or candy this year. instead my own contribution to the holiday food haul has been an homage to my recent obsession with Omega-3's and fiber, in the form of a yummy trail mix I made to give as gifts, consisting of nuts, dried fruits, and dark chocolate. Mmm. I think good food makes up for lack of excitement any time, which probably says a lot about me.

We seem to have cemented a new Christmas tradition these past few years where we watch whatever DVD I got, right after David's family eats goose and I eat whatever else is on offer. I think The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou started the trend, or maybe it was Arrested Development. I know last year we watched Amadeus. Repeatedly. This year it was The Color Purple. A much longer standing tradition continued the evening before at my place with the viewing of White Christmas. David and my mom rolled their eyes at my exhilaration over the prospect, but I don't care. I love that movie. I also love Miracle on 34th Street (Natalie Wood is so cute), and It's a Wonderful Life but I missed both this year. At least I saw one holiday movie, that's what matters most. I had no shortage of other holiday media though; David had no fewer than five South Park holiday episodes stacked on Tivo at one point, and we had the holiday specials for The Vicar of Dibley from Netflix. That and the peppermint Peeps we had with hot chocolate meant a quite fun Christmas Eve, I'll tell you. Seriously, aren't you jealous? Actually, the most exciting moment on Christmas came when we nearly got run off the road by a Hummer en route to my mom's. That kind of excitement I can do without. I'll stick with having a marshmallow in my cocoa, thank you.

New Year's Eve is one of those times when we are supposed to manufacture excitement, but I've never been one to follow tradition, more less be associated with excitement. The most fun I can recall having at New Year's in the past 20 years was a dinner party we put on back when we were still in college. It was good fun, but the memory is fading. Not that I've done much to top it. One year in Texas we went to a movie that started at 11, ensuring we'd actually be awake at the New Year. Last year we played Guitar Hero at Tara's, which was quite fun, but not particularly festive. Then there was the millenium year, spent with Tara and friends in a rented house in Lake Tahoe. Sounds good, right? Except that two members of our party (my brother included) had recently been to the emergency room, and two others had medical conditions preventing their participation in much revelry. We watched each New Year around the world take place as we waited for word on the second hospital patient. While I suppose we could have seen our own West Coast midnight as a renewal of sorts, instead I was too tired and sad to care. A few years later we spent another New Year's Eve day in the Tahoe hospital after my brother had a rather spectacular sledding accident. We spent that New Year's packing our stuff for a hasty return drive home. these are my New Year's memories. So is it any wonder that it isn't my favorite holiday?

Tonight I'll probably be watching something on Tivo when the calendar flips, drinking Martinelli's, definitely, and possibly waking David up to let him know he can go to bed. My mother accused me of being quite unexciting, which I can't argue with. I'd rather be happy than exciting, I suppose. For some reason (and I'm sure you are drawing more conclusions about me as I say this), I can't imagine myself as both. C'est la vie.

Happy New Year to you all, whatever you are doing to entertain yourselves tonight.