webcowgirl

Today I decided to celebrate having a holiday on a day where there was nothing to celebrate by having people over for pancakes. So I made buckwheat pancake batter and lovelybug, babysimon, and trishpiglet came over and kept me company (and ate my food). This was actually fabulous and very cheering and a really good plan on a day when I might have got a bit mopey.

You see, my plan for Christmas, to keep me from getting hit with mega-depression, boo-hooing, and the usual "my life is a disaster" feelings (as my life is a disaster) was to make sure I spent every day with people. I had this covered really well as I was going to be Chez noirem from December 23-27th, and then wechsler was going to return from his parents on the 28th (after the pancakes were all served) and hang for a full day of toodling about London just before his surgery. Only ... everything got tossed upside down and I wound up being at home and having peopleless gaps in the schedule. In the land of the people dealing with bad stuff (or, rather, "me"), these gaps usually get stuffed full of self-hating thoughts and "if I was only a decent human being someone would want to spend the holidays with me." (It may not make sense but when I'm really down this is how my brain works.) But I counteracted them with exedore and English National Ballet's Nutcracker yesterday, and today I had people hang out with me just for ages, and it was super nice. I should look into hosting people for breakfast on weekends more regularly.

Anyway, I finally dashed off to the Streatham Odeon to see Harry Potter and the Really Long First Half, which was fine but irritatingly done in digital projection. Doesn't anyone care that they're just basically watching a giant TV screen? I mean, if people are going to sit there and text people on their phones and talk loudly during the show AND I can see the pixels on the lamps in the tent, what's the point of seeing this in a movie theater? I came home and felt ultra worn out but dragged myself through writing up the really wretched non-ballet Nutcracker I saw two weeks back. This was the one I described as "Kate Bush's Christmas Acid Trip." I only wrote it up because I've realized, basically, it was the single worst show of all of 2010: thus, its name must live on in ignominy. Butterfly Wheels: you are the baddicle of the year.

Two front teeth are fine, thanks! Went into the doctor this morning and had my blood pressure measured. 145/82 , diastolic looking really good. Not having tea beforehand helped but realizing I had five minutes to make it up the street to my appointment did NOT! However, overall I am looking much better than I have the many years prior to this, clearly I am making progress in reducing my life-stress and getting to a healthier physical state.

In a sudden change of events, I am now home and hosting a Christmas dinner for 3 at my place. I'm pretty happy about this, really. The weather has meant bad news for many in regards to their Christmas plans, but my biggest worry was spending it by myself. I knew I had that covered, but as it turns out I'll now be helping someone else not to spend Christmas by themselves, and that pleases the person in me who loves to be a hostess and help people out. I am also sure now to be in London in time to play nurse for wechsler post-operation (starting December 30th). I'm really sorry about not getting to enjoy a snowy, lovely visit with noirem, but I know I'll be seeing her again before too long - Inverness is now a place I feel very warmly about, even if it's actually quite cold there! To make it all even better, I am now snowed under (as it were) with further invites to people's houses, on the 23rd, the 26th, and the 27th. And of course there's Pancake Day in December here on the 28th ... hope you can make it!

Yesterday was interesting as I had a major fustercluck trying to get out and see a show. I was heading south to London Bridge from Angel at 6:45 ... and the Northern Line just stopped running, flat out, after I'd been waiting for 15 minutes wondering what was going on. I wound up on a bus, then on a taxi, desperately trying to get to Tower Bridge in time for a 7:30 start time ... then wound up, at 7:40, realizing the theater had sent me two receipts with two different addresses, and the one I was at was not where the show was taking place. Bad job, Theater Delicatessen. This may be the year without a Christmas Carol for me and I am not pleased. However, I had a lovely pint with Sophie that well made up for it all, and I think, given that earlier I'd had dinner with exedore, that in fact it was a jolly evening full of Christmas cheer. So there!

Anyway, today is work from home day, and I need to get back on it ... the awesomeness, though, is that the meetings I MUST MUST MAKE SURE I ATTEND OR SOMEONE COVERS! have almost all been cancelled. Woo!

Massive highlight of weekend: getting four more days sorted out for January, including a game night, a show, a Xanadu night, and a girlie chat evening. This is the kind of thing that gets normal people excited, right? This is how I like my life to be, lots of things to do, lots of time planned with people, happy things to look forward to as well as Be Happy Now.

This was a very busy weekend. I haven't knocked out my review debt yet and will probably skip "Kate Bush's Christmas Acid Trip" from Friday; however, this afternoon's trip to Kneehigh Theatre's Hansel and Gretel is now recorded for posterity. Best thing about the show: seeing it with booklectic, whom I'm really going to miss while she's gone for Christmas. Wah. On the other hand, we're going to watch Xanadu together in January, and how awesome is that?

Rest of night was teaching new person to play Puerto Rico and then winning a bloody battle of four by all of one point, then trying this Board Game Mashup thing that's making the rounds these days. It was pretty cool but I suddenly realized at 9:15 I'd hit the wall and needed to go home, which is where I am now just having written a review, and the wall is staring at me and by God, it's way past bedtime. Tomorrow will be my last day of doing retail and I am ready for it to be over and the holidays to begin!

So in some ways I think this is going to be a massively sucktastic Christmas, as, well, my life is in what I would call major transition right now. I haven't spent a Christmas without a loved one by my side in, oh, seems like decades. I should feel lucky, I'm sure, but, well, instead I feel lucky that some people I really like are willing to open their house to me for some Christmas cheer. Thank you so much noirem!

I also am finding myself doing almost no Christmas shopping because, well, I don't think I'm really GETTING any gifts, and don't much have people to exchange with. But I kind of have an imaginary Christmas list, of things that I want but don't feel like I deserve to get for myself. I'll probably get some of these things for myself eventually, but ... I don't know, I don't feel like I deserve so much of a treat a lot of the time. But this is my ideal list of presents, and the good news is: some people have given them to me! That makes me happy. I'm also happy because my Pilates teacher gave me a present, and that makes me feel kind of honored. Sick, isn't it, but I always kind of wind up idealizing my coaches, and she's always so kind and funny and it just makes me happy that she'd see me in the kind of light of someone that deserves a present.

So:

1. Tate membership. Concept: ideal present from my dad as it can be bought from afar; I can enjoy it all year long. SCORE! He has bought me this!
2. Box of home made Christmas cookies. Concept: deelish treat I never have time to make for myself, can't get in the UK as people don't really go in for cookie baking and too expensive to ship, reminds me of being at Grandmas. SCORE! This nice person on Twitter is going to mail me some anyway, I am now totally in her debt. Also <3 !
3. Someone who will go on vacation with me somewhere warm in January or February. I hate feeling stuck here because I can't find people who want to travel with me and travelling alone is frankly like an .
4. Books. There are titles by Connie Willis and Kage Baker I still don't have yet and this needs to be fixed! (Amazon wish list has most of them.)
5. Tea. Real tea! Good tea! Not flavored tea! Not herbal tea! Not that stuff that smells like pipe tobacco! Actually I got a catalogue from Mariages Freres today and it was TOTAL PORN for me, even though a lot of what they have is flavored tea. They have this whole series of new tea tins with the word for tea written on it in different languages (including Tibetan and Arabic) and I craved it in a very bad way. Best bets: black tea, unless you're ms_vermilion, in which case I know you will just pick something brilliant.
6. You. Real you! Good you! Not flavored you! Preferably you hanging out with me! This has got a lot better over the last few months but I'd still like to spend more time with people. Bonus if we can go see a movie, a play, or a classical music event, but I'll also do visits for meals and a natter. Have me, will travel. (Wait, I didn't mean it like that.)
7. A Persian kitten. I miss Boo, that's all there is to it. I want a new kitty, and I'd like the pleasure of watching on grow up. You only get to do this about every 10 or 15 years and I'd like to take advantage of being catless to get the full-on kitten joy experience. And I really liked my little lint production factory. But this is the gift I'm pretty sure I won't get. So, why not ask for ...
8. A pony! I've been really good and I promise I will love it forever. I'm sure it will fit in the yard, and mom already said okay, so can I have one now please please please?
9. Oh yeah, and I want a tea set by the guy who did this set of cups. His name is, I think, Judia Uviche, and he's one of the oldest and best ceramic artists in Caltagirone. However, I think that would run about 300 quid, so there's no way I'm getting one from anyone except from me, but, gosh, I really want to get one made for me before he dies.

Well, you probably all know where I stand religiously, but boy I sure do love my sparkly tinfoil tree. I'm setting it as my default icon for the next week, at which point I think I'll switch to the Narnia tree for as long as it's cold outside.

I did actually go to the trouble of reviewing the show we saw last night, "Sandy Toksvig's Christmas Cracker," though truth be told I had far more fun watching "Snog Marry Avoid" with trishpiglet and babysimon. It's not a traditional Christmas show but it did make me feel merry, as did the lovely afternoon I spent with wechsler wrapping presents and eating Christmas Eve Spaghetti. J and I are now ready for a full 36 hours of merry-making before we go to Istanbul; my guess is that it's all going to fly pretty quickly.

Last night was my big night out of the year, the trip to the fancy dress ball that required a new dress to be done right.

I spent the day watching Southwark Playhouse's Christmas Carol (really fun, please go see it if you like the story and buy your tickets soon as it's selling out quickly, details to follow). When I got home I settled down to finish my review of The Misanthrope that I saw on Friday with Amy and J, the one with Keira Knightley (summary: a good night out, but not worth 50 quid - more in the 20-30 range).

wechsler and I headed out quite late to the fancy dress ball. J went to "The Peryl's (a band) Victorian Christmas Extravaganza." My evening consisted of: 35 quid tickets; 500 people in room fitting 300; performances that you couldn't get to because of the crowds and couldn't see if you made it in the room; the zipper on my dress busting (FAIL!); five quid for 1) a mixed drink 2) a beer 3) orange juice 4) water; a 40 quid taxi ride home. J had: good music; a gift from Santa; two pound beers; one pound slices of cake; piles of friends; a bus ride home. I do really think he had a better evening overall. It all makes me think that next year I should host a Steampunk Christmas Extravaganza, hire a hall, and really make an event worth attending.

After what I would call a fairly bad start to the day, Christmas started picking up when the "outlaws" (my sister in law's family) showed up. They brought over the Christmas presents that were waiting for us at their house (half for my brother, half for me and J) and we gave them the ones we had for them. Then, of all things, the doorbell rang - and it was the postman - delivering a package on Christmas day! Well! We certainly knew for sure that we were in New York, the city that really never sleeps. (In fact, it's been making London feel a bit 17th century. I mean, the subway was running today - with people in the ticket office! It was great!) Then we got to open another present of two, and then call my brother and SIL and visit with them for a while before we headed out for the day.

Then it was off to Dim Sum "Go Go" in Chinatown, where the four of us (after an hour spent trying to park the car, don't ask) had the most amazing dim sum I've had in ages. The variety of gorgeous vegetarian steamed rolls alone blew me away. It was (sadly) all done by ticking off things on an order box, but at least this made it easy to know what the eating options were. The restaurant was half filled with Jewish people, if I'm not mistaken - I felt like I was in the Secret Jewish Christmas Party, and I liked that a lot. I swear people were winking at us and acting generally conspiratorial, like we were all there together. Which in some ways we were. Thanks to koaloha for the hot tip - I want to have dim sum on Christmas day every year!

At this point we said goodbye to the outlaws ... who still thought we had Christmas dinner to go to (it had got switched to Christmas eve after thedivas found out we were stuck high and dry that evening) ... and headed off to the half priced tickets booth at Times Square to see if we could get tickets to Forbidden Broadway (we did). We killed some time at Wacamba, the gay Colombian bar, then stopped in "Carve" (760 8th Ave) for the second best pie we've had (the garlic butter on the crust was the selling point). Then it was down the street to the 47th Street Theater for "Forbidden Broadway," in which nearly every big show on was mocked deliciously. (With luck I'll get a full review up in the next two days.)

Afterwards we went to Marie's Crisis in the Village - a proper divey piano bar, like the Sea Wolf meets Sorry Charlies. It was in the basement of the building where Thomas Paine died, and a man was sat behind an upright with a bar (to hold drinks) attached to it, playing away while he and pretty much the entire bar sang along to whatever he was doing. This was great - really homey and unpretentious. We were joined by koaloha (in person at last) and proceeded to shoot the shit until sometime around midnight or so. She's got an idea for my first movie and I am looking forward to spending a lot of tomorrow with her. She gave us a Christmas present - a cab ride back to Brooklyn (she had the cabbie drop us off before her stop) - which was really great. When we got back, I dug into yesterday's congee and we opened the remaining presents from wordknitter and irrationalrobot. Thanks, guys! We'll get your presents in the mail soon.

And now - it's 1:30 and I am going to bed. Harold Pinter and Eartha Kitt in the same day ... isn't it sad?

We spent the only productive part of today looking at the reconstructed apartments of two Jewish immigrant families who lived in lower east side tenement buildings during the great wave of Jewish immigration into the states. I was fascinated with the whole Tenement Museum project - it was kind of like a much more thorough version of the Dennis Severs house, but still with the magic intact.

Based on how tomorrow is going, I'm thinking it would be great to start a new Christmas tradition of biscuits and gravy for breakfast (biscuits from Popeye's, gravy courtesy of the sausages I bought at the really expensive grocery store across the way) and dim sum for lunch. That's most of what we'll be doing. Afterwards we'll be listening to drag queens sing and maybe even making it to a piano bar.

Now we're off to thedivas's for a Christmas even dinner. I'm so grateful we have somewhere to go and some people to spend it with. I've even got a copy of Agricola I bought yesterday for us to figure out how to play. I tried whipping up some stuffing with a kitchen that's not really stocked to do it, but I think she won't mind the randomness of it all. And with luck shadowdaddy won't mind that he's only got one little present from me to open - everything else is lost in transit. *sigh* Oh Christmas snow, how much you've screwed me over.

Miss you all - see you again in a week.

I really haven't been all that good, but can I have tickets for Ondine anyway? The picture on the ROH home page has given me a powerful hankering to see this show.

(Also, Red Lion Square has two lit Christmas trees in it as of yesterday! They were so cheery to see heading home - in the dark - at 5 PM!)

Yesterday ended very nicely; after the big old roast had been served, wechsler, butterbee, shadowdaddy and I played Uno and drank port until we were all very silly. It made me happy.

Dinner itself was a shocking success; ( It was something the size of my thigh but with much less marbling. )We also had roasted parsnips with orange zest and garlic kale (again). Ultimately we had slices of the raspberry star cake from Maison Blanche. I'm very sorry they're closing their Putney branch. Morons.

I don't want to indicate all we've done is eat, but my tendency now is to talk about having biscuits and gravy for breakfast and then sausage and booooooze I mean butterbean gratin for dinner. This is probably because today is a holiday in England and you can't really do much because most of the shops are closed and public transportation is limited. But instead, I'll talk about Stephen Frye's Cinderella at the Old Vic, which we saw this afternoon. ( Spoilers, but in short: you'll get more panto kick at Dick Whittington's Cat at the Hackney, and it is very rude. )

Afterwards, the four of us went to rosamicula's for drinks, which becames drinks and hors d'ouvres AND dinner and dessert (I mean, she said she was going to feed us but I did not expect such a spread!). Wow. We just yacked away - she and interior_lulu are great company and I know butterbee was feeling right at home. We finally got home at 10:30, and ... I've got a whole 'nother week with no work to look forward to! Damn, but it seems like I still haven't had time for my long winter's nap. I'll get to work on that now.