Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
(photo via FYC)
Cold and Crisp
I bundled up and went for a little walk this morning. It is crisp and cold and absolutely December. It’s the kind of cold that flirts with the edge of snow, the below 30 degree cold that could turn into flakes at any second. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t the least bit excited for snow. The city is so beautiful and bright with a fresh layer of snow. It makes holiday’ing official. Which it totally is, and this upcoming weekend solidifies it even more…with or without snow. My parents are coming into town for the 4th Annual “G Family Christmas Kickoff” and I couldn’t be more excited.
This Little Green One Here Seems to Need a Home
My trip to the Home Depot garnered more than just a 6.5 foot Asher Pine. Also purchased was a real, live plastic Charlie Brown Christmas tree (Linus’ blanket included). As I was putting it together, Ryan’s comment was “It looks so pathetic and look- it’s leaning”. True statements but I think that’s the point.
And it makes me smile every time I look at it so I would say it was $9.98 well spent.
A NYE Request
It’s that time of year again. No, not actually New Year’s Eve yet but it is the time of year when people start cementing their New Year’s Eve plans.
And by people, I mean other people. Definitely not me.
Last year, Ryan and I decided what we were going to do on December 31st. At 6:30. PM.
I love Halloween, I am a Thanksgiving person, I start listening to Christmas music in August. But for some reasons, I can’t seem to make New Year’s Eve plans even remotely before the ball drops.
My most notable NYE was my sophomore year in high school. I had one Bacardi Limon & Lemonade, sat in an upperclassman’s hot tub and made snow angels. I remember thinking “This is awesome. This is as good as it gets!”.
Judging by my lack of caring about NYE plans in the past decade, that was as good as it gets.
Every year, I vow to make plans that are awesome enough in advance for me to at least secure a cute outfit. Emails are circulating around my group of friends so I think now is the time.
So, I am opening this up to all of you cool, New Year’s Eve loving, awesome pre-planning people: What was your favorite New Year’s Eve of all time? Do you have any must-experience Chicago New Year’s Eve traditions you want to share with me? And Ryan? And possibly 3o of our friends?
Treat or Treat
Tonight, I had my first Trick or Treaters ever.
There was a sign-up sheet at the front desk of my building and after I signed up as being a “Trick or Treat” Stop, the doorman gave me a hang-tag for my door. So from 4-6 tonight, Luna Bell and I waited with a bowl full of Snickers and M&Ms for the Trick or Treaters to come a’knockin’.
There was a princess, a dragon, a fireman and a spider. Zorro stopped by as did Thomas the Train and Tinkerbell. 13 Trick or Treaters in all. And the beauty of going Halloweening in a high-rise is that all the kids were able to wear their costumes as they were meant to be worn- no sweatpants, no gloves, no snowsuits shoved underneath them. Where I grew up, it was usually snowing by Halloween and my parents would always try to ruin my life by making me wear my snowsuit under the princess costume of the year. I did, however, escape pneumonia so maybe Mama and Papa G were on to something. In any case, these adorable kiddos I saw this evening were in their costumed glory sans layers and looked like they were having a blast, playing on the elevator between floors to get to their next candy stop.
There were no tricks on this Halloween, just treats. Just the way I like it.
High Five of the Day: Goes to the mom who told me that her son is “committed to costumes” year round. The Pirate getup today was carefully selected amidst a closet that also contained costumes to transform him into a doctor, a fireman, a superhero, a wizard and many other. Because you never know when you might want to perform surgery. Or save the world. And you need to have the choice to do either.
Plus Charlie Brown Equals the Holidays
Nothing signals the start of the holidays like a Charlie Brown television special. The music by Vince Guaraldi, the zig-zag on Charlie Brown’s shirt and the way Lucy pulls the football out from under CB gets me every time!
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” is on tonight to once again prove that Linus is the smartest one of them all and is always right…including about the Great Pumpkin.
“There are 3 things you never discuss with people: Politics, religion and the Great Pumpkin.” Wise words, Linus, wise words.