Friday, November 23, 2012

Holidaze

Nevermind that I have a retail job this holiday season, and that I just put four SIX EIGHT dinner mystery shows on my calendar for the holiday season, there are fun things I want to squeeze into the superstuffed schedule this holiday season!



I can't remember what time I get done with work next Saturday, but if I am out of there early enough, I want to go to the Holiday Sing Along & Downtown Stroll. I've never been able to attend, but hear it's so fun and heartwarming in that love your fellow man kind of way. You know, versus the throw an elbow to get the last doorbuster deal behavior that all too often typifies the holidays.



The Austin Trail of Lights is back in all of its cheesy, electricity-sucking, junk food vendors and expensive parking glory! And I am going! There will be open-mouthed gawking at lights and tacky plywood cutouts. There will be consumption of kettle corn and funnel cake. There will be tripping over marauding hordes of distracted people.



I also want to watch classic holiday movies in the grand, historic Paramount Theatre. If you can't be sappy at Christmas, then when?



If I don't have to perform in a dinner theatre show on December 17th (the contract is still out), then I want to go to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar that night to shop locally made gifts and listen to the musical stylings of The Eggmen. The Eggmen are a Beatles tribute band that change into spot-on perfect costumes and wigs for the different eras of Beatles music.

In between all that, I'll be watching my favorite holiday movies at home such as: Holiday Affair, Elf, A Christmas Story, Love Actually, Christmas Vacation and any Scooby Doo Christmas specials I can find. (Yes. I love me some Scooby Doo.)

May you days be merry and bright! Be nice out there, because Santa is watching. And because it's a really dumb idea to be rude to a retail worker to whom you're about to hand your credit card and personal information.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Escape to Dallas

I'm a sucker for festive lights at night (especially of the Asian lantern influence) and glass art (especially of the Suess-inspired variety). When I found out that both the Chinese Lantern Festival and Chihuly installations in Dallas mercifully extended their stays for over-scheduled, under-planned people such as myself, I booked a quick trip!

We hit the Chinese Lantern Festival at Dallas Fair Park first. Some of the lanterns featured traditional Asian themes and subjects. Chad and I liked these best. Some of the lantern scenes displayed strong Disney and Sanrio influences, barely avoiding tripping over trademarks. These seemed more suited to children with poor taste, and were not our favorites.

Silk wire-framed entry gates make for a giant lantern!

Fairy Temple straight ahead with dragon crafted out of plates to the side.


Quilin figures shaped out of glass beads and silk wire-framed bases. Amazing!


I loathe having my photo taken, but these blossom lanterns are lovely.

Next up on the to-see/to-do list: the Chihuly Exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Admittedly, I was bummed that the evening exhibit was sold-out. However, once we arrived, I appreciated the sunlight for viewing all the gorgeous gardens, glass and gourds. (See what I did there with the alliteration? You love it. Don't pretend you don't.)

Charming Chihuly Chandelier


Chihuly Sun-like Orb, Chad's Favorite


Official title is Yellow Icicles, but I think it looks like a spiny cactus

We also ate some stuff in Dallas. Worth mentioning was the yummy Neapolitan style pizza and mista salad from Cane Rosso. Literally translated, that name means Red Dog. Nothing tasted like dog there, so thumbs-up!

Monday, November 05, 2012

idk

When I was a kid, if I didn't know how to do something, I would ask lots of questions until I felt confident enough to do whatever difficult task was vexing me. As an adult, I find that I get many different answers on how I should be doing something, or on what I should be doing, depending on who I ask. Many times, I get bombarded with unsolicited (and usually unwelcome) directions for daily life, menial tasks and far-reaching personal values.

I believe that no one person has all the answers for everyone and every situation. To quote a 1980s sitcom theme song, "what might be right for you, may not be right for some". It's perfectly acceptable to say to me, "I don't know" or even, very occasionally to say, "I don't care". Personally, I try to take the route of truthfully admitting, "I'm not sure, but I'm happy to try and figure it out together."