Merry Christmas Eve

A Merry Christmas Eve to you all.

Christmas Eve, to me, carries more magic than Christmas Day. Christmas Eve is the culmination of all of the anticipation, the preparation... right around bedtime, with the fire softly dying down, and the glow of the lights in the living room. I could just lay on the couch for hours with quiet Christmas music going and stare at the tree. Presents? Who cares?

We watched my favorite Christmas Story last night -- Dickens' Christmas Carol. It was the 1938 version -- I'm not sure I remember seeing that one before. But in it was a line that may be unique to this version, or maybe I just overlooked it before.

It was Scrooge's nephew Fred at his Christmas gathering -- after talking about how his uncle Scrooge thinks Christmas is a humbug, he says:

"How can anything that gives an excuse for this" (meaning the togetherness and festivity they were sharing at time) "a humbug?"

Indeed.

Merry Christmas, all!

Nutcracker

Well, we went to the Nutcracker performed by the Minnesota Ballet here at the University Concert Series. At almost 42 years old and a Christmas freak to boot, it's about damned time I saw the Nutcracker. Oh, I've seen bits and pieces here and there on TV, but never the whole thing.

Come to think of it that was my first ballet.

We went to the Heidelberg first -- because we could walk from there, and it was convenient and inexpensive. It brought back memories for Kristin -- apparently all the girls from her sorority had a standing appointment there every week to debrief each other on the last weeks crazy happenings. So she had a few stories.

Then we walked to Jesse Auditorium. It was a cold night for a walk. The performance was a dress rehearsal for the real thing tomorrow and saturday. Ryan and Kristie are going to see it (same troupe) in St. Louis on Sunday. So that's why the tickets were cheap -- but to my untrained eye, I thought it went off pretty well, regardless. They didn't have to stop it at any point. They said they might. Any slips were quickly recovered and they could've happened on any night.

Very pretty. Lots of pretty chicks in flowy things flitting and twirling all over the stage and smiling a lot. And a few guys to hold them up so they don't fall. ;-) Seriously, it was pretty enjoyable. Young girl gets a nutcracker for Christmas, and apparently somebody spiked her nog with acid and she went on this odd trip involving rats & nutcrackers & faries & queens & snow. Or maybe it was a dream. I don't know. You make the call.