Friends - I was finally able to meet up with my dear friend Marnie for our traditional dinner at Red Lobster. Nothing "traditional" about the date or location (off the QEW in Etobicoke), we just really like seafood, so I call it a tradition. We've both been busy with our shows (mine in Leamington, hers in Port Hope) and it was nice to take a litte time off and catch up on family news and state of theatre in Ontario (there's still hope!) I also caught up with my pals Will and Jenn from Toronto. Will is actually in Niagara Falls right now doing the Disney stage version of Beauty and the Beast. Jenn came to town and we both saw him rock the house with an amazing cast for an auditorium packed with school kids. If you remember the movie at all, Will played the Librarian who gives Belle her fave book in the opening number, the creepy head of the asylum that tries to lock up Belle's father, Gaston's bartender, and a dancing fork!
Seasonal Events - I went out to Niagara-on-the-Lake to check out their Santa Claus Parade with my sister Kat and her boyfriend Colin. I really fun mix of local floats and personalities promenaded down the streets of town, complete with horse-drawn carriages, costumed mascots, marching bands, and classic cars. Speaking of classic cars, my dad's friend Rick - a pleasant eccentric - has been recognized as the most frequent Rolls Royce driver in the world by a car afficionado magazine! Most Rolls owners keep theirs in storage until a big theatre date or a WASPy cotillion, but Rick drives his to the market for milk while keeping it in prisitine condition!
This is the float from my alma mater, Niagara District SS. I'm just glad that their still remains a school to actually have a float; every time I check back, NDSS is fighting for it's very existence, as the board keeps trying to find ways to shut it down and bus the kids elsewhere. Inane, if you ask me, especially when they try to calculate the amount of square footage of school building per student! As if that is a relevant ratio.
Above you can see The Man himself! I still get giddy as a child when Kringle hits the scene. Did you ever notice that different Santas evoke different feelings? Parade Santa differs from Mall Santa differs from Salvation Army Santa.
Couldn't resist a phot op with my canine counterpart.
Music - The muzaak in the Days Inn in Leamington is chock full of holiday favourites. I find myself breaking into holiday humming, but I've yet to have a full-blown Carol sing, so I must get on that. Fave carols: Nat King Cole's Chestnuts Roasting, Burl Ives' Holly Jolly Christmas, Vera Lynn's Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (with the slightly poignant alternate lyrics sung during WWII), and TransSiberian Orchestra's Carol of the Bells. I also love a good Gospel choir version of Go Tell it on the Mountain. Pet peeve carols: Most pop covers of Carols done with too much Whitney Houston-style vocal riffing. The worst of this is Little Drummer Boy. "Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum" only works in little children choir voices, simple and clean, NOT with more slides than Six Flags.
Food - I had the Swiss Chalet Festive Special as soon as I landed, so that one's checked off! A candy cane is ONLY a candy cane in peppermint flavour; all the bubblegum and pina colada crap out there is sacrilege.
Family - Spending time at home with mom/dad/sis has been a blessing, a real soul-strengthener. The simplest of activities - shopping, cleaning, reading the paper - mean more when close to the fam.
And finally . . .
Brianne - Every single thing I've mentioned so far comes close, but just doesn't add up to having my wife around for the holiday. Our childishness and deep-seated romanticism really comes out to play this time of year, our favourite time of year. So it's not Christmas yet for me, the spirit just isn't completely there until approximately 4pm on December 23rd when wifey makes it through customs. Counting down the days . . .
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