making a list

The 11-day office closure that I've been looking forward to has already been interrupted by work and is expected to be interrupted by further work next week. In an effort not to succumb to bad mood bears, I've made a list of all of the fun and relaxing things to do when not working.

1. Read about Roosevelt and the Night Circus.

2. Make many cookies.

3. Practice Moroccan recipes for January's cookbook club.

4. Listen to Buble's Christmas.

5. Eat some oysters and see A Christmas Carol.

6. Taste wine. This is a separate blog post in and of itself. After spending hours of research time on tripadvisor, my Sonoma wine country itinerary is a thing of pride.

Dear Santaland Diary,

Usually at this time of year, I like to sit in a comfortable chair and re-read one of my favorite short stories, David Sedaris's "Santaland Diaries." The setting: a winter wonderland at Macy's. The players: demented Santas, screaming children, photo-happy parents, Jon Bon Jovi, and a chorus of elves, as told by David Sedaris, a 33 year-old man dressed in a green frock as Crumpet the elf, who just might possibly be a little bitter about his station in life. Today, the universe smiled down upon me and brought me some extra Christmas cheer as several moving forces converged and I found myself eating a bowl of soup and watching my favorite story being acted out on a stage in front of my nose.

Act 1: My Dublin travel guide had mentioned lunchtime performances at Bewley's Cafe on Grafton Street. But my travel guide also says that Dubliners call the pub the "chipper" and urges the traveler to do the same. So basically anything that comes out of that travel guide has a 50-50 chance of being either really useful information or utter horseshit, and you are really taking your chances on it each time.

Act 2: Yesterday at lunch, I walked into Bewley's to buy yet another Orla Kiely tea tin. A girl at the door, trying to stuff a flyer into my hand, mumbled something about a lunchtime performance. I was on an Orla Kiely tea tin mission, so needless to say I did not really pay attention and all she got was my polite sidewalk smile.

Act 3: This morning, coming up on lunchtime, with half of the office gone and me waiting around for the work day to end, I suddenly remembered that poor girl outside of Bewley's and the lunchtime performances I had read about in that horseshit slash good travel guide. An Internet research project was born.

Act 4: With a bowl of soup and some soda bread, I watched/listened to that favorite story of mine.

"We were packed today, absolutely packed, and everyone was cranky. Once the line gets long we break it up into four different lines because anyone in their right mind would leave if the knew it would take over two hours to see Santa. Two hours - you could see a movie in two hours. Standing in a two hour line makes people worry that they're not living in a democratic nation. People stand in line for two hours and they go over the edge. I was sent into the hallway to direct the second phase of the line. The hallway was packed with people, and all of them seemed to stop me with a question: which way to the down escalator, which way to the elevator, the Patio Restaurant, gift wrap, the women's rest room, Trim-A-Tree. There was a line for Santa and a line for the women's bathroom, and one woman, after asking me a dozen questions already asked, "Which is the line for the women's bathroom?" I shouted that I thought it was the line with all the women in it."

The actor channeled David Sedaris's voice and mannerisms pretty convincingly. The only times I doubted that he was an American was when he said "tay-co" for taco and "Karl" for carol. Also when I saw on the program that his name was Patrick O'Donnell.

Epilogue: To continue on the Christmas spirit, after work I rushed to the first day of the "12 Days of Christmas Market" across town. After such a hard day's work I felt it necessary to reward myself with some mulled wine and garlic mushrooms and Christmas stollen. In a few days I will go back for the German sausage, crispy potatoes, and mince pie. Possibly also to browse the actual wares stalls. Definitely to get some Christmas market PODs. I hope that woman standing by the mulled wine vat is ready for her photo feature in the Review Notes blog!

The End/Sincerely,

KT

The best and worst decisions of the day

Bad decision: Voluntarily sign up self for Advanced Tax training at work and sit through hours of topics called "Urban Renewal Relief" and "Land Dealings" with only a limited understanding of Irish income (individual) and corporate tax systems.

Good decision: Run to Bewley's immediately after work and snag what looked like their last limited edition tea caddy designed by Irish phenom Orla Kiely. Her handbags and wallets cost hundreds of euros/dollars, and I haven't truly been on board, but her designs are slowly growing on me. The caddy only set me back 7 euro and includes 160 Bewley's Gold Blend Tea bags.


Bad decision: Purchase a ticket for Cinderella, thinking it is a holiday performance of the opera variety. Sitting in the theater, munching on my popcorn, I quickly realized that I would be the only person in the audience without at least two elementary- and middle-schoolers in tow who wave laser sabers and butterfly wands. Although the overture was the theme of "Sex and the City", the fairy godmother lamented about botox, and the wicked stepsisters sang "That's Not My Name" by The Ting Tings, the was a show clearly geared towards little children. The clownish character named "Buttons" was the ringleader of my misery, urging the children to shout his name, no louder, no louder!, no LOUDER! I joined in. BUTT-INNSS!!!

Good decision: Leave Cinderella at intermission, treat self to a warm cab ride home, light up the "Christmas wreath" candle, and turn up the Irish All Christmas Radio. Mmmm.

Billy & Chopin, Elliot & Frédéric

I was not terribly fond of the scathing review in the Wall Street Journal of the Billy Elliot musical, which opened in New York last week. Karl Marx in a tutu?? Say what?? I saw the show in London, maybe three years ago, and hardly remember the show turning into "sequin-spangled feel-good socialist kitsch". However, I am biased because the movie is one of my all-time favorites. There's family drama, the overcoming of obstacles, and a boy who just wants to DANCE. (The NYT review is friendlier.)

I was terribly fond of the WSJ article about Chopin and his 27 Études. However, I am biased because Chopin and I are thick as thieves.

This particular piece is probably ingrained in my mind forever. Pour yourself a nice glass of pinot noir before you hit play.

Sviatoslav Richter plays Chopin Scherzo no. 2 Op. 31



Sigh.

Dancing Queen

Today I couldn't help but buy the ABBA Gold album after seeing Mamma Mia at the National Theater last night. It also got me thinking about Boney M. Has anyone heard their song "Sunny"? It looks like iTunes has completely shunned them, but I remember my older brother had one of their CDs back in the day. He also subjected me to a lot of unnecessary Italian techno music in the early 90's, but then again he also gave me Depeche Mode.

P.S. I recommend Mamma Mia the musical. The movie comes out soon too.

Shakespeare Theatre Company free for all

Tonight Ali and I took ourselves and some fancy snacks to see The Shakespeare Theatre Company's free production of Hamlet in DC. The Carter Barron Amphitheatre is a pretty awesome venue for a Shakespeare play - it is outside in the park and you can come early and picnic. Other than it getting a little too chilly later in the evening and us sitting next to a kid who got a little too flatulent, we enjoyed the production. The story is set in modern day, the set design is contemporary and cool, the music is dark and electro, and the actor who plays Hamlet is totally my boyfriend. (Also and still my boyfriend are hockey star Alexander Ovechkin from the Capitals and lead singer Keith Murray from We Are Scientists.) Get thee to a nunnery.