Schlaf im Himmlischen Ruh

As a kid, we had to learn to sing that auf Deutsch (Schtille Nacht, Heilige Nacht). Such were the punishments of attending Lutheran grade school. We also TRIED to learn to sing Adeste Fideles - but since we weren't Roman Catholic we didn't do so well with the Latin.

We have carols playing here all day long. It's not as annoying as the stores, because they have ALL the songs, not just the 2 that annoy me. D, one of my co-workers has house-lighting fever. I fervently believe his family is single-handedly responsible for all global warming due to their conspicuous electrical consumption. ComEd must LOVE them.

In some ways, I miss the whole childhood Christmas Eve school pageant/service thingy. Practicing walking on the wooden risers on the stage in the Gym without STOMPING LOUDLY. Remembering the Auf Deutsch words and learning to walk up the risers in a choir robe without tripping and falling on your face and dropping the little electric candle you were holding as you marched in.

Enviously wanting to yank every one of the long blonde banana curls out of Rhonda's hair. (Mom thought I looked cute in a short page-boy style. Ugh.) Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with no breathing room in front of the kindergartener's chairs they brought in for us to sit on - and thinking you would faint from the lack of oxygen before the 8th graders ever finished the "Magnificat", and wishing we could just fast-forward and skip over to "Joy to the World" and get out of there and do the presents-opening thing...

Wondering why we had to bring TWO cars to church when we lived only 1/2 mile away, and Dad always left the service/program about 20 minutes before we did... (Hello, Santa!!)

On the other hand - putting up lights and a tree for just a few weeks is so much work for so little "perk" - I'd rather spend the time working on the house.

Tomorrow is my last day of work for the year. All this 4th Quarter vacationing is sooooo unusual for me. Not that I'm complaining. Much.

396 days

Winter Wonderland

I grew up near Addison, Illinois - a small town out in the rural area, but with a nifty little amusement park - now long gone - Adventureland

They have since widened the cross-street, built a "berm" in the former parking-lot and turned the area into a business park. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to go wandering around in the remaining wooded area there - would I find old "Skee-ball" tokens? Perhaps a cheap metal ring with a plastic "stone"? I wonder if anything remains of the amusement park that once was?

I drive past it every day on the way in to work. Such memories. *smile*

In the spirit of "The Season" - whichever "Season" you choose to celebrate - here are a couple links. First the lyrics to "Walkin' Round in Women's Underwear" - sung to the tune of "Winter Wonderland" - couldn't find a YouTube version that I liked.

Then this video of a song that Kal Trauma Queen once sent me back in the days when we hung out in Harry's Bar. Ho Ho... EVERYBODY sing!!!

398 days