Reasons to be cheerful, one two three
Could this be the most depressing photo ever? Maybe not if you’re from LA, I guess. Anyway, let’s take our minds off of this with some more heartening images. This post is unabashedly about me. I hate doing that to you but I drank a little too much tonight and that’s the kind of drunk I am.
Look, it’s England! Does it seem too soon to take another trip? Not if I go with Pious B! Yes, this is what we discussed over wild salmon with herb butter, saffron risotto, and glazed green beans. We’re looking for cheap airfares for around Christmastime when the music industry shuts down and we will be free, free, free at last. No work piling up at the office, no charts to ponder, no records released, let’s be jolly… in England. Please make me aware in the comments section should you find yourself on Expedia or Orbitz or Kayak or the travel site of your choice and see an extraordinary deal. Doesn’t have to be today, any day’s comments would be swell. As soon as you see it, really. Being the Jews that we are, we are willing, nay desiring, to travel right on Christmas day. We’ll wave at you as you’re opening your gifts. Sorry about the socks. Bye! So if you see something under, say, $450 a person, don’t keep it to yourself! If you find it on Continental, Pi will give you $10. If it’s on Delta, I’ll give you $15.
Moving right along, this is my new mixer. It’s wending it’s way to me right now from Amazon and it was a steal! My Purim cookies are going to be just even more fabulous next year than last. And my rugelach will melt in your mouth. I mean, it pays for itself in rugelach, really. But I’m going to make bread too. You have to spend bread to make bread, people!
Don’t tell me I should have gotten cobalt blue or persimmon, please. White was cheapest and I’m redoing my kitchen next year anyway. And if you tell me, I will take you off my cookie list.
Finally, here is Stephen Colbert. I met him last night! I took Niece2, who is 15 and has an e-mail address which exhorts you to vote Colbert, to the book signing at Borders and she almost jumped out of her skin. I forgot the line I was going to say which was, “you look even truthier in person.” Alas. All the writers signed too, even though they’re on strike. I made one of them laugh, even, but since they did not have name tags, I could not tell you which one. He’s my favorite now, though! It was in the Time Warner Center and I had a loaf of bread (no mixer yet) from the Whole Foods downstairs in my environmental cloth bag. He said, “you brought a loaf of bread?” I said, “it was a long line.” I actually should have had Colbert sign it. I mean, Niece2 had him sign a bag of Doritos. We actually one-upped each other for two hours on line by proposing things we would have signed. She won by spotting a woman with a baby in a carrier and saying, “if I had a baby, I’d get my baby signed.” I couldn’t really top that.
Honorary mention goes to David Nalbandian for winning his Masters Series event in Paris by beating Rafael “ass-picker” Nadal. But I really helped with that due to MY MIND because I told him it was his chance to break several times whilst watching the match on my teevee. And to Paula Radcliffe who won the NY Marathon completely without my help because I was watching Nalby at the time (see the line just before this one).
Title comes from Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Reasons to Be Cheerful, not available on Napster.
1. At least Joe is not:
A. managing elsewhere in the American League (especially not elsewhere in the AL East), or
B. wearing a Dodgers cap with a B on it.
2. If you fly on Christmas Day, you’ll get to watch a movie, obviously, but will they let you take Chinese food on the plane?
3. White! Excellent choice, Becca! (I like prune hamentaschen, but I don’t care for poppy at all.)
4. I made Susan Stamberg laugh once, almost 20 years ago. It was very rewarding; she sounded exactly like herself. It was also a little surreal, really. I was standing there, face-to-face with her, but every time she spoke, I glanced around the room looking for a radio.
You haven’t experienced England until you have a jolly flight attendant greet you upon arrival with an enthusiastic ‘Happy Christmas!’
I covet your mixer. I’ve heard I might be getting one for Christmas (instead of socks). I hope so.
I would love to get away for the holidays but we’ve heard that all of the spawn of wurdi are coming to stay with us.
I guess this puts the kibosh on the trip south, huh?
Alex, oh I don’t think there was much chance of Uncle Joe doing that. And I know this might be strange, but I’ve never gotten that stereotype. I don’t actually know any Jews who go to the movies and/or eat Chinese food on X-mas. We always stayed in and watched Christmas movies on TV; our favorite was Miracle on 34th Street. I still adore that movie.
Thanks for your candid, truthful opinion on my color choice! I only make raspberry (as I hope you noticed this past year).
I Googled Susan Stamberg but I’m still not clear who she is. An NPR person?
Pi, I am desperate to do that! I must have that experience! Also, Christmas crackers.
Ima, it was the original plan to use a gift card I always get for the holidays for this purpose but this sale was irresistible, plus now it can help with my holiday baking. You can use that excuse yourself!
Sarpon, not at all. That is for MLK weekend and will be cheap (airfare only), as I had a kind offer to stay with Maureen. Provided, as before, there are indeed cheap fares that weekend. I mean, wouldn’t everyone want to celebrate MLK weekend in Atlanta?
Poor Joe. At least he gets to be with Nomar and DLow in Red Sox Nation West.
I like white mixers! I like cookies!
When I was in high school, my family went to Mexico on the Fourth of July. No one there did anything to celebrate, though. It was strange 🙂
Love the mixer, I have one similar and use it all the time for baking. I don’t suppose you would be willing to share the rugelach recipe? I have one and it is good but I bet yours is excellent!
I use this website to check fares for all airlines:
http://www.itasoftware.com/
You can not book on it but it pulls all airlines. Most agents use this to check fares.
Right now Delta is the cheapest- $525 yes, per person but roundtrip 🙂
You have to remember, for me Torre will always be the ex Cardinals manager before our current guy.
Do I hear $500? Anyone, anyone?
D’oh! Of course I remember: raspberry, not prune. I hadn’t actually had raspberry before last year. Very good filling choice. Much better than cherry.
I’ve had a crush on Susan Stamberg for years–since she was the regular afternoon co-anchor of All Things Considered, back in the ’70s. So smart, so witty, such a great radio voice. Of course, she’s about the same age as my mom. And, sadly, just widowed–probably not quite ready to start dating yet.
I like cookies. The Dodgers, not so much.
Enjoy your mixer!
Soxy, I once spent the 4th of July in England. Talk about irony.
Kat, it comes from a cookbook so I don’t want to break copyright by publishing it here but I have no problem e-mailing it to you. Look for it in an inbox near you!
And thanks! That’s the fare we saw, alas. Let’s all think falling fares thoughts, shall we? People have the power!
Mid, do I have to remember that? Well, OK, I will. Man, was he a loser. Who’d hire that guy?
Pi, not from me. Yet.
Alex, would you believe I have never, ever listened to NPR? Unless…. is Morning Becomes Eclectic an NPR show? Because I’ve listened to that on the Interweb. But is she Jewish? Because I know people.
KP, thanks! Hopefully you’ll enjoy its results too sometime. In your fancy box. (That’s a private joke, which I don’t usually do, so I shall explain – “fancy box” was on the menu at a sushi place KP and I went to in Union Square and, being that we’re 12, it made us laugh and laugh).
I am still laughing about it actually.
of all the years for you to go to England over Christmas holiday, it had to be this one when I’m NOT going. I’ve been for the past five years already. Are you staying through New Years? If so, ask me for some tips for if you want to see the fireworks at the Eye, or do something else instead. I had a blast one year just doing New Years in a restaurant. The whole restaurant got quietly involved with each other and it was magical. If you write, I’ll tell you the story.
I can also tell you lots of other things about Londoning over the winter holiday time. Things about how to dress, what kinds of crowds to expect, when stores are open (and not), how to get around, etc.
waah. I sure wish I was going this year! I could finally meet you … in another country! I’ll probably go again next year though. That’s the way it goes.
Oh, at the moment we’re staying through nothing as the ticket price is just not coming down. Perhaps I will use the mixer and do a “Bake Sale For Airfare Dollars.” But we would in all likelihood come home before that – they have a pretty good New Year’s in NY too. 😀 And, as well, we’d need some recovery time before going back to hell, er, our jobs.
Thank you for the kind offer of tips! I will say, though, that I can’t remember exactly, but I think Pi has been to England a few times and as for me, the UK is the place I’ve been to most often on this earth besides Israel. I wrote a post about it in the dark ages of this blog but it’s so long ago, I’m sure I’m the only one who remembers. So here it is:
http://tinyurl.com/34az8e
I just haven’t been back in a long time because first I bought an apartment and couldn’t afford to travel except for family occasions for a few years and then after that all my travel was “purpose” travel. Even this last trip had limitations on where I could go. But I miss the UK! And I think Pi does too. Well, she preferred Paris, but I was there last year. Another “purpose” trip.
But I’d still love to hear your story! If you don’t want to post it here, do write me. Then I’ll post it here. Oh, I kid. And you’ll just have to come to NY and meet me here.