White Christmas?

My relationship with snow has definitely been a roller coaster throughout the years. When I was little there was no better news than the weatherman predicting 6 to 8 inches of snow because that meant the possibility of a snow day. And when snow days did happen, when you were little it meant you could run over to your friends houses and build snow forts and have snowball fights until you couldn't feel your face. Then once I got my drivers' license, snow became a huge nuisance. I still remember driving 15 mph along Walled Lake trying not to go skidding into the water on my way to school. In college, snow still sucked. There were no snow days, even when it snowed over 10 inches. Walking to class in the snow was the worst. Cold toes, cold noses, cold ears just to sit boiling hot in class for 2 hours, then walk all the way back home. Now that I'm in Chicago and working 5 minutes from my front door, I welcome snow with open arms. I can't wait to see the city covered in it. Snow and I are back on good terms and I need a white Christmas. Make it happen, Mother Nature.

New Years Rockin' Eve

So I know that I've blogged before about holidays hijacking other holidays and stealing their thunder, but since I don't celebrate Christmas anyway I'm gonna talk about New Years Eve. Plus it's like a week after Christmas so you really can't wait until afterwards to start planning. Alright, for me, New Years Eve has always sort of been an elusive holiday. I've never had an epic New Years. I've never really even had a decent New Years. I mean, I'm partly to blame for putting the holiday on a pedestal, but it still sucks that at age 23 I haven't been able to master NYE. Here's a recap of my last few New Years' just to give you an idea of the amount of failure I'm talking about. [Just a sidenote: I struggled for literally minutes trying to decide which year to use to refer to the past New Years Eves. I decided to use the year it was on Dec. 31, so this year's will be New Years 2011. I don't care if it's right, it's how it's gonna be.]

2010: I spent the night housesitting with a friend and her boyfriend while demolishing super strong Jello shots that I had made. My friend and I watched The Hangover while her boyfriend puked red Jello everywhere. So much fun.

2009: Went to a bar in East Lansing, and I'm pretty sure this was my first New Years as a 21 year old (We went to Harpers. Anyone who knows anything about EL knows this was my first mistake. Lame). Got hammered, danced, walked home alone. My friend and her boyfriend got in an epic fight and I had no idea because I was hammered and dancing and walking home alone. Whoops.

2008: Tried to have a "classy" party with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, but a bunch of randoms showed up and brought Doritos and beer and I don't remember the ball dropping.

That's as far back as I can remember specific New Years occasions; the rest of them kind of blur together into a pile of New Years shit. This year is the game changer, though. My roommate and two of our friends are going to a fancy shmancy party at a hotel downtown and so help me God it's going to be amazing. As soon as I find a dress to wear...ugh.


--Okay, I do remember one amazing New Years Eve, so I think it's only fair in the spirit of balance to tell you about that one. Prepare to be blown away.

1998: I was 10 and I was with my mom, two of my friends and their parents. We went to a nice restaurant and I specifically remember having chocolate mousse for desert. I also specifically remember jamming to Will 2 K on the radio. We went to the movies and saw You've Got Mail, then went back to someone's house to watch the ball drop. For a 10-year-old that's as good as it gets. 

The Early December

It's officially December, which means it's time to watch Christmas movies and listen to Justin Bieber's Christmas cd on repeat. And, like all good Jews, I look forward to a Chinese food fest on Christmas day. The Christmas/holiday season (Don't get caught up in that, I don't get offended when people tell me Merry Christmas, you shouldn't get offended when people say Happy Holidays. Move on.) is, at least in the movies- which is what real life is based on, obviously- about love and stuff. However, my favorite things about winter have little to nothing to do with love and stuff. Okay, maybe peripherally because deep down I'm a hopeless romantic blah blah blah. December. Here's why it's awesome:

Snow. I didn't used to like it, but it never quite feels like winter until it snows and sticks. It's pretty and romantic and too much fun to play in. Now that I'm car-less snow doesn't seem like that much of an inconvenience anymore. Plus, Chicago in the winter is beeeautiful...when the snow doesn't shut the city down.

Pond hockey. Growing up there was a pond behind the houses down the street that we used to skate on. It was pretty shallow so it froze easily and if you were to fall through, which did happen a few times, you were only just above waist deep at worst. It was usually only someone's leg that went through the ice anyway. No biggie. Living in a high rise doesn't lend itself to pond hockey, but it's still something that makes winter awesome.

Hockey season. No explanation necessary.

Home Alone and Elf. The two best Christmas movies ever made. While I'm down to watch these any time of year, it's not considered obnoxious to watch them every day. Which I will. And I'll quote them both until you want to hit me but you won't because you know how awesome these movies are.

It's romantic. Period. From under the mistletoe kisses to the high expectation of the New Years Eve midnight kiss, there's so much kissing going on for cold and flu season. Something about the season makes people want to snuggle up and drink hot cocoa while watching football. Wait. That's not right...

December's just all around a great month, and I for one am glad it's finally here. Although I would like more time to find a New Years dress...31 days is definitely not enough.