Christmas Music

Here in Utah, we have two radio stations that play Christmas music exclusively at this time of year. They’re big competitors, and they’re always trying to get the jump on the other. When they started, FM100 was playing 100 hours of Christmas music (therefore starting about 4 days before Christmas). Then 106.5 decided to get in on the game and started earlier. As they continually try to “one-up” each other, the date continually moves up. This year, they started before Halloween. Next year, they’re going to start around Labor Day.

As I’ve listened to the holiday cheer, I’ve noticed that Christmas songs seem to fall into roughly four categories for me. Though some can be put in more than one category, there are a few clear lines.

First, there are the traditional, “classic” songs. You know, White Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Joy to the World, Deck the Halls, Oh Holy Night, etc. The good stuff. The ones that every artist has to sing. The ones that I can still imagine being played on a record player.

Second, there are the classic songs that have nothing to do with Christmas. Winter Wonderland, Sleigh Ride, Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, Let it Snow. They’re fun songs, but they’re actually songs about winter in general. So, why don’t we hear them in January? My January could use a little cheering up with “Winter Carols.” And while we’re talking about Christmas songs that aren’t really Christmas songs, what’s up with playing “Favorite Things” at Christmas? I mean, it came from the Sound of Music. Do they even have a winter scene in that show? Wikipedia notes the following: “The wintertime imagery of some of the lyrics has made ‘My Favorite Things’ a popular song during the Christmas season … although in the show and movie it is sung during a summer thunderstorm.” Uh-huh. A summer thunderstorm. Can’t think of anything more Christmas-y than that!

Third, there are the Santa songs. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Up on the Housetop, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Here Comes Santa Claus, Jolly Old St Nicholas, Santa Baby. Again, fun songs that deal only with the commercialization of Christmas, avoiding the “reason for the season.” These are the ones that kids are still allowed to sing in public schools.

Then there are the new songs. Ah the new songs. While there are some that I enjoy (generally the ones by BNL), most of them drive me crazy. Christmas Shoes; Do they Know it’s Christmas?; So This is Christmas; Grownup Christmas List; Last Christmas. I don’t know why, but these songs just grate on my nerves. Maybe it’s because they’re played all too often on the radio at this time of year. Maybe it’s because I have no memory linking them to wonderful Christmases in the past.

Or maybe it’s just because they’re stupid songs.

For example: “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” This is a song that focuses on those less fortunate than us, specifically those in Africa. While I appreciate the sentiment and the charge to “feed the world,” I find it humorous that the song points out that “there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas.” Well, duh! When was the last time they had snow in Africa? And why on earth is it a bad thing that they’re not getting any this year? I mean, really, have the writers of this song ever been in snow? Would you really want to wish it on a people who are in no way prepared to handle it?

Wanna know what’s on my Grownup Christmas List? An ITunes card, some clothes, jewelry, books.

And of course, World Peace.

Good Times

I've been thinking a lot lately about little memories I have from my childhood. Just random things that have nothing to do with anything, but that make me smile when I remember them. I thought I would share some of them here.

There was the time that I typed a paper on my brother's computer. It was the first time I'd ever used a computer, and I hit "return" at the end of every line, like you would with a typewriter (yes, I'm that old). Brian had to teach me that the computer wraps the words itself. Then he fixed my paper for me. I wonder how long it took him to go and backspace all of those "returns" out of there. Hey - thanks, Brian!

Once, when I was a teenager, we performed a tricky Chinese Fire Drill in Rose Park. (For those of you who don't know what that is, it involves getting out of a car, running around it, and getting back in before a red light turns green. The more people involved, the better. In a two-door car with five people, it can definitely be tricky.) During this particular drill, one of my brothers nearly lost his shoe as he got back in. Ever wonder how that one shoe got in the middle of the road?

When I was growing up, there was a spot in our side yard where our parents allowed us to dig and play in the mud all we wanted. There was a slight incline, and we would make rivers and roads and bridges and tunnels in the mud, and then we'd put the hose at the top of the hill and turn it on, so that the rivers would fill. We always loved it when one of the dams broke, because we could get away with "swearing." (Dam it! Dam it!)

I remember spending hours on our swingset out back, pumping as high as I could and singing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" at the top of my lungs. Bet the neighbors loved that one. That swingset was also the site of some major competitions (who could jump off and get the farthest without taking a trip to the hospital, for instance). The set had a slide on it, and I remember one time we put a kiddie pool at the bottom and a hose at the top to make our own waterslide. If I remember right, it didn't work out so well. (I know - shocker!)

I have memories of getting up out of bed for one reason or another and finding my parents sitting on the front porch, enjoying the cool evening air and chatting together. Depending on my reason for getting up, they would either tell me to get back to bed, or they would let me sit on one of their laps for a while. It was so peaceful.

...makes me want to be a kid again...

Driving

I got stuck driving behind a student driver the other night. Since I had plenty of time to think (going 20mph in a 45 zone), I began to consider all the things that we aren't taught in Driver's Ed.

For instance, everyone learns (eventually) that when you are at a red light, it's important to watch the car in front of you. If they roll a couple of inches forward, you must immediately follow suit. If you don't, you risk getting honked at by the person behind you, who saw the movement and can't figure out why you're not trying to get closer to the line. After all, that extra inch and a half may make the difference between making the green light and having to sit through another red one.

Try it sometime. Next time you're sitting at a red light, inch forward a little and then watch the cars behind you. Or better yet, try to stop yourself from moving when the car in front of you rolls. It's goes against all instinct.

Apparently there's an unwritten rule in some areas (I've noticed it in the Midwest) that you must stop at least one car-length behind the white line. I don't really understand this, but there must be a reason. Maybe the pedestrians there tend to break into dance halfway across the street and need the extra room...

My favorite unwritten rule about driving pertains to the "fast lane." This is, of course, the furthest left normal lane on a freeway. (In Driver's Ed, they call it the "Passing Lane," but once you're out of class, you immediately learn that's a misnomer). Because it is the Fast Lane, you automatically have the right to get upset with (and flash your lights, yell and make obscene gestures at) the person in front of you, who is only going 15 miles over the speed limit, when you wanted to do 20 over.

They teach you in class what to do if a stoplight goes out, or is flashing red. We all know that we're supposed to treat it like a four-way stop. What they don't tell you is that at least half the population doesn't know how to work a four-way stop. So good luck with that one.

We are also taught that a turn signal indicates that you'd like to get into a different lane. This only works in some states. Not in Utah. Here in Utah, a turn signal indicates that you would like the car in the next lane to speed up and then match your speed, thereby making it impossible for you to get into the lane in time to make your turn. We work on aggression here in Utah. You have to really want to get over. Forget the signal, and just start forcing your way in.

When they honk at you, they're really just telling you how much they admire your driving skills.

TV Geeks

A lot of roommates have fights over who gets the remote. Not my cousin and I. When I come in the room, she automatically gives me the remote. This is for two main reasons.

First, I’m deaf. I inevitably have to turn up the volume when I come in. Although I have to say, I’m not so sure it’s that I’m deaf. I think it’s just that Christina has the hearing of…well, something that has really good hearing. Or maybe she just isn’t as anal as I am about hearing every tiny detail. I don’t know.

The second reason is because I’m really good at skipping certain things on the DVR. For instance, on So You Think You Can Dance, I’m really good at fast forwarding through all of Mary Murphy’s comments. Holy cow, that woman’s got an annoying voice!

Luckily, we both enjoy the same types of shows and movies. We love having our DVR, so that we can fast forward through all the commercials on our favorite shows. We record at least one show every night. We’re also big fans of TV on DVD. We have an entire bookshelf dedicated to our collections.

We’re TV geeks.

Random

Woohoo! Day Two, Post Two! I'll be waiting for your comment, Meghan!

I worked from home today because I was sick, which means I have a lot of random thoughts going through my head (why one leads to the other, I couldn't tell you... but I'm feeling random, so it works).

First of all, I'm pretty sure I got more done today than I do when I'm actually at work. Apparently watching What Not to Wear and a couple of movies is actually a great way to increase productivity. Or maybe it's because I had a window today. Or because I was lying on the couch. Of course, I'll probably get to work tomorrow and realize I didn't get done as much as I think I did...

You know what cracks me up? When people tell you that you shouldn't have the same password for everything. Not that it doesn't make sense. Really, it does. If someone cracks your password, and you have the same password for everything, then suddenly your entire life is laid out before them. But it's not realistic. Everything, and I mean everything requires a password these days. I have a list of my passwords, and it's over 60 items long. And there are probably ones I've set up that I didn't put on my list. (Okay, so I probably no longer need the password to pay the bill for the gym I used to go to - you know, the one that no longer exists in Utah - but I mean, you never know when you're gonna need it again.)

We need to clean out our fridge. There's some stuff in there that would grace the tables of a science fair. How does that happen? And why did we buy it in the first place? We both knew we weren't going to eat that salad stuff. Wishful thinking? Or were we trying to impress each other? Hmm...

Why is it that when someone yawns, we automatically assume they're bored? I mean, last time I checked, a yawn indicates either a lack of sleep or a lack of oxygen (depending on who you ask, I guess...). It has nothing to do with lack of excitement. So if I ever yawn when listening to you, get over it. I never go to bed before midnight; it's inevitable that I'm going to yawn several times a day.

And why is it that when you hear the word "yawn" it makes you want to yawn? I can't even read the word "yawn" without the desire to, well, yawn. Hence, I am now yawning. And chances are, you are too...

Blogging

Okay, this is it. This is the week. The week when I blog every day. I can feel it. Really, I can. Every day. How hard can that be really? I mean, interesting things happen to me every day, right?

Yeah, not so much.

But, everyone keeps telling me that I need to blog, and I agree. I mean, it's been more than a month. And that's just wrong.

I've had good intentions, I promise. I even took pictures on the Fourth of July so that I could make fun of my brothers and dad and how intricately designed they make their fireworks show (it was actually really cool). But I never got around to emailing them to myself. And then, on the 24th, I was the one up there with Joseph planning out our show, so I couldn't take pictures then.

(It was a blast, by the way. Bunch of pyromaniacs, I know...)

So, there you go. My first blog of seven this week.

Of course, on Friday, we're all headed to Wisconsin for a Bruner Family Extravaganza, so I guess the "every day this week" will depend on whether or not we have internet access in our hotels (you'd think I would have checked that out when I booked them...). But at least I'll have all kinds of interesting things to blog about next week!

Disneyland!

For several months now, Emily and Jason have planned to take Ezri to Disneyland for her 4th birthday. Ezri was very, very excited. They invited me and Christina to go as well.

Whenever we asked Ezri when we were going to Disneyland, she would say, "Tomorrow." I'm pretty sure that "tomorrow" means any day in the future for her. She was beside herself when it really was time to go!

We left Friday morning and drove eleven hours to Anaheim. The kids did very well, and slept a little bit.
Saturday was our first day in the park, as well as Ezri's actual birthday. Christina bought her a princess dress, which she absolutely loved (she thought she'd have to give it back and was very happy when we told her she could take it home with her). I treated her to lunch with all the princesses at Ariel's Grotto. Ariel greeted us as we came in, and then the other princesses (Snow White, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella) came around to everyone's table to talk and take pictures. Ezri was absolutely beside herself, especially when Sleeping Beauty (her favorite princess) came to talk to her. She giggled and grinned for about fifteen minutes after that visit!Besides the princess lunch, the Tea Cups were her favorite part of the park. She would have gone on them all day, if she'd been with adults who could have handled that much spinning. She also got to meet Mickey, and we saw Minnie from afar (she says that she wants to meet Minnie next time).
Riker's favorite ride was the carousel. He loved that nobody had to hold onto him and would laugh the whole time. He'd also spend time gazing up at the mechanism as if he were trying to figure out how the thing worked.
On the second day, we went to Disney's California Adventure, where they have an area just for little kids. It was a hot day, so we let the kids play in the water - shoes and all! They absolutely loved it!
After more time in the park on Monday, we left Anaheim at about 3pm and drove all night. The kids tried to sleep, but it was difficult for them. In fact, it was rough on all of us. We got fairly loopy and laughed a lot, but I wouldn't recommend it. We decided that next time, we would stay in Anaheim till the next day and just drive home then...

In all, it was a very fun trip, and Ezri talks about it every day. I asked her yesterday if we should go back. She thought for a moment, and then said. "No. Let's go tomorrow."

Thanks, Emily and Jason, for such a wonderful time!!