Holly, Jolly Christmas

It's really out of character for me to be this freakin' jolly around the holidays. I'm loving the crisp, cold air... the sounds of the season... and the snow.  Maybe when it gets down to ten below zero, I've heard "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" 493 times and there's piles of black and yellow snow everywhere, I'll think differently.  For now, I'm freakin' jolly as old St. Nick, himself.  Not having to buy any presents or rush from party to party, I am afforded the luxury of just taking in the things about the season that most people hurry by.

The week prior to my trip and this week has been mostly getting together with friends for meals... I mean, what else are you going to do but eat?  I could go off on a tangent about my fat ass, but that will come after the holidays.  Yesterday, I had lunch with my friend Jason, in town from San Diego.  I haven't seen him in a year or so and rarely chit-chat on any medium, and yet we can pick up right where we left off somehow.  It's nice to have those friendships that don't require a lot of maintenance.

Last night, Matt and I went to see The Black Swan.  Based completely on a performance of Swan Lake, it starred Natalie Portman as a perfection-obsessed ballerina, living with a controlling, perfection-obsessed mother.  As the story goes on, you start to see life imitating art (Swan Lake is about a princess turned into a white swan by an evil scorcerer's curse, broken only by finding true love.  When she finds true love with the prince, he is lured away by another 'black' swan, blah blah blah).  You also see this very controlled, perfect ballerina start to unravel in a psychological shame spiral.  Without giving it away, let's just say that you don't know what is real and what is delusion.  Up for 4 Golden Globe awards (best actress, supporting, movie and directing), as well as other awards, it is sure to be the one to beat this year at any award ceremony and much more entertaining than a night at the ballet.