Hanukkah 2016: There's nothing Rebecca won't do for latkes!
December has been rolling along much smoother since I got the company dinner out of the way. We've had some really frigid days (as in, the temperature didn't even break 30!) but some milder ones, too. One night, I attended a class at the synagogue, which hopefully will become a monthly thing, where we listen to and discuss secular songs in a spiritual way. This month, it was Ripple, by the Grateful Dead, and Ombra Mai Fu, from Serse.
Another night, Sara and I braved the cold and drove downtown to see Home Alone in the theater! I'd just seen it when we were at Mom's for Thanksgiving, but I don't think I will ever get tired of that movie. We were the only people in the audience who weren't there with kids, which surprised me. I wore my "Happy Hanukkah, ya filthy animal" shirt that Sara gave me last year. Only seeing Home Alone could motivate me to drive downtown at night! (I despise downtown. The parking and traffic there is always awful. Always.)
Hanukkah actually started on Christmas Eve this year. It was cold and rainy that night, but I went out to the big public menorah lighting, anyway. The Lubavitchers were serving hot latkes and sufganiyot, and there's little that I won't do for latkes! They all sang Mao Tzur in Hebrew, and I sang along... in English. On Christmas Day, Sara and I slept in and ate our traditional big breakfast when we woke up. We had French toast, blueberry waffles, bacon, sausage, eggs, chocolate milk, and orange juice, while listening to some of those rare Christmas songs that we don't hate (ie, the ones they never play on the radio): Christmastime Is Here, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, White Wine in the Sun. Sara listened to Papa Noel for my sake, and I listened to I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas for hers, even though that song makes my ears bleed. Mayim had so much fun playing in the wrapping paper and gift bags.
Christmas evening was the second night of Hanukkah, and I took a deep breath and went to a Hanukkah party at the home of Charlie, a man who goes to my temple. I usually hate social interaction, especially at strange places with people that I don't know well, but I'd heard that latkes were being served, and again, there's little that I won't do for latkes! It started out awkward, but I actually ended up having a pretty good time. The crowd wasn't too huge, and enough people were so talkative that I didn't have to say much. And the food was so good! I think I ate my weight in latkes and kugel. Everyone brought their menorahs, and we lit them together at the end of the night. I just bought a new electric menorah made from a recycled circuit board, and I really love it. I ended up staying later than I meant to.
The only thing that marred the evening was the news that George Michael had died and Carrie Fisher (who just had a heart attack) was now on life support. 2016 had better not fucking take her, too.
Man, I do not want to go back to work tomorrow! My coworker A--- is out because he and his wife just had a second (badly-named) baby, which means it will be largely up to me to get our new software system in place to go live by the new year. Ugh, just writing about it is stressing me out...
Another night, Sara and I braved the cold and drove downtown to see Home Alone in the theater! I'd just seen it when we were at Mom's for Thanksgiving, but I don't think I will ever get tired of that movie. We were the only people in the audience who weren't there with kids, which surprised me. I wore my "Happy Hanukkah, ya filthy animal" shirt that Sara gave me last year. Only seeing Home Alone could motivate me to drive downtown at night! (I despise downtown. The parking and traffic there is always awful. Always.)
Hanukkah actually started on Christmas Eve this year. It was cold and rainy that night, but I went out to the big public menorah lighting, anyway. The Lubavitchers were serving hot latkes and sufganiyot, and there's little that I won't do for latkes! They all sang Mao Tzur in Hebrew, and I sang along... in English. On Christmas Day, Sara and I slept in and ate our traditional big breakfast when we woke up. We had French toast, blueberry waffles, bacon, sausage, eggs, chocolate milk, and orange juice, while listening to some of those rare Christmas songs that we don't hate (ie, the ones they never play on the radio): Christmastime Is Here, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, White Wine in the Sun. Sara listened to Papa Noel for my sake, and I listened to I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas for hers, even though that song makes my ears bleed. Mayim had so much fun playing in the wrapping paper and gift bags.
Christmas evening was the second night of Hanukkah, and I took a deep breath and went to a Hanukkah party at the home of Charlie, a man who goes to my temple. I usually hate social interaction, especially at strange places with people that I don't know well, but I'd heard that latkes were being served, and again, there's little that I won't do for latkes! It started out awkward, but I actually ended up having a pretty good time. The crowd wasn't too huge, and enough people were so talkative that I didn't have to say much. And the food was so good! I think I ate my weight in latkes and kugel. Everyone brought their menorahs, and we lit them together at the end of the night. I just bought a new electric menorah made from a recycled circuit board, and I really love it. I ended up staying later than I meant to.
The only thing that marred the evening was the news that George Michael had died and Carrie Fisher (who just had a heart attack) was now on life support. 2016 had better not fucking take her, too.
Man, I do not want to go back to work tomorrow! My coworker A--- is out because he and his wife just had a second (badly-named) baby, which means it will be largely up to me to get our new software system in place to go live by the new year. Ugh, just writing about it is stressing me out...