Rantings from the bonfire
Behold
Let me just say that when it comes to bringing gothic authenticity to DC, nobody, and I mean nobody, does it like pmhrh (well, ok actually so can deathling, swandust and dreammuse when I think about it.. but you know what I mean).. it was as if I was back at Salvation in New York.. pmhrh made me feel homesick, just for a bit.. raise your elegant Victorian glasses of the finest port to spellbound_dc..
Meanwhile..
THURSDAY: The only thing worth mentioning was that I managed to find time at work to do my annual Scandinavian Christmas food order: pepparkakor and Julmust, of course.. God Jul till alla folket och må du alla ha det jättekult Nytt År!
FRIDAY: I was all set to wrap up shopping this week, however, work got in the way.. again.. I wound up having to work 48 hours this week, thrown into several Sev1 meetings, basically watching the e-Apocalypse before my eyes.. I was unable to leave Tuesday in spite of being scheduled to leave early because I worked Saturday night/Sunday morning.. so on top of having basically no sleep for an entire week, thrown in meeting after meeting, being browbeat upon the head that if this build is unsuccessful the universe will implode before Obama takes office and Phil, it'll be your fault for Obama unable to take office because the universe imploded..
The managers must be the first to go when we revolt..
So I am leaving very late, I was unable to get my sisters Annie and Amanda's gifts done in time for me to be able to have the entire Other Family's gifts shipped out to Illinois in time for Christmas, and so.. my universe just.., ok not really.. but, on the bright side, I did get Mom and oldest nephew's (bio family that is) gifts shopped, so local family is covered..
Now getting that done, of course, just in time for..
Rushing out to Harris Teeter, going to get shrimp platter (yum) and cookies (yes, I do not bake, don't ever, ever, ever ask me to bake, unless you wish to die) and catch a cab and rush up to Sondra's for her Christmas cookie exchange and gift exchange.. I did see Skot, DJ Dragonness and her husband, and carolynn_dc, and a bunch of kids running around (wow Sondra's son Austin is absolutely NOT shy!) and Nickelodeon playing.. OMG what happened to our Scene?.. Later on sanity (relatively speaking) was restored and we watched Cry Baby (Johnny Depp is our Goth leader)..
Now, after that I rushed out to Party #2 in Logan Circle, all the way from Wheaton to Logan Circle (thanks to Thomas for the ride to the Metro), with a bunch of non-scene people but whoever thought grenadine in Corona would make a "Christmas beer" is sick in the head.. anyone knows a REAL Christmas brew is only made by Germans, Belgians or Dominion Ale..
SATURDAY:
Let the world know hereto upon which the glories of rising when the sun has already gone down.. ahhh I avoided the Evil Orb today! And got plenty of much-needed sleep, in time to rush over to Pentagon City Mall for more Christmas shopping experiences.. the augh.. I hate the mall! I really REALLY hate the mall! So if any of my family members do not like their presents, I will gladly give them the receipts and give them directions to the stores to exchange as I am not going to bother..
Ok so Other Family is nearly done, but I couldn't figure out what to get Cheri nor Ravn (I mean what DO you give a Norwegian black metaller brother-in-law?) though Micah's gift is all secured..
So then I go back home (yes couldn't find wrapping paper/tape, ugh), and get all Victorianized for spellbound_dc's Wicked Winter Wonderland affair (also known as Victorian Christmas Party)..
I got a very special treat that night: not only did I see all of the regulars like scarydavedc and heleneotroy (and her band which I'll talk about later), Joe the Writer, belladonnas_web and Jon, Rachel, Billie, sameoldtune, darkness664 and discipula_dc, tuath13 (Ha! THIS time I saw you there, even if we didn't get to chat..), groaninggirl, violinpadraic and Angela, Helen(!), Kirby-Licious, Thomas, Joseph Blackfeather, Daniel and Meg (hope my moonstone cross didn't weird you out too much), myruiner and cheetahdave, oldsmobile_mike, demonfafa and grayce, Lex.. and Lex.. swandust, Arwen, Slash and Tracy, that loud drunk fire-red-headed dude I've seen for years in the Scene, dreammuse, Black Tony (copying your style, HA!), Osiris, Jannea (or however you spell your name, nice to finally meet you formally!), wink_ihsan and anizee, rainingdays and justaputz, Jen(!), dj_transept and loss_of_signal, shadow27 and pmhrh, exquisitetrash and Angel, Misha, coffinwolf, ego_likeness, 2501, did I leave anyone out.. oh yeah, and Voltaire.. hehe
Now what really excited me about the night, other than finally taking a reasonable pic with Voltaire.. .. was that I got to see the incomparable Johnny Benson for the first time in several years!! I am excited about his and heleneotroy's band The Clockwork Dolls (I hope that's right), especially since they're trying to get the Steampunk scene established in DC (just in time for me to have to reorder new googles), and... we all got complimentary champagne (We should have had glasses of glögg instead..), but I got to see Johnny Benson again! Oh and hang with Helen and Joseph Blackfeather on the Metro talking about our blissful time w/o drama as of late!
What a phenomenal night!!!!
SUNDAY: What a phenomenal night!! Oh yeah, considering that I got up around 5:30PM!!!!! Goodbye to the Evil Orb! Anyway, unfortunately that gave me little time to go shopping, but I managed to finally get Annie and Amanda's presents completed, and then figured out something for Cheri and Ravn, and I'm done! Do you hear me, Freaks? I am done with Christmas for 2008!
I also found time to talk to Amanda for a bit, also to Stefan, David and Anders of the Crazy Danes..
Now to face work on Monday.. the augh
That be all! Have a Kewl Jul!!!
Phil the Nordic One from those_who_mourn