It's Officially Christmas Music Time

[yasaman]

Going back to work after my five-day Thanksgiving vacation was hard. :( Thanksgiving vacation itself was nice though! No snow, and it was relatively warm up in the mountains, but what are you gonna do. California perpetually laughs at the concept of seasons. 60 degrees is still better than the 80 degree weather that the rest of Southern California was treated to over Thanksgiving. Also, it was really nice to be up in the mountains where seasons still exist and the leaves change color. Not that they don't in the rest of Southern California: trees just get really confused, with some shedding their leaves after the first cold snap, and other hanging on until like February.

We were a slightly reduced company for Thanksgiving this year. My cousin Alham and her husband Alex couldn't make it this year, as she is eight months pregnant and can't get on a plane. My cousin Arazo's husband had a death in the family, so he couldn't make it, and she was only at the vacation cabin for a couple of days. This also meant that I was suddenly in charge of cooking the side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. Not that I minded too much, since the side dishes are the easiest part. It's not too stressful to have to whip up some mashed potatoes, green beans, and roasted vegetables on short notice.

Things I did and didn't do on my Thanksgiving vacation:

• Did not participate in any snow sports. The lack of real snow significantly reduced my enthusiasm for any fake snow activities. 
• Played Taboo with my brother and cousins, and heartily mocked my brother's team, because oh my god, they were terrible the first round. He was saddled with my cousins Ray and Jay, who could not guess the word astronaut when given the clue Buzz Aldrin ("Is that a coach? It sounds like coach's name!") Also, hilariously, they would spend about half their time arguing about their terrible guesses. 
• Started reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, some six years after I first bought it. And of course I am reading a pirated ebook copy on my Kindle rather than the honking monstrosity that is that 900-page book in hardback. That shit's physically painful to read. Much easier to read in ebook format, though I am about 200 pages in and very little has happened thus far. I was defeated by the prose's Dickensian feel when I first tried reading the book sometime in high school, and I never managed to get back to it. You will note that the first mention of reading the book in my journal is from December of 2006. Anyway, I am determined to FINISH IT. It is a cozy sort of read, rambling and slow-paced, so it's not as if it's bad.  
• Watched something like four episodes of Castle while everyone else was at the slopes. I more or less stopped watching Castle somewhere around season two, because the will they-won't they got tedious and I was supremely uninterested in Kate Beckett's womanpain. All I want from Castle is lolzy rom-com murder mysteries! That's it! Thus far, the current season seems to be delivering on that front. I will promptly ditch it as soon as it stops, but I was very charmed by Castle and Beckett as an established couple. Also, you guys, Stana Katic is super hot. Like, really. Nathan Fillion has passed his peak attractiveness point for me, though he is still charming and delightful, so Stana Katic is my shallow eyecandy reason for watching the show. 
• I did not do any Black Friday shopping. I pretty much never do. The way the media obsesses over and fetishizes Black Friday frankly creeps me out, and makes it seem like we're making sacrifices to the God of Capitalism.  
• Complained about my cousins' taste in alcohol. Filling up a solo cup with about 2/3 vodka and 1/3 orange juice IS NOT A SCREWDRIVER. It is like three shots' worth of vaguely orange-flavored vodka. Also cabernet is kind of gross. Other alcohols available included: whiskey, Newcastle beer, Corona Light, and merlot. Whither my fruit girly drinks? :( 
• I pretty much ate constantly, it was great. I tend to not eat much of anything outside of meals during the work week: I might have a sweet or some fruit, but that's it. I have neither the time nor the appetite during the week. When I am at leisure though, I basically eat whatever whenever. I probably ate half of one of my apple pies all by myself, and I regret nothing.

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