The Importance of Traditions

Friends,

This is a Public Service Announcement.

The Westin St. Francis...has ruined Christmas.

EVERY YEAR. For as long as I can remember, my family and I would always ride the elevators at the St. Francis for my birthday.

Tonight, in accordance with that tradition, we approached the rear of the hotel - laughing, joyful, spreading good cheer. We go past the gingerbread castle, and the tree with electronic icicles. We turn the corner, and are confronted with a SECURITY GUARD, demanding to see a room key before we can go past.

Are you serious? I demand.

...he looks a little frightened. "I need to see your room key"

But I do this every year! For my whole life. IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

...he meekly apologizes, and insists that he needs a key.

I lay into him: "You, sir, have RUINED CHRISTMAS. EVERY YEAR FOR 25 YEARS. TRADITIONS ARE IMPORTANT"...at this point my dad starts dragging me away. He consoles me by offering to collapse, as a distraction, thereby enabling me to sneak away to my elevators.

I should have cried.

Music

So.

It is the 16th of December. Christmas is next Friday. I refuse to tell you where I am with my Christmas shopping; you will be enormously embarrassed. Whether embarrassed on my behalf for my amazing lack of shopping, or embarrassed on your end because you are horribly and terribly behind.

You will have to suffer in an agony of uncertainty.

However, one fantastic thing that did happen since my last post...days ago...was that instead of doing gifts at work, we all exchanged mixes. Brilliant idea.

HERE'S MINE:

1) Canto de Ossanha - Afro Sambas

2) Uptown Downtown - Benjamin Zephaniah

3) Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap

4) Cocktail Swing - Paul Englishby

5) Oye Como Va - Tito Puente

6) Obsessed with You - The Orion Experience

7) Ramalama (Bang Bang) - Róisín Murphy

8) Mahna Mahna - Cake

9) Koop Island Blues - Koop featuring Ane Brun

10) The Garden - Mirah

11) Evil Night Together - Jill Tracy

12) Comrade Z - Devotchka

13) I Wanna Be Loved By You - Marilyn Monroe

14) Tamacun - Rodrigo Y Gabriela

15) Old Devils - William Elliot Whitmore

16) Danger! High Voltage - Electric Six

17) Little Green Bag - George Baker Selection

18) Everything I Can't Have - Robin Thicke

19) Argentine Tango - By Someone I Don't Know

Look em up. Admire my impeccable music taste.

Do it.

Book Club for the Non-Nerdy

OK...maybe nerdy.

I am in / have been in a number of bookclubs over the past couple of months. Currently, I am in two: The Book Club for the Non- Nerdy (ok maybe nerdy) AND my work book club. Since it really can't be a good idea for me to talk about work here, let's focus on the books selected by the non-nerds.

We have had a select few already:

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

The Three Coffins, by John Dickson Carr

Tender at the Bone, by Ruth Reichl

Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell

Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpha Lahiri

Today's discussion was regarding Lahiri's book, and team - I LOVED it. And not just for the company, which was fabulous. Everyone contributed something: there were spring rolls, and curry, and kabobs, and NAAN, and chicken tiki masala, and me. I baked. Per the usj: ginger molasses cookies.

I enjoyed the book itself, and I wasn't really expecting to, true literature not really being my bag. I had forgotten how much I liked the short story format - I found myself going through the book rather quickly. The stories are very human, and very full of what I deem to be the stuff of life - love, family, dealing with tragedy and dishonesty, growing up and growing old.

...well I suppose that was nerdy after all. Nerdy, and full of the sweetness.

On...Plants?

Yes. Completely random, considering I have absolutely zero skill with plants. Seriously, I think I have killed my succulents. That's right! Built to survive Los Angeles, and I manage to kill them.

Ridiculous.

Actually, per the usj, you can blame this one entirely on Apartment Therapy for bringing SteamedGlass to my attention.

Specifically, Professor Alexander's Botanical Vasculum:

Yes, It's $200. But it. is. so. awesome.

So that of course kicked off a craving for terrariums of all kinds. And really - they have been all over the design blogs like cheap suits:

and

and

...You get the picture. You could even go whimsical! If you have whimsical tendencies (as I do):

And for the grand finale - you could go all out. Hard Core. The Real McCoy - except that I suppose these aren't technically terrariums, and in fact are closer to aquariums. The Man is attempting this. And you will all join me in admiration:

You know what you call this? You call this proof that the Chron is worth something, for supporting these men and their business:

I don't even have to SAY it - I can hear you all thinking it from here.

That's the sweetness.