The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer...

...is singing loud for all to hear!
Yes, a line from my very favorite Christmas movie, Elf. No, I haven't really been singing...yet.

I just made taco dip! Hooray! There was a panicky moment earlier when my mom thought she did not have the prerequisite taco seasonings...{GASP!} ... but luckily my brother next door had some. It was a Christmas miracle!

A minute ago, my 19-year-old neice...we shall call her "Betsy", to protect her identity... called my mom's cell phone. Mom usually answers the phone on holidays by saying "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Thanksgiving" or whatever fits. I wanted to be helpful so I answered her phone and decided to shake things up a bit...

Me {in my most professional, yet cheerful voice}: "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"
"Besty": {Long silence. Crickets chirping.}        "Whhaaat?"
Me: "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"
"Betsy": {Long silence. Crickets chirping. Finally, some unintelligible stammering.} "I, uh, I..."
Me: {Uncontrollable silent laughter. I finally handed the phone off to Mom}.

Merry Christmas everyone! And remember... there's room for everyone on the Nice List!!

Christmas Traditions

In my family, for as long as I can remember we've celebrated on Christmas Eve. Over the years we've done various things in the evening, but we always end up at my parents' house to open presents, eat food, and sometimes play games. There are certain things that mean Christmas to me, whether on Christmas Eve, or during the holiday season...

Movies. Yes, I do love the classics, like White Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut, and It's a Wonderful Life and I try to watch them with my mom, but for me, Christmas isn't Christmas without Elf and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! I've seen each of those movies hundreds of times (even multiple times each year) and still laugh at the best parts. Of course, A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original version, please) are also important ingredients, though I don't own the Grinch on DVD yet. I DO own the CD version and listen to it at least once (usually while traveling) during the season. I actually just added Home Alone to my collection too!
 
A tree. For most of graduate school I didn't have a tree since I was gone for most of the holidays/winter break. A couple years ago, I bought this little potted Norfolk pine because I just couldn't be without a tree anymore. It's grown a lot since then, nearly died a few times, and survived a cross-country move. It's my own little Charlie Brown tree! Maybe next year I'll have a big tree...maybe.

Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp. My sister has us over for Christmas Eve lunch for homemade Alfredo, with salad and bread. Mmmm. Love, love, love it. Honestly, the recipe is super-easy, but it never actually tastes the same when I make it.

Taco dip. After all the presents are opened, we pull out tons of food, including taco dip. Mmmm. My younger sister and I usually try to "forget" about bringing it out, because that means it might just last a little bit longer...which means more left over...but everyone knows what we're up to. It wouldn't be Christmas without taco dip. Yum. 

Christmas stockings. When I was a kid, our stocking always had a HUGE orange and apple inside, which honestly wasn't my favorite part when I was young. Now our stockings are filled with all kinds of useful (and fun) stuff, like contact solution, cooking utensils, chapstick, lotion, and on and on. It's fun opening each little present...you just never know what you're gonna get!

Christmas Day leftover taco dip breakfast. Yes, it has become a tradition for my sister and I to pull out the leftover taco dip and eat it when we wake up. Now that she is married and has her own place in town (and I stay with my parents, since I live out of town), I try my best to wait for her... or at least save some. 

Christmas Day breakfast. On holidays we usually have a big breakfast/brunch with hash browns, eggs, kielbasa, fresh rolls, and whatever else my mom decides to throw in (like hot-from-the-oven blueberry muffins). Yummy. 

Music. I've been enjoying a lot of Christmas music on Pandora this year, but I have my collection of holiday favorites, too. Christmases past have found me and my brother enjoying holiday hits on loooong car trips, singing and acting goofy... I kinda miss that this year!   

So. Those are my favorites...what are yours?

Call Me Doctor...

I did it! I passed my oral dissertation defense yesterday afternoon!

Lee said I "nailed the orals" and I got some other really great feedback from my committee members. My toughest committee member was even impressed by the fact that I had knowledge at my fingertips- I could speak to his questions, give him examples of research and didn't get too flustered by his "rapid fire" questions. Although... he did ask me a statistics question that I know and have read all about but when he asked me, WHOOSH!, it went right out of my head. So I grappled with what to say, gave it my best shot and then he said, "No, not really." I'm sure my face got a little red, but I did laugh and made a lame joke about it. Maybe that's why Larry told me, "Nice job today. You are so skilled in the verbiage; even when you are a little off base you are so very skilled. Congratulations!!!"

It was fun. Of course it was nerve-wracking, but I did have fun.

So then I chatted with some of my friends in the Department and went to Starbucks to meet Canadian friend Steve. We had a nice chat and then I was able to just sit and relax by myself for a while. I tried the new Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte and it was wonderful (and caffeine-free --I was already quite wired). I highly recommend it. I also enjoyed a Red Velvet cupcake. It was really quite perfect- I was in a comfy chair, sitting in the sunshine, sipping my lovely tea latte, and Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were playing! Love it!

The evening festivities got started when I met up with some friends at Cafe Vino in Fort Collins. I have never been there, but it was very cool and hip (thanks for the suggestion Talisa!). It was great to be celebrating with my friends...it was humbling to see so many people at the table with me. I had a fantastic time, I laughed a lot, hugged a lot, and had to have someone drive me home... but instead of stress dreams I dreamt of beaches and I woke up smiling.

Today I am going to go clean out my office at work: I'm leaving work earlier than expected, which is A-OK with me.... I would like to keep having dreams of beaches.