One thing I forgot to mention about Saturday night: after the handbell concert, but before the Essen Haus, Tiffy and I went to the Festival of Lights at Olin-Turville Park. I did see the display with Santa sleeping, but the part with the little girl who comes down the stairs appeared to be gone, and Santa never woke up. The carolers who come to the door also seem to be completely gone. I also forgot to mention that Tiffy and I went up to see the Christmas tree in the Capitol, and as we came out the back door of Tiffy's sister's building, we ran right into Richard Bonomo. Then we went to the church and ran into Kathbert, but that wasn't as surprising. She took us up to see the decorations for Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Yesterday at brunch it was just Rich, Tiffy, Travalon, and I, because the two Sagittarii who often come were going to 11 am at St. Patrick's. Travalon was a little under the weather after his booster shot, so he went home, and we other three went to Klein's to try to find an ornament for Tiffy's sister-in-law. She wants a particular kind of ornament, a bird with real feathers, and they said they had them last year but not this year. Then we went to CocoaVaa, but they were closed to restock, as they always are every time we have Rich with us, so we went to Infusion Chocolates on Monroe Street instead. Then Rich dropped us ladies off back downtown, so we walked to the Union Terrace, then up Langdon Street to the Edgewater, and then back to her sister's apartment building, where we sat up on the top floor and enjoyed the view. Travalon picked us up at three and took us to First Congo for the Madison Bach Musicians' Christmas concert, and they performed pieces by Charpentier and Corelli that were wonderful, but there's just something about Bach's music. I feel like he's talking to me directly in the voice of God. There's something inevitable about his music, like it had to exist. He was a deeply spiritual man, and it really comes out in his music. I wished I could write like that, and then I thought maybe some of my poetry was like that. It was always the poems that seemed to come to me so fast, like they were being told to me, that turned out the best. The ones I labored over were never that good.
After the concert we went to the Hong Kong Cafe for dinner, which was really good. (I had the fat noodles with seafood.) When I asked our waiter if they spoke Cantonese since they are from Hong Kong, he said yes, but now the government is forcing all the kids in school to learn Mandarin because they want to make Hong Kong less independent. So sad!
Today at lunch we had a Christmas party at work, which consisted of playing Clue in German and eating Mexican food. I was a little bummed, since it was such a beautiful day outside for this time of year, but I did get out for a walk with my colleague later. I guess we're exchanging gifts again at work, which is always so awkward for me. What do you get people you don't know that well, even if you see them every day? I feel like I should have a better handle on what they would want. One coworker gave me Christmas tree ornaments that are like stuffed animals, only a little moon and star and heart. They're kind of cute - does she know I like stuffed animals? But she probably doesn't know I don't actually have a Christmas tree. (Not entirely true - we do have a little fiberoptic one somewhere.) I gave my coworkers ornaments last year, so maybe I'll be lame and give them ornaments again. Two years ago I gave them tiny succulents, and I think mine is the only one that is still alive, so maybe that was a bad plan. You can't kill ornaments.
Famous Hat
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