Thursday, November 30, 2006

HOLY CRAPOLA BATMAN!!!

::::::::::::::::::PAT O’BRIEN UPDATE::::::::::::::::::

9 hours and counting! I even made myself up today so I’m all purdy and stuff  I can’t wait to see him!

::::::::::::::::::TIME::::::::::::::::::

Is it really November 30? Sheesh – that is just nutz! It’s like I keep blinking and MONTHS pass without me even being aware of it! Crazy I tell you CRAZY! This also means that we’re just about four months away from the Getting Hitched Day! I probably would be happier about it if we had a few more things lined up, but we have to wait until after the New Year to get a few things scheduled. That’s the bad thing about a wedding of 20 people, no one wants to schedule you cuz you’re not spending oooooodles of caish.

::::::::::::::::::WORK::::::::::::::::::

Yesterday was the Dirección de Clientes Especializados annual meeting – which went from 10AM until 7:45PM. I was soooo not happy. In general I was being a big pissy pants because I haven’t slept well, and then on top of that I just in general am not happy about having to work later than I have to, and BEING FORCED to go to dinner. Turned out to be a great time – we left at about 8PM for dinner and got back to the hotel at around 12:30PM. Then I drove home from there.

Dinner was for about 45 people at this old Hacienda just outside of Toluca towards Mexico. It was GORGEOUS I tell you! It’s hard for me to think that an entire family lived there – and that’s it! I guess it was extended family too, but sheesh, the pace was huge! Giant cathedral ceilings – fabulous wood steps and crazy decorative wood EVERYWHERE. Just breathtaking. And the food was very good. We had a carrot cake for desert that I would almost kill for again – it was quite possibly the best carrot cake I’ve ever had in my life!

It was also cool because it will probably be the last time I see a lot of those people before I leave. It was fun just chatting, and actually being able to participate (read: Dominate) a conversation. I think I dreaded those events because I would have to sit there quiet because I couldn’t follow or understand and wasn’t able to communicate. But now, I am! Which feels great! Also cool was telling everyone I was getting hitched – they were so happy for me, it was exciting – lots of toasts and advice and people trying to persuade me to have the wedding here at the CTC :D hahaha – just all around hilariousness.

::::::::::::::::::TRANSFER OF POWER::::::::::::::::::

Tomorrow we have the day off because it is the Presidential Inauguration – Felipe Calderon will officially take office and take the power from Vicente Fox. I hope the transfer of power goes smoothly and no one does anything retarded. For the most part I think people enjoy the long weekend and get out of Dodge…I’m just hoping that everything is calm so I can get to and from the airport OK. I would just have Pat take El Caminante (the bus service) but I don’t think I can stand to wait an extra two to three hours until I see him. It would just drive me crazy!!!

::::::::::::::::::CHRISTMAS FAVORITES::::::::::::::::::

Since I’m on a Christmas Music kick, I thought I’d list some of my all time favorite Albums……here there are in no particular order:

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers: Once Upon A Christmas – Quite possibly one of my favorite Christmas albums ever! Every song just makes me want to cuddle up by the fire in a cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and sip hot cocoa with a candy cane in it. I remember thinking as a kid that I thought they should be married because they were just too cute and sang so well together. I don’t think they ever were though. I think this also has lots of fuzzy warm memories attached to it because my mom always would play the LP at Christmas time, for as long as I can remember!

Bing Crosby: White Christmas – just an all around classic. The guy’s voice is amazing and tranquil and just full of tradition and spirit. Who else can get away with demanding Christmas as needing to be White, and also spending Christmas in Hawaii (Me’le Kalikimaka) on the same album? And I think his rendition of Jingle Bells (with the Andrews Sisters?) is top notch – one of my all time faves!

Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas – I LOVE THIS ALBUM! I think it was the first Christmas CD I bought myself. In general I think Mariah is awesome (albeit maybe a bit nutzo) and has an amazing set of pipes, and I love the style of these songs – kinda gospely, kinda ballady – but all over amazing. I remember one particular Christmas Tree Hunting trip where on the way home we were listening to the CD, and during one song we tried to count how many times “Jesus” was said (The song is Jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child – very Gospel Revival-y). I think we made it to 200 and gave up….but it was kind of fun! Also attached to this album – memories of missing my long distance boyfriends deployed overseas or stationed across the country while bawling my eyeballs out to the song Miss you Most (At Christmas Time). Also probably my favorite O Holy Night rendition ever (*NSYNC’s acapella version is a close second. Don’t laugh – it’s pretty awesome!).

The Jackson 5: Christmas Album – this is another one of those albums my mom used to play. Love it! This contains favorites with a soulful twist, and Michael Jackson when he was cute, little and still black. It’s nearly impossible to be still while listening to this – and I can honestly say the only Christmas album where I’ve felt the urge to “break it down” – especially in the car. I’m pretty sure all the Mexican’s think I’m crazy!

Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas – not all the songs on this album are even classic Christmas songs, but I’ve watched the TV show practically every year I’ve been alive and its just one of those collections that are synonymous with the holiday season. And it’s fun and cheery – how can you not like it!?!

OK, I think I’ve killed enough time – still 8.5 hours left to go. I hope everyone has a great day, and I’ll post again on Monday!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We've visited some of the haciendas around Durango where we live and it I totally agree with your comments on their size.

I guess the average Mexican family size is a whole lot larger than the average in the US.

Mark
www.mexico501.com