<p>We also saw Interstellar at an IMAX theater on Thanksgiving. I will confess I had actually never heard of the movie; it was S’s suggestion.</p>
<p>According to the app on H’s phone we walked over 6 miles on Thanksgiving and over 5 miles yesterday. I’m hoping it counteracts the food consumption!</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about problems with families. We successfully avoided ours, so our TG was better.</p>
<p>I’m taking ShawWife to London with me. I’ve got lots of work but she will show her work to a few galleries, see great art (the Anselm Kiefer show is stunning), visit relatives. And we’ve got reservations at Ottolenghi and Nopi, two restaurants by the same celebrity chef that I know she will love. Plus tickets to Electra at the Old Vic. Maybe I’ll need to figure out one nice thing, as I’d like to make this part of her bday celebration (it is the following week in the middle of holiday party chaos). I did arrange to fly first class given my newly upgraded status.</p>
<p>But, she’s got to go help clean out her aunt’s flat. She has had a couple of strokes and has been move to a nursing home and they have to prepare the flat for sale. This aunt was a screwed up human being – I’d say clinically narcissistic – and never worked a day in her life at a real job despite being very bright. She managed to weasel an excessive share of the inheritance from her parents and then donated it all to a trust for the flora and fauna of Northern Alberta (or something like that). I think the thing was to create a legacy for herself (her bios are incredibly self-aggrandizing). Her parents who worked hard and were frugal (the grandmother washed out plastic bags) and over time created a small fortune would be rolling over in their graves if they knew that instead of giving their money to their progeny (she had no kids), she had given it to the flora and fauna. She gave control of the trust to a bunch of sycophantic sleazebags who are milking it to pay themselves and families (sycophants work well with narcissists). It is supposed to be paying for her expenses as long as she is alive but the trustees are trying to get my MIL to do so. My wife is the only person in the extended family (other than her mother, to whom she was always mean) who doesn’t despise this person. We’ve said to the MIL that she shouldn’t agree to pay a thing, that that is the purpose of the trust. We’ll see if it works.</p>
<p>so Shaw–who in your family makes the plans for the restaurants and tours and such?
I declared tonight that if H and D do not step up and start doing some research that our Italy trip will be our last.
When we went to Spain each had a city to plan and no one, except me, did any at all.
So I am curious as to who in your family makes the magic happen.</p>
<p>This is the earliest we have ever put up our tree but it is dry and while windy and cold the best we will get for the next few weeks. Also, I like to take the tree down on the 26th or 27th. We went to our cut your own just a mile away and found a nice small (under 6") and it looks fine. Many issues with lights not working and we do not enjoy each other at all until it is finished. Still, glad this one is done.</p>
<p>S and DIL and G’son were only her 2.5 days. It was actually enough and we appreciated their effort to come down. Made sure they felt rewarded with food baskets and Thai food and so on. They are great parents and I can see how impatient I still am with a nearly 3 year old… Of course, I do not say a word.</p>
<p>I am at the lake. Well below 0 with wind chills. Brrrrr! Was supposed to meet the plumber but he canceled at the last minute. grrrr… I was not a happy camper so they are coming tomorrow around 6:00pm so I have to stay another night here. Listening to Christmas music, doing some online shopping and having an early cocktail. Not a bad gig! 
</p>
<p>Have been doing some research on our “iron” issue. I don’t understand how we can suddenly develop an iron bacteria in a new well. Has to be an issue from the well driller’s side. The big question is that the well tested negative for the iron bacteria a few months ago and our iron level is not high. I need to find an expert in the field.</p>
<p>I love Christmas music. Looking for a new Christmas CD. Can anyone recommend their favorite? Listening to Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Aaron Neville, Luther Vandross, Nat King Cole, Michael Buble and Harry Connick, Jr. mix. I had an old mix with Burl Ives, Perry Como, Andy Williams and Bing Crosby but I can’t find it. What do you listen to?</p>
<p>Got my tree up yesterday. Always makes me cry when I look at the the angel ornaments I bought for the girls every year. D2 didn’t want hers yet on her tree in her apartment. She says it wouldn’t be Christmas at home if the tree was different. missy…you must be exhausted from your tree set ups! </p>
<p>I got an estimate for pulling out my tile floors in the foyer, kitchen and half bath and carpet in the dining room and living room and installing hardwood. I am in shock! $20,000!!! @-) I have so much oak in my house so I need something to coordinate but not match. I asked for stained character grade hickory like I have here at the lake. WOW! Different from the price here compared to in the Cities! Sheesh…</p>
<p>Brrr! Sounds so chilly yet cozy at the same time, northminn!</p>
<p>My absolute favorite Christmas album of all time is the The Little Drummer Boy by the Harry Simeone Chorale.
It was the soundtrack of my childhood Christmas celebrations and I just found it again about 5 years ago. Go Tell it on the Mountain gets everyone up and singing! (It’s on youtube.)</p>
<p>PS I think I have every one of the Christmas albums of the artists you mentioned…ha!</p>
<p>@oregon101, I knew the restaurants and that ShawWife would like them so my assistant made the reservations. The play we picked together – I’m particular. </p>
<p>Woody, when I was a kid we owned exactly 3 Christmas albums and that was one of them. So yes, also my soundtrack. H listens to those old Firestone Christmas albums, featuring Robert Goulet, Julie Andrews, etcetera. He also listens to Bing Crosby but that always makes me remember that he abused his children. </p>
<p>The 16 trees are up but there is SO much cleaning up and putting away to do. </p>
<p>Our artificial Xmas tree is in a box in our living room. Along with a gazillion other boxes. Did not unpack anything yesterday. We’d better start working on it because those unpacking fairies aren’t magically appearing.</p>
<p>I am really bad about listening to music. H’s family ALWAYS has the TV on, as background noise. So if H isn’t here, I like silence. Several years ago I heard an absolutely beautiful piano version of the Nutcracker on NPR. My D did the Nutcracker 10 years in a row so I am VERY familiar with the music, but still love it I wish I remembered who performed it (might need to do some research) but it was so lovely that I stayed in the car and listened to it instead of getting out for whatever errand I was running at the time. </p>
<p>I also like December by George Winston (also piano).</p>
<p>This year I’ve been liking just setting up pandora to run Xmas music. I brought my big Bluetooth speaker in from the pool and now just turn on my cell phone and voila, music background. I’m also loving having the Bluetooth speaker inside for running net flicks off my iPad…we have an old school big screen projector and pull down screen in the family room because I like having an area without TV. This way, I can just jack the iPad into the projector and transmit the sound to the speaker instead of messing with set up.</p>
<p>I think it drives mch nuts that he has all this high end audio gear circa 1970s that cost him an arm and a leg (you know, the space age cone less speakers that are 1 inch thick but five feet tall, etc.) and I instead use my little $300 brookstone Bluetooth speaker but its nice to just pick a style and let it run. I discover, or remember, music I wouldn’t otherwise have thought of, and because I subscribe, there’s no commercials.</p>
<p>And while it may be audio-blasphemy to say, my speaker literally sounds as good as our elaborate set up, and even as good to me as some of the geek Bose stuff we have If any of you are in the market for a good Bluetooth, indoor-outdoor, waterproof, portable speaker, check out Brookstone’s Big Blue Party speaker. It has four internal speaker drivers and a little subwoofer that makes it sound omni-directional and 70-some watts of output. In other words, its powerful enough for a pool party but awesome for movie-quality sound in family room screenings ;)</p>
<p>NM, that sucks about both the Plummer and the iron bacteria. What is your ppm reading of iron that they say isn’t much? Because I’m here to tell you they might be wrong… .5 ppm IME will stain. My water guy says otherwise, but I now have my own test kit and can prove it. </p>
<p>NM did you actually get a lab test saying it was iron bacteria, not iron? Because if its definitely iron bacteria, I’d go to the well guy and tell him he didn’t disinfect the well gear properly when drilling, and make him chlorinate the system or use a phosphate since if I recall correctly you just had it drilled, right? You’ll need to be around for that for 24 hours to purge the system (run water) after the treatment, but then should be set.</p>
<p>When we bought this foreclosure which had sat empty for a year I looked into disinfecting the system as a precaution because the water was sulfurous and foul, (and in the tank, black with maganese) and while I recall being here when we purged the system, I can’t recall if we actually had him chlorinate it or not. I do know the water checked out for no nitrates or choliform.</p>
<p>NM - just this year I’m liking a couple of Christmas songs that I have heard by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. </p>
<p>Well H didn’t want to go to the dr. on Wed. so he went to his dr. yesterday who sent him to urgent ortho. We are waiting today for him to get an MRI. Looks like he at least partially tore a tendon that is in the elbow but we will know more once he gets the MRI. Urgent care dr. indicated surgery is in his future. Ugh.</p>
<p>We had a good TG went to relatives for a couple of hours.then waited for D2 to get out of her shift at the hospitial and went to dinner after. D1 and her BF were here so we had fun. I worked the last couple of days. I hate it. end of story…
learning a lot about well drilling, who knew? we need one for our lake house. I like Celine Dion’s Christmas album and the new Idina menzel is nice</p>
<p>RM, so sorry about your H’s tendon. I can relate. I am going to the ortho for my knees and Magical Thinking has me hoping for an instant fix.</p>
<p>Kmc, if you wee my neighbor IRL, you would be my source of all technical knowledge about everything. </p>
<p>Roch mom re: the tendon. Surgery? Now? Ugh.</p>
<p>Ha! Too funny, MP.
And c_q…The Nutcracker is usually on when I do the marathon cookie bake.
George Winston is playing when it is all said and done and I‘m sitting by the tree with a large glass of wine.</p>
<p>KMc I had to laugh at the stereo comment. H does a stereo upgrade about every 15 years or so. The last upgrade started in January and is just about done… or so he says.
I don’t think there is any emotional connection to the music he plays – unlike myself.
He is in it for the detail and virtual replication of the in-studio sound.
Typical conversation…
H: “Can you hear that, Woody? That’s the sound of Jimmy Paige dropping his pick and muttering under his breath.”
Me: Smile and nod, smile and nod
Oh the things we do for love!</p>
<p>Soon after the George Winston album came out, I saw him in person. Rather, I dozed through him in person. The music is intended to be relaxing … So I relaxed. A lot. </p>
<p>When D was in elementary school, her piano teacher was accompanying a Christmas album of lullabies. She asked some of her younger students to dress in festive Christmas attire and sit quietly on the stage by a Christmas tree as part of the set. I got to attend for free as a parent. The children on stage all fell asleep. I did, too.</p>
<p>Cq, love that image! How funny. </p>
<p>That’s too funny, c_q! </p>
<p>I should get down my stack of Christmas CD’s and start playing them. Maybe tomorrow. </p>
<p>We love our SONOS system. Love, love, love the way it sounds, and no stinkin wires messing up the house. </p>
<p>RM - ouch on the tendon. I’ve done something to my hip/thigh, and am waiting on a cancellation to get into the orthopod this week. I don’t think I can go a whole week, which is when the next scheduled appointment is available. Like the tin man, I guess I need a good oiling.</p>
<p>Woody, I’d be delighted if mch upgraded the stereo system every fifteen years…I think he’s afraid his darlings would get craiglisted ;)</p>
<p>Then, in another decade, I could be like Arabrab ;)</p>
<p>Then again, if I had a collection of sonos throughout the house, it might be a musical war of the roses…McH has a habit as it is of knocking me off the Bluetooth pairing by the pool…I will go in to fix a drink and come back out to smooth jazz This amuses him to no end… Inside the house, historically the sole advantage of the hard wired system has been that I can run zone defense because he has to pass through my kitchen cut-out line of site to get to it :)</p>
<p>CQ, the lullaby story is delightful, btw. Probably I’ll-advised as a concert…but cute as hell.</p>
<p>RM, I’ve gotta ask, do you REALLY want your H to plan your trip? H and I rarely travel together, but when we do, I’m pretty sure we’d find ourselves adrift or in odd spots if I didn’t do the planning. But maybe that’s a control freak habit left over from my travel writing days ;)</p>
<p>I found out last night I won tickets in a PBS give-away/drawing to see the a Season 5 sneak preview of Downton Abbey, including a reception with several cast members. Very exciting! Last year our (different) local PBS station hosted a screening party and I dressed up in sort-of period costume (my attire was from Goodwill) and went with a group of friends and my D.</p>