Snapped shortly after the snow started to come down. Can you believe we went running only two hours beforehand?
It snowed for the first time today. After suffering through six years of mild winters in San Diego and Hawaii, I was like a little kid when I saw flurries starting to fall outside my bedroom window. Call me a die-hard Masshole (you would not be the first), but I absolutely love a proper winter and have no qualms about running outside in my bathrobe to sample a couple of metropolitan-flavored snowflakes.
Living in the DC area certainly has its merits, and I like that there are less palm trees strangled by Christmas lights and even less frequent house decorations that would tempt you into driving off of the road in disbelief as you go by. Early out of the gates, however, I’ve already spied the frontrunner for what I would term as the most bizarre “nativity” scene this year: I call it a “Ferris Wheel Christmas”. This house and its very tiny front lawn not only include one of those inflatable lawn ornaments of Santa Claus (which I consider to be decorations for lazy people), but also a spinning, blinking and musical mechanical Ferris Wheel that screams sophistication to the surrounding neighbors. The word ‘aberration’ immediately sprang to mind as I saw it flashing away from 500 feet.
I wonder: could this creative arrangement suggest that Santa traded in his sleigh and has opted to become a Carni as a result of the poor economy? The US Bureau of Labor Statistics did say yesterday that unemployment dropped to 10 percent in November, so maybe it’s just good news that Santa has found a second job to supplement his annual duties.
My love for the snowstorms kind of came back to reality when I realized that I had to actually drive in the wet and slick conditions over to a friend’s house. My car has never met snow before (it was purchased in Hawaii), and as such I don’t own any form of ice scraper or brush. Still, I braved the conditions and headed out to what was my first holiday cookie exchange. While I do like me some holiday cookies, I must admit that I don’t have the patience to personally prepare them. In the department of aesthetics and presentation, I’m not too good at making dishes that scream “formal training.” Thus when searching for a cookie recipe, I decided to go in the opposite direction of beauty and created a new twist on gingerbread men (kind of following the same example of the Ferris Wheel people).
Shock and awe: the new American Way
Close your eyes if you don’t want to see what I made. For those of you who know my excellent sister Myriah, she is the originator of these types of cookies:
Yes, some of you will be scandalized. And I don’t imagine I’ll be invited to any more cookies exchanges.