Sucker For Acapella

I love Ben Folds. His most recent album is a bunch of college choirs doing acapella versions of his song. He is judging an acapella song competition on TV. And it is just making me just love him more. He is the only judge that seems to give legit feedback. They've got a Pussycat Doll and one of the guys from Boys to Men (no I'm not spelling it right/wrong/however it's supposed to be spelled). Ben Folds writes his own music and sings and plays piano. The Pussycat Dolls mostly dance. The Boys to Men dude was in a group that won a lot of Grammys. More than 10 years ago. Too bad they couldn't get three qualified judges. At least the B2M guy is trying to give useful feedback, the Pussycat Doll is just being chirpy and parroting the other two.

I may have to watch this whole acapella song contest though. Just because their opening number was Under Pressure and the girl that they gave Freddy's high note to was rad (the Mormon one with the blonde mohawk). I am getting tired of the whole "this is so hard with no instruments" angle though. It's refreshing to hear some good voices instead of the American Idol ideal of overemoting. Some of the song choices are better than others, though.

I know that was gratuitous but I love that song.

And his stuff sure does lend itself to acapella.

One Cold Bird

I have been working at home because I haven't been feeling well (also, foot of snow). But today it didn't look so bad so I went in to work this a.m... in my car. I went in earlier this week in Matt's truck but hadn't been out in my little Honda yet. Going to work, fine. Coming back? Slalom city. Good thing I got groceries and a nice little swag thing for my door because I am not going back out there. Fresh pictures may ensue if it stays this ridiculous.

I don't know which was worse, almost getting stuck outside the co-op (poor guys, they were so excited about having a parking lot when the weather was nice, didn't think about having to shovel it when it got crappy out) or the House Of Bread (best challah in town but they are in a real shopping center so somebody should be more on the parking lots there). Not to mention the idiots slaloming around me because I am going 15. Not gonna go any faster just because YOU have a big truck.

Anyways, I am settled in for a while now. We're only supposed get a couple more inches but it is not as cold today so everything is wet and slushy. Which means as soon it gets dark... icy! I think it's movie time. Or possibly time to get started on the next batch of bourbon balls...

Dilemma Time (Also, A Suggestion For Your Blogroll)

I have now received two gorgeous fruitcakes in the mail. One from Cookbook, who you should all be reading. I won her fruitcake giveaway AND she also tossed in some modjeskas, just because I had asked about them in an earlier post. They looked unassuming, but all the current holiday treats in the house are full of nuts and therefore off-limits, so I had one. First thought that crossed my mind, "Holy crap where did that other one go and how can I get more of these NOW", no joke. There are no more modjeskas in the house. Matt didn't even see them go by. Which also may have been due to him scarfing all the damn bourbon balls I made for the party.

The other fruitcake is from our super-gourmet relatives in Woodland, which means I better make mine tonight and get 'em in some booze because it was supposed to be a swap. And I am behind the curve. Fruit, meet your new best friend, Booze.

The dilemma is - Am I nice enough to share these delicacies with the philistines at the Christmas party? Or are they miiiiiine, aaaaaaall miiiiiiine (including ensuing caloric overload, as there are, yet again, a million sweet things in the house I CAN'T eat and these are, sans modjeskas, the only sweets in the house I can have)?

Dilemma #2 - Matt is eating all my bourbon balls(recipe also courtesy of Cookbook, my holiday butter-and-sugar muse). If I make another batch, I have to hide them. It's cold enough that they could stay in the garage, tightly wrapped (seriously, the high today was 19 and our garage is, shall we say, minimally insulated). But the thought of all that buttery goodness languishing in the garage just doesn't sit well with me. Is it all in my head, or would you be reluctant to stash your sweets in your garage too?

Tonight's other project will be the first batch of Christmas party cookies, as they can be stashed in the freezer and baked closer to the party date. They come with a whole variety of mix-in options, I am thinking of the cranberries and orange zest - any opinions? That seems kind of low on the decadence-scale right now so I am less excited about it. Hmm.

Also, my hyphen use has increased dramatically. I blame Eats, Shoots and Leaves. Highly recommended.

Winter Wonderland

I am working at home today. This is the view out to my backyard. It started yesterday and I was fishtailing on major roads just to get to the grocery store. It was SO icy. I pity the quail today. About 8 inches last night with another 4-8 inches in the forecast for today. But at least it won't be icy when I finally have to suck it up and go out in it.


I am supposed to play a gig tonight at a Christmas Open House at a little church social dealio for one of our trumpet players. Our french horn player is currently snowed in and all the local schools are closed. I am inclined to call it off. But that's just me. *Edited to add - this was canceled by 10am*


We actually went out last night and we really enjoyed ourselves. The snazzy little bar that Matt's band plays at had their one-year anniversary last night. The whole street was empty and snowy except this one bar full of dressed up people. It was basically an invite-only Christmas party and there were women there in cocktail dresses and heels. I had long johns on. I did have a nice wool coat and pretty scarf but they pretty much stayed on. There was one really pretty punk girl in a red gown and I had to compliment her on her look and ask her how she did it. Her response? "I'm really cold." So I didn't feel so underdressed after that. I was respectable looking. But I was warm. So ha ha.

Dame Diana. Yes.

Daniel Radcliffe meets Diana Rigg. And she is awesome.

The catsuit in question. Speaking of awesome Halloween costumes, about a month too late. Le sigh.

Don't You Feel Better Knowing...

that this is also available as an e-book? Miss the point much? Also, this beautiful little number just shot to the top of my Christmas wish list.

The Queen may have said it best here (as much as I wouldn't say no to one if somebody gave it to me).

Quick Question For The Day

While I may or may not be shopping on the Crate and Barrel website for unnecessary holiday swag, I do need a decent pie dish. So I figured I'd see what they've got while I was in the virtual neighborhood. The first entry, in cranberry red, was the Holiday Bakers. The second, and the first potential candidate, was the olive-green Harvest Bakers. The third, in antiquey French white, was the Josephine Bakers.



Would she approve?