Martini Musings

- December 08, 2019

HOLIDAY FUN HANGOVER!

Okay, I think this is becoming a habit! Fun hangovers are becoming part of my daily life! WHEW! What a great weekend!

With the late Thanksgiving, these holiday events have been coming quickly and they are filling my calendar! I love it all...but tonight, I see an early bedtime! December definitely came in quickly and it doesn’t look like it is going to slow down anytime soon.

This weekend was so fun! Friday started with a Christmas tea, complete with tea sandwiches, amazing sweet treats and delightful company! I met new friends and enjoyed old ones too!

Saturday it was holiday haircut time, followed by some gift wrapping, and then off to a Gala event…the Ugly Christmas Sweater party. This party has become quite the event for The Gala, as we collect bottles of liquor to be used as gifts at The Gala. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

The sweaters were crazy – ugly and fun! The guests love this party and the food and drink added to the festive mood. Everyone was very generous and I am always grateful for the support of The Gala! Shout out to those kind people!!

Next up was one of my favorite holiday traditions…the interactive version of White Christmas! Think holiday version of Rocky Horror Picture Show! There are costumes, there are props, and there are cues for talking back to the screen. But most importantly, there is singing along!! Although I didn't consider myself "in costume" I was invited to go up front during the costume judging, because I was dressed in festive attire (re-cycled the ugly Christmas sweater!!). I am happy to report that by a show of applause, I was one of the top winners! I won tickets to the theater for a future date!!

I cannot give this event enough praise! White Christmas has been an all time favorite movie for me for a very long time, but the interactive version is just too much fun for words! Imagine being told “When someone is smoking in the movie, cough like crazy!’ The opening scene in the military base, is full of men smoking…at first, the movie crowd is hesitant, then one of the people who is familiar with how this works, (like me!!) will start hacking…and then the room sounds like a hospital ward. That’s when I start laughing and I can barely stop until the end of the movie.

There are other cues, like when the girls get an attitude, the cat fight noise, (unfortunately, I’m unable to type that here with any sense!) or when a couple gets cozy, there’s the “oooo la la!” But perhaps, the most fun is when the word snow is mentioned, you throw snow…from the bag that they provide when you enter the theater.

For the amateurs, they don’t realize that you have to be conservative with the snow that you throw, so after the song “Snow” besides laughing hysterically, most people are out of snow! Well, not this girl!!

I’ve always been somewhat stingy with my snow, knowing that there are lots of opportunities to throw snow. Sometimes, I’ve been able to fool the workers into giving me another bag of snow. This year, I brought my own “extra” snow! I had a backpack with 20+ snack baggies full of snow. Afterall, I had 16 guests that would be enjoying the show with me!! In addition, I had purchased 12 tambourines to use during the minstrel show scene.

I'd like to send out a SHOUT OUT to my tambourine playing guests! You all rocked it and I'm not sure the other guests knew what hit them...especially when we put our tambourines in the air, mirroring the movie screen!

*Two years ago, Katie & Anthony were with me and at one point in the movie, the train conductor calls out "PINE TREE! Next stop is PINE TREE!" Well, for those of you who don't know, this is a small part of the movie but one that my son-in-law Anthony has always mimicked and made me laugh. That year, as if right on cue, Anthony yelled out "PINE TREE! Next stop is PINE TREE!"
The crowd received this as a shocking addition to the cues...they laughed hysterically and Katie and I were in tears, with pride that we will never forget! Anthony was one of us! Life was good!!

I missed having them with me today, but I can't wait to get Gabriel into the theater, singing and throwing snow with me!! I think I'll put Gabriel in a camo jumpsuit with a sling like the Danny Kaye character! Or maybe I'll put him in a purple jumpsuit for the dance scene "Choreography!" OOOOOOHHHHH I can't wait!!

It was a magical afternoon...so many people belting out the words to a Christmas classic...it truly doesn't get much better than that!

A group of us went to dinner and needless to say, we left a trail of plastic snow...I'm sure we'll all be finding snow in places that will surprise us, but it will be the kind of discovery that will make us smile!

My traditions have been evolving over the past couple of years, but they are slowly becoming the traditions that I don't want to give up.

It was a great weekend...and the countdown to Christmas is officially on!! Don't miss out on any holiday activities. Updating traditions is awesome and keeping the special ones is a must!!