Well, it's four days 'til Christmas, and once again I'm not exactly bursting with holiday cheer. I'm not particularly bummed out; it's just that my house is in total dusty disarray from all the painting and home improvements that have been going on, and for the third holiday season in a row I'm packing up my stuff in preparation for yet another move (and once again asking myself, "Do I really need all these books and old LIFE magazines?"). So aside from plugging in my electric menorah and hanging a stocking on the fireplace for my cat, I really haven't been able to expend much thought, energy or money upon this much-vaunted "most wonderful time of the year."
That said, I am well aware that I have much do be thankful for, ranging from loving family, righteous friends and wonderful co-workers to the fact that the Cubs actually found another club to take Milton Bradley off their hands. I was actually a fan of "Games" back when he played for the Dodgers — angry as he was, he was also just about the only position player on that '04 team who played hard every time he went out there — but it was obvious to me (and everyone else not named Jim Hendry or Lou Piniella) that Bradley was going to be a lousy fit at Wrigley. And yes, I know Carlos Silva pretty much flat-out sucks, but I've honestly never been happier for the Cubs to make a trade for a shitty pitcher.
What I'm most thankful for, however, is getting to spend another Christmas in Southern California. I've written about this before, but the first time I ever visited SoCal was over Christmas when I was seven years old — and I couldn't believe that such a beautiful place actually existed, or that my parents were "forcing" us to live in snowy Michigan instead of this sunny, warm and palms-populated paradise. I knew then that I would someday end up living here; and seventeen years after finally moving to L.A., I still love it — and am still thankful that I'm not freezing my ass off every time I step outside, like I did in the "good ol' days" back in the Midwest.
I found this Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass video of "My Favorite Things" on YouTube this weekend, which prompted me to pull out my dusty vinyl LP of their classic 1968 Christmas album for the first time this year. Yeah, it's glitzy and schmaltzy like only a 1960s album made by Jews in Hollywood could/should be, but it also always conjures up the same pure joy in my heart that I felt when I stepped outside at LAX in December '73 and saw the palm trees wrapped with silver tinsel, observed Santa and his Reindeer "flying" over Wilshire Blvd, and spent the bulk of that Christmas (and several thereafter) camped out on my Uncle John and Aunt Toni's living room floor devouring Uncle John's collection of vintage EC comics.
So if you're looking for some Christmas music that's light on religious "message," isn't maudlin or dull, and sounds great with a cocktail in your hand, you just might enjoy a little Christmas, Tijuana Brass-style; hopefully it'll inject a little happiness into your heart, as well. Oh, and Santa, if you're reading this — a Size L t-shirt with the "TJB" logo on it (as seen on the bass drum in the video) is pretty much tops on my Christmas list...
Peace, Love and Joy to you all, this Christmas and in 2010...
Love,
Dan
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