This year I surprisingly did not want to go out with lots of people this year. I just wanted to spend New Years alone with the one I love. So we watch the ball drop on TV, had a New years kiss with Jennifer and then went to bed. A nice quiet New Years.
Here are this week's Tonight Show Headlines.
Headlines
A couple of my favorites this week.
I had to head down to the island to unpack and check my apartment and came down with me to keep me company and to eat at Salsas. Packed for the urban retreat New Years weekend and then headed up.
I bought some Kolaches for Jennifer so she can have some kind of breakfast-lunch thing when I picked her up form the airport. Then took her home and we just relaxed.
AD, JK and DD went with me to meet my friend Dave for lunch. I had not seen him for at least a year. It was a fun lunch and it was nice to see him. Mom then took me to Nana and Bonnie's to hang out with this for a bit before I flew home.
So I timed my flight from my hometown to my current home so I could land within an hour of when Jennifer's flight lands. Well, the fun of flying is that they are unpredictable especially when weather is involved. So Jennifer got stuck in Calgary and will not come in until tomorrow. So instead of seeing here when I get back, I get to say in her apartment for a night alone. It is a weird feeling staying in someone's apartment that has not been slept in for a week. So I made dinner and went to bed.
Since AD and JK live in Kansas in a big town but not a huge city, while there were here they wanted to do something big with lots of people. So they picked Disneyland. It is nothing new to us since we used to go there every year when we were growing up. So we went and it was crowded but it was fun.
AD, JK, DD and I went to Marcine (my Dad's sister) and her husband Mike's house for the Christmas dinner party. Now I mean a party. Mike's brothers come along with their wives and kids. Dinner is always buffet style. We then to the white elephant present game. Like last year during the game there was a wrapping paper ball fight. It was a fun evening.
Happy Lighted and Decorated Tree Day!!!!!!
This year we had Christmas dinner at DD's. It is something he wanted to do for years and now he has the place to have it. We had AD, JK, DD, Mom, Nana, Bonnie, Carol (JK's Mom), Theresa (JK's sister) and I for dinner. Before we ate dinner, we shared a piece of Opłatek. We had all the food we normally have like ham, Gołabki, sweet potatoes, stuffing and rolls. Opened presents after dinner. Then dessert with a choice of booze cake, pumpkin pie and a Reese's peanut butter cup cake. Because I knew that my Dad would really want me to, I went with him to midnight mass and sang in the choir with him.
It was a nice Christmas evening.
For the traditions we do on Christmas Eve click on a previous entry.
Wesołych Świąt (Merry Christmas)!
I went to Nana and Bonnie's and showed then my recent pictures and played my music.
Then DD, Mom and I ate at Frisco's Car Hop's Restaurant. It is an old style looking restaurant of the 5o's with surprisingly good food where the waitresses are on roller skates.
We then went to Naples to walk around and look at the Christmas lights and decorations on and in front of people's houses. It was a nice Christmas atmosphere evening.
When to the Elephant Bar with DD for lunch. It was not as good as when I went last year.
Later that evening, Mom and I hung out at DD's and showed them my recent pictures and played them what music pieces I have been working on. Since Adam was not there yet, if felt like I was an only child with all the attention of my parents. It was a nice evening.
I took Jennifer and myself to the airport. She is going home to Canada to see her family and I am going home to SoCal to see my family. I got my tickets so I could leave and come back at the same time with her (ya I know I am such a good boyfriend).
Got to Long Beach and Mom picked me up and we had dinner at Souplantation. We had a great conversation and it was really nice spending some alone time with my Mom. We went back to the house and played the piano (the piano I have played on since I was 3). Then to my dad where I will be staying while I am here.
What a great evening.
Here are this week's Tonight Show Headlines.
Headlines
A couple of my favorites this week.
The title of this years winter concert with the Galveston College Choir was the Sounds of Winter.
The concert opened with the Island Steel Drum Band.
* Coral Reef Song - Brad Shores
* Island Echo - Brad Shores
* Winter Wonderland arranged by Eric D. Sharp
(I wanted to arrange a Christmas carol with a reggae sound).
* Silent Night arranged by Eric D. Sharp
* Light Footin' - Brad Shores
The concert then continued with the choir.
* Hodie - Healey Willan
Then 3 pieces about the wind.
* Gently the Wind is Blowing - W.A. Mozart
* Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind - John Rutter
* The Chill in the Air - Eric D. Sharp
* Choose Something Like a Star - Randall Thompson
* Crescent Noon - Richard Carpenter
* Christmas Day - Gustav Holst
Then an audience sing along with Christmas carols.
After intermission:
* Sleigh Ride - Leroy Anderson
* How Excellent is Thy Name - Audrey Snyder
* Ave Maria - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
* The Gift Carol - arr. by Lloyd and Debby Pfautsch
* Have Netze Bemachol - arr. by Hawley Ades
* Throw the Yule Log On, Uncle John
* Christmas Time is Here - Vince Guaraldi, arr. by David Pugh
* The Christmas Song - Mel Torme, arr. by Ad Lojeski
* Fantasy on Five Christmas Carols - arr. by Mark Hayes
I had received a lot of compliments from the choir and the audience on the selection of music I chose for this concert. There were also over 100 people at this concert which is the largest audience I have had since I came here about 2 1/2 years ago.
