I can haz break yet?

Two days. I just have to get through two days.

We have snow on the ground. Where it isn't piled up against the curb it's pretty still. Where it is aganst the curb it's dirty and nasty...and making big old puddles at the corners because the drainage ditches are full or not taking the melt as quickly as they should. That's just gross. Luckily I've learned how to spot the puddles so I hopefully won't have to deal with getting soaked up to my knee almost again. You do that once with freezing cold nasty water and you don't forget what it looks like any time soon.

Plans for the week...
* Tuesday, just get through the day.
* Wednesday night, lottery next to normal with Susan. I'll probably do the lotto loser dealie thing if we don't win.
* Thursday morning, go to MoMA to see a special exhibit. Get my sister's present. Finish packing - carry on-able only! Not paying $30RT to check a bag. Check into my flight. Look at weather and decide if I'm going to camp at the airport after the Christmas Eve service. Go to Christmas Eve service.
*Friday, head to the airport at some point in the day (depending on weather and stuff). Fly home - should be at 3:30, home 5:30ish.

Right now my flight back on the 30th is completely full. Should I get the message we got when we checked Mom and Daddy in - that the flight is overbooked and if I would like to volunteer to take a later flight for compensation - I am totally volunteering. AS LONG AS THEY GUARANTEE ME I WILL BE BACK BY THE END OF THE DAY ON THE 2ND!! I've always wanted to be able to do that and never have been. But I've confirmed with the 'rents that it would be ok if I did, so. Yay! (Although now that I've got a plan, that obviously won't happen.)

Have I mentioned on here how over Thanksgiving Daddy said out of nowhere that he wanted to see Hair?!?!? I mean... I know he was in the whole Vietnam era - only didn't get sent because of his childhood asthma (the other guy who got pulled off the bus was told he wasn't going because he had cancer...all the others on the physical bus went straight to basic training) - but... I don't know. I just didn't think it would be his type of show. I guess if it's still running when he's up here next I'll get us tickets... I'm just sort of dreading one particular song... I mean, really... Would YOU want to be sitting next to your parental unit while someone is singing "Sodomy. Fellatio. Cunnilingus. Pederasty."????? REALLY????? I think I'd even be ok with the last scene in Act 1 - the nudity. But that song... I'm just not sure I can do it. I'm taking the cast recording home with me for Christmas...that may squelch the whole thing when he hears the music. We shall see.

Ok... So I figure now's as good a time as any to do my top 5 lists for the year. There might be more movie viewing (I only counted things I've seen in the theater) before the end of the year, and if that changes I'll let you know. But for now... My top 5 of the year in...

Theatre
1.next to normal
Really, is anyone surprised by this. THE most moving experience I've ever had in a theater. Over and over every time!
2. Max Understood
Such a beautiful, honest, heartfelt portrait of one family's struggle with autism. I wish everyone could have seen this!!!
3. God of Carnage
Seeing this play the first time - and then again - just inspired me as a playwright. I can't wait to see it with the new cast!!
4. Hair
I know! Back in May, who'd have thunk this show would end up on my top 5??? But this is proof that you CAN revisit things and have a different experience the second (and third and fourth) time you see it. (For the opposite where there's no change, see my experience at Ragtime.)
5. Dirty Blonde at Signature in Shirlington, VA
I had no idea how this play would play out when I went to see it knowing only the barest of details about it and was utterly charmed by this whole play. Another on my inspiration shelf.

Books
1. Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion by Sara Miles
Just a beautiful telling of one woman's journey to faith and action. LOVE IT AND HER!!!
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Picked this up on the recommendation of a tweet from Jennifer Weiner. LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
3. Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant
Beautiful, haunting, transcendent. Just gorgeous. And not as predictable as I thought it was going to be.
4. At Least In The City Someone Would Hear Me Scream by Wade Rouse
Hysterical! I laughed out loud several times reading this! Which isn't always the best thing to do on the subway. (Though with a book in your hands you're slightly less batshit for doing that as when you're listening to, oh, say Emily and Alice's CDs with the hidden tracks...and the hidden tracks specifically. Then you just have things in your ears and yeah...you look batshit!)
5. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Something about this book just touched me. I guess it's how I feel like in a way some of what happens there could actually happen to me.

Movies
1. A Single Man
HANDS DOWN THE BEST MOVIE I'VE SEEN IN A WHILE, NOT JUST THIS YEAR!!
2. Julie and Julia
Before seeing A Single Man this was my number one movie. I do still think it's great. But it pales in comparison to the beauty and perfection that is A Single Man.
3. Whip It
I didn't expect to like this movie, and I actually did. Would I like to see Ellen Page act in another style? Sure. Her broodiness or whatever you want to call it gets old really quickly, but the movie was quirky and fun.
4. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Another surprise package. While not as spectacular as the first one, it's charming and really well done. How to have a movie as close to the book as possible? Let the author write the screenplay AND direct.
5. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
I'm not sure it's my favorites of the adaptations, but I did find it well done, if a little heavy on the weepy teen angst.
(This category is largely the reason I only did 5...I only left off a couple of movies because they were so...ew. I just didn't see a lot in the theater this year.)

Um... I think I'm going to get a hot shower before Hoarders. Yes...ironic. You'd think I'd do the shower AFTER.