faithful friends who are dear to us

As I have been trying, very much in vain, to finish off a slew of things at work, I did not bother to log into my IM account today. Even though some of my co-workers use it to ask me questions, more often than not, my younger cousins use it to blast me with distracting messages like "Wat R U doin? LOL!" You know, the sorts of messages that make you question the future of humanity. I forgot that one of my oldest friends in the whole, wide world is on IM as well. I forgot because he lives in Europe at present, and has a kid, thus making a conversation over IM a rare event. But then, this morning, I get an e-mail that includes this:

It's kind of odd not seeing your IM button lit up...it's like a street light that makes you think everything is okay suddenly goes out.

This is why, after fourteen years of knowing this guy, after a series of rifts, rows, silent treatments, and separations, I am crazy about him. Even though we rarely speak, a sentence like that is enough to earn a place in my heart for life. So, you see, I can swoon over things. They just have to be slight and subtle and surprisingly sincere.

I was caught in a downpour at lunch. It felt like enough cause to go home and cuddle up on the couch with a cup of tea and a book. But I have miles to go before I sleep. Instead, I turn to the other thing I do on rainy afternoons- make guilty confessions. In this case it is this: there are a lot of Christmas carols I actually lurve. I know this is ridiculous and unpardonable, but it cannot be helped.

Once, when I was about fifteen, my friend Shannon dragged me along with her merry group of believers to go caroling in the Northeast snow drifts. We held candles, that kept going out. I didn't prepare very well, however, and knew hardly any of the lyrics to many of the Christmas songs, especially those of a religious nature (sorry, but I still could not sing you much past the first three words of Noel). The funny part is that most of the other kids, the believers, also didn't know the lyrics very well. So, we resorted to singing Jingle Bell Rock. What can I say, we listened to a lot of Oldies stations up in EBF.

Here are the ones that I will admit to liking:

• 2000 miles, preferably by The Pretenders. Regardless of any bah-humbug feelings one may have about Christmas, this song is really beautiful. If you really want to hate on it, here's more fodder: Coldplay has covered it.
  
• Blue Christmas only by Elvis. Because the King can get away with a whole lot of schmaltz.
  
• Last Christmas by George Michael. I know, this is really embarassing. I have no excuse. Listening to it makes you a little gay. I don't know. I can't stop.
  
• What are you doing New Year's Eve? by Ella Fitzgerald. Technically, I suppose this is not a Christmas carol. But it's by far my favorite holiday song ever. If I could only hear one person sing for the rest of my life, I am pretty sure I would pick Ella to be that person.

Well, that should drive away the three or so remaining readers of this blog. Or maybe you have some guilty confessions you would like to share?

In other news, the secret ingredient to yesterday's brownies: Nutella, or, as I like to call it, the sweet nectar of the gods.