Christmas Time Is Here (sigh...)

Ah, yes. Christmas time, that favorite season when people all around the country flock to be with loved ones, shop endlessly, forget how to drive, drink ungodly amounts of alcohol and eggnog, stuff themselves silly, and decide that going to church is (all of a sudden) important.

I'm at home in Colorado now with the 'rents...we just finished decorating the tree. (See X-mas remnants to the left). In a nutshell, it would be an understatement to say that my mother is attached to X-mas. She has just under a dozen boxes of Christmas glitter, ornaments, and disastrous gradeschool art projects. (Perhaps the Janimal can top this, Jon? Do keep me posted.)

It should be a joke. But, it's my life...

So, I helped "assemble" the fake tree and decorate it lavishly while my mother narrated the history behind each ornament. Poke my eyes out...

I love her, but she drives me crazy.

And to share with you all some of the treasures that are locked away in the Keller basement in one of the crusty old boxes labeled "X-mas", I will share a Christmas poem by Paul Keller (date unknown, my guess is c. 1980).

Winter Wonderland by Paul Keller

Sleigh rides
are wet and fun
slippery and funny.
It reminds me of skis and sleds.
Freezing.


For a much funnier account of Christmas bliss at the Keller residence, check out Mike's blog. Enjoy it folks...there's only more to come...goodnight (please wish me luck).

Yeeehaw!

The nightmare has finally ended. (Dramatic sigh.) Just as I was starting to get really down about my living situation next semestre, something amazing happened! Last Friday I found an apartment in Madrid! I'll have a home in January--Yay!! Of course, I wanted to share the good news with everyone (well actually just with myself, since I'm the only one who reads this thing anyway)...but I felt that a blog entry was in order since--wait for it-- my blog basically sealed the deal! Trato hecho! Yes, that's right, it was all "up in the air" until my little 'ol blog confirmed that I am for reals ('lil shout out to Robert Wells.) A very good thing, indeed.

So, come January I'll be back in this magnificent city, working, reading, and livin' it up!

I've included some pics that I found on the web for people to get an idea of the city. They're all generic shots of Madrid for tourist sites, but...what the hell.

Above, is a shot of Gran Via and Alcala.
(Standard postcard picture.)

To the right here is a pretty crappy street map I
found of el barrio where I'll be living (close to
Bilbao). Of course, almost all the actual streets are totally illegible, but you get the idea...The great thing about the apartment is that it's really central, close to the National Library, and a pretty comfortable walk to the Filmoteca, Gran Via, the major museums, Malasana, and Jon's favorite gay neighborhood, Chueca...where I'm sure Why Not? will be graced by our presence. Jajaja.

Here, to the right, is a shot of the metro stop. Once again, a random photo from the internet--not classy but a pretty accurate view of the area.

So, thanks to everyone for reading this. And, an especially big thanks to Dani, por asumir el riesgo! Gracias! Gracinhas! Gracies! Merci! Obrigado! Grazie! Thank you!

(Muzzletof!!! Good things, good things!)

Kai Garden Splendor!

Tonight a group of friends and I dined at the fabulous Kai Garden, where, of course, we were treated like royality with great food and even better company (love the lady who owns the joint!). The extra bonus was that we all received Kai Garden's New Year's calendars for 2006, the year of the dog.

Naturally the other bonus was getting to reminisce about Collin's drunken confession to me this past October: "SShhhhh! Patty, we ate all this asparagus tonight with dinner...and it smells sooooo bad when you pee, but...hehehe, sshhhh don't tell anyone, no I'm serious, shhhh, don't tell but I secretly like it! (insert gagging nosies here, followed by a long sigh of orgasmic bliss)."

Needless-to-say, a recommended favorite is the chicken with asparagus dish (also the Chef's special--wink, wink!)

So thank you lovelies--Mike, Sharon, Jen, Robert, Andreea, Nicholas, Collin, JD, and Mark-- for coming out in the cold Michigan slunk (wow, what a weird word) to delight with Mongo in the Kai Garden splendor!


Tune in next time when Mongo will, in fact, read poetry...(er something)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!

So, I should be working on revising my dissertation prospectus, but instead I dedicated a generous portion of my Thursday evening to watching none other than the marathon "What The F**k Happened To Michael Jackson!?" chronicles which aired on VH1 and listening to the latest indie rave "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!" One of my prof's just forwarded me a story on them from NPR. Madness? They're FABULOUS! I can only hope to catch a show of theirs very soon...Detroit, Denver, Madrid...??? Who knows. So check it out, if you haven't already. It's good music for mixin' it up, or shakin' it down, or a dance seizure, or laying in the grass, or just walkin' around by your lonesome.

* * * * *

Oh yeah, and here's what they look like...