Day 16

This morning, I got ready to use the elliptical machine, as I often do. (or have been for the past month, at least) My iPod is being disagreeable, so I was reduced to listening to the radio, just like every day for the past few days. So I turned on the radio to the random 80's/90's/pretty crappy music station I happened to find, and it was during their commercial break. No surprise there. I started my workout and had just finished the warmup section, when they come back from commercial and start in with the music.

IT WAS CHRISTMAS MUSIC.

WTF, people? It's November 16. It is 50 degrees outside. People are raking leaves, not shoveling snow. The reason we have a Thanksgiving holiday is to delineate the post-Halloween weeks from the official 'holidays' period. I can forgive places like the UK or Germany for pushing the season a bit, but COME ON NOW.

Since I was already 'in the groove', so to speak, I didn't want to stop, get off, find a new station and restart my workout. This resulted in later getting to the hardest part of my routine, towards the end, when I could have used some driving music... and Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' came on the radio. I wanted to melt to the floor and die. It's a great song, but not at all suited for a high-energy cardio workout, just FYI. I am definitely finding new music tomorrow.

In case you're curious, the song that had the auspicious honor of unofficially kicking off the Christmas season was 'Frosty the Snowman' by the Beach Boys. It's November 16, and we're not off to a great start.

Food, glorious food

What better way to get into the holiday spirit than thinking about food? Specifically, desserts? (mostly desserts) Enjoy!

The Christmas Fifty
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve tasted.
3) Place an asterisk after all the items you’ve cooked/prepared.
4) Cross out anything you never want to try, or add an exclamation mark after anything you really want to try.

1. Crystallised or candied fruits.
2. Egg nog
3. Bûche de Noël, or Yule log*
4. Rum balls
5. Bebinca
6. Roasted chestnuts
7. Cavallucci
8. Tourtière
9. Uszka
10. Port & Stilton - I've had them, but not together; let's pretend that counts
11. Hallaca
12. Roast goose
13. Lefse
14. Sugar plums
15. Romeritos
16. Pinnekjøtt
17. Hot toddy*
18. Christmas cake - does this mean fruitcake? Let's say it does, so I can bold it
19. Tamales - but not for Christmas
20. Sorpotel
21. Panettone
22. Candy canes
23. Pasteles
24. Speculaas
25. Makowiec
26. Christmas pudding - it's really gross, don't try it
27. Stollen
28. Figgy pudding
29. Lebkuchen
30. Turrón
31. Mince pies
32. Wassail bowls
33. Buñuelos
34. Pio Quinto
35. Marzipan fruits
36. Mulled wine*
37. King cake
38. Christmas beach barbecue
39. Cola de mono
40. Lutefisk
41. Kutia
42. Pizzelle*
43. Dominostein
44. Cranberry sauce
45. Pfeffernüsse*
46. Satsumas or clementines
47. Pumpkin pie
48. Smalahove
49. Nut roast
50. Brandy butter

Grand total: 23/50 - not bad, I guess. What's yours?