Let it snow...

Ah. Christmas is done and we now have the rest of the week to kick back and relax in the detritus of the festivities. We have had a very enjoyable holiday, with great gifts all around. Gray got me a beautiful red lambskin jacket. Grayson and I surprised him with Guitar Hero III, and Grayson got tons of Pokemon toys and a giant Gigaball that he can climb into and roll around in.




Yesterday we had a beautiful snow in the morning: big wet flakes fell all morning, enough to truly cover the ground, and it was perfect snow for packing and snowballing. Grayson and I went out and had a snowball fight with some kids from down the block, including Grayson's latest favorite person in the world, Sam Powell. Sam is in 4th grade, and Grayson goes to SPARK, the afterschool program, with him. Sam hung the moon, let me tell you. He is a big Pokemon freak, like Grayson, and Grayson gets positively giddy whenever Sam comes around. Sam seems to enjoy Grayson's company, as well, which is a little surprising, considering the difference in their ages and the fact that Grayson is a little bit of a goober around Sam. Sam seems to take it with aplomb, however. I guess it's good to be worshiped. Plus, Grayson gives Sam another one of his toys every time they play together.

Anyway, the snow was perfect: beautiful, adequate for snowballs, and then gone by the afternoon. This makes three snowfalls this winter already -- very unusual for Oklahoma. We're expecting another possible snowfall tonight.

Solstice

A merry Yule. Last night we lit our solstice candle and let it carry the light through the longest night of the year. I like celebrating the solstice because it reminds me that, in fact, from here on through the long cold winter, the days are getting just a little longer and the nights a little shorter with each passing day. No matter how cold and dark it seems, Spring is coming.

And it is cold and dark today. Yesterday it was 60 degrees. Today... Brrrrrr. Cold, gray and windy. We're expecting snow, though I don't expect it to stick.

The city is in recovery from the ice storms. Huge piles of cut-up branches line the streets. I saw a picture in the paper of a stack of limbs with a sign on it that said "Free Trees: some assembly required." The power is at last back on to almost everybody, though I understand there are a few people whose wires are down still.

One of the curators at the museum just got power on Tuesday. That made it ten days for him. Yikes. We were really remarkably lucky.

This week I mailed off all the gifts that required mailing. I got gifts for all the cousins and kids of friends we'll be seeing over the holidays. I have all the presents for Grayson and Gray. I'm nearly done.

We have not sent cards out, but Gray and I agreed that we would just admit to ourselves that we're not good at getting Christmas cards out in a timely fashion, so we'll call them New Years cards and get them out next week.

Friday was a day of dancing in the halls at the museum. My part-time student assistant, Krysten, who graduated last Saturday, agreed to become my full-time colleague, which means that I am now no longer a department of one, but part of a two-person team. She will do the marketing and I will do the public relations and all will be right with the world. She's thrilled to get to stay at the museum. I'm thrilled to have a full-time "assistant," (though really she won't be my assistant so much as the other half of the department) and the museum staff is thrilled to keep her on for her various skills and cheerful attitude. So we were all doing the "Krysten Dance."

When she came on board as my half-time assistant, I hardly knew what to give her to do. It took me months to be able to let go of things enough to let her actually be a help to me. Now I don't know what I'd do without her. I suspect that we'll now go through a similar transition, with me figuring out how to A) let go of another 20 hours worth of work a week and B) Embark on new PR projects to fill the gap left by doing so. It is certain that the new year will bring about some interesting changes and challenges that I look forward to.

So Merry Yule. Celebrate the return of the sun, and remember that Spring is always just ahead.

I am the All-Knowing Mystery Woman

Today I got to do the filming for Frontier Country. They have framed their '08 holiday show as a reality show / competition. Three "contestants" (they were adults, not kids, after all) are visiting several central OK attractions and take part in various activities. At the end they will be quizzed on their experiences and one will win some fabulous prize. My role was as the Mystery Host whom they meet up with at the OKC Memorial, and who gives them the clue to their first "destination."

I got to be very cool and mysterious. It was fun and kind of silly. I will also do the voice over for the show and one final scene in which I congratulate the winner at the end. It will be filmed in advance and I will seem to mysteriously appear on the JumboTron in the Bricktown ballpark for the final scene, like I'm being linked in by satelite or something. Too bad I have to wait a year to see the results. Should be very humorous.

Thanks to Emily at F.C. for the photo. Don't I look like a pro? Just ignore how big my butt looks...