Preparing For the Holidays

Started off the morning with the 1978 American Ballet Theatre production of The Nutcracker. Mikhail Baryshnikov's version has been a favorite of mine ever since I saw it on TV back in college. This is about as traditional a version of this ballet as you'll get. Clara (Gelsey Kirkland) dreams of a world where her new nutcracker doll (Baryshnikov) comes to life and defends her and her home from the evil rat king. They go to a land of candy and sweets, where they're welcomed by everything from coffee to marzipan dancing for them.

While the ballet ran, I made my Christmas lists. No, this isn't what I want. It's what I'm giving. I made lists for shopping, baking, cards delivered in the area, cards that need to be sent in the mail (including in packages), and who gets what. I do need to start shopping for my friend Amanda soon. She'll be visiting on November 30th. Everyone else can wait until we're past Thanksgiving, or at least closer to it.

Spent the next few hours working on my story. Betty and Maple have a talk backstage before the show begins. They discuss the ball and Betty's feelings about Doug Thompson. She show is a success - Betty practically has a lock on the best romance play. On her way to the back stage door, Betty gets lost and finds herself in a dark, gloomy hall. A figure steps out of the shadows. Yes, it's Scott. Betty's surprised to see him. He wants to meet her at the lakeside during the ball. She says no. She already has an escort. He ignores this fact and continues to insist on their getting together. When Maple joins her to walk out with her, he vanishes.

I made Tomato-Vegetable-Chicken Soup for lunch and threw together Carrot-Pineapple Muffins. Finished out The Nutcracker, then did an unusual Rankin-Bass holiday special. The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold is the only cartoon I've ever seen to blend Irish mythology with Christmas legends. A young Irish sailor finds himself stranded on an island after digging up a pine tree for Christmas. That tree had been the prison for a banshee. When he digs it up, he inadvertently sets her free. It turns out she wants the gold that belongs to the leprechauns on the island before Christmas morning, or she'll turn into tears.

Headed to work after the cartoon ended. Work was more-or-less the same as it was yesterday - quiet when I came in, steady when I left, crazy during rush hour. There were no major problems, thankfully, and my relief was on time.