Sing it with me now: Joy to the world! My laptop works…Mikey fixed it up!! I don’t know what he did (it had something to do with plugging it in, charging it up and sweet talking it – all things that I, too, had tried) but apparently Kara is just very temperamental and will occasionally not start up. When we last attempted to start ‘er up, it was plugged in then but wouldn’t work. Maybe – I know! – just maybe she’s having serious caffeine withdrawals. She enjoyed the taste of coffee and could use a little hit every now and then. I’ll look into it, but all I can say is joy to the world! that my laptop is back and my someday-award-winning-works-of-literary-genius have not been lost forever. I definitely learned my lesson and will, from hence forward, be a saving and syncing up crazy woman.

It is also with great enthusiasm and happiness that I report the first day of December here in Seattle, WA dawned in a splendor of winter wonderland…iness. There was a dusting of snow when we awoke in the morn (for some reason discussing snow makes me get all English-fancy). We hosted our Engaged Encounter friends for a lunch meeting. Around 1:15, Cathi looked out and commented on how dark it was for midday. About five minutes later, we were all amazed to look out the window at a nonstop snow blizzard. It lasted all afternoon. We got about three inches all together. Mike and Matthew were out there in no time building snow peoples in the front yard – a “snow monster” and “snow baby.”

The snow did not deter Larissa and me from our hot night out on the town. We drove into downtown Seattle – all lit up, decked out and snowed on (us and downtown). We had an amazing dinner at Il Fornaio – a fancy-shmancy Italian establishment in Pacific Place. The Antipastas included: smoked salmon with goat cream cheese, bruschetta, fresh tomatoes with basil and cheese, pitted olives, salami and fresh parmesan. The Chianti was a-flowing (and delicious). The appetizers were followed by salad and then a choice of entrée: braised lamb chop, grilled salmon, some beefy-meaty dish (I don’t recall what), and Lobster Ravioli. I went for the ravioli which was rich and deliche – though I probably should have opted for the salmon for a lighter fare and it did look really good. The “main course” (if you ask me) was the dessert – a chocolate mousse with fresh raspberries with a cakey bottom soaked in triple sec and served with an orange crème. Mm-mmmm. Bon appétit, indeed!

After dinner, we hopped in the “party bus” – it was a small shuttle bus, but Larissa insisted on calling it the party bus which did disappoint some of her coworkers as they were hoping it would be a bus with drinks served on-board. (As if the Chianti at dinner just wasn’t enough)! The bus dropped us at the Key Arena with plenty of time before the Trans-Siberian Orchestra show.

The TSO performance is hard to describe. It was VERY cool though the first bit took some getting used to. I have a hard time taking seriously the old rocker-dudes with long hair and/or mullets rocking out on electric guitar to Carol of the Bells. Also there was a quartet of women in skanky black dresses whose job it was to occasionally sing back up but mostly shake their thangs and toss their long hair frequently and passionately. The concert was VERY LOUD and accompanied by SUPER bright lights, fake snow, choreographed lasers, fireworks and colored fire that heated up the entire arena.

The second half of the show was fantastic. The musicians really showed genuine talent. They would highlight one musician – electric violin or piano, even electric guitar – playing a classical piece (par example: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Rimsky Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee or a recognizable Mozart melody) and then the music and instruments would build on that theme until it climaxed in a rockin’, hair tossing, booty-shakin, lights flashing frenzy. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra was definitely a ROCKin’ orchestra.

On a completely different topic, we were just watching a little cartoon video called The Littlest Angel – it’s Christmas-y and cute. In the story, the Littlest Angel (a four-year-old boy, I might add) that, despite being in Heaven, is sad because he misses home and his mom and dad and puppy dog. In a very touching moment, the Littlest Angel starts sobbing because he misses home so much and he doesn’t have a good gift for baby Jesus, etc., etc. I looked over and saw tears yelling up in Matthew’s eyes. Matthew shakily said, “I don’t like it when the Littlest Angel cries so hard, Mommy. It makes me too sad.” And then tears started splashing down Matthew’s cheeks. Mike and I looked at each other and immediately welled up too. What a sad group! Poor Matthew has inherited our sappy, sympathy-crying tendencies. Oh well, the ladies are always suckers for a sensitive man. I should know! I married one!