It's the most wonderful time of the year

to be sick. Really, though, I always get sick around this time of year so I wasn't surprised when my throat started to get scratchy a few days ago. I'm thinking this may have something to do with running down north avenue at 6am in the dark through four inches of snow trying to get to work.

Last weekend we had our new friends, Chris and Amber, over for a fantastic dinner lovingly prepared by my wife. Spinach strata with mashed potatoes and caramelized shallot gravy and garlic and shallot green beans was served with a wonderful new sonoma table red from work followed by a mango and pear pandoutie. Then - beer, lots of beer. In fact I had apparently done a splendid job of hiding the fact that I got entirely shitfaced. (word won't accept that as one word) After a bottle of wine, a bottle of Ommegang, a six pack of anchor christmas beer and a bomber of old suffolk, I think we were talking a little loudly. That paired with the fact that I typically go to bed at 9:30 these days (i know) I was ready for bed.

Because we were only drinking higher-quality ales I woke up feeling fine. In fact, I had remembered that the public sale for Wilco's five day residency at the Riviera Theatre started at ten a.m. I refreshed my browser at precisely ten and was able to score two tickets. I was surprised. I was so surprised that as soon as the transaction was complete I attempted to go back for more but at 10:05, the tickets for all five shows had been spoken for. While I haven't listened to wilco much lately, they are promising to play each song from their catalog during this residency, each night a unique setlist, making me giddy with excitement. Lately I have been excited about Bishop Allen, The National, the soundtrack to I'm Not There, and a number of unreleased early Joni Mitchell demos and bootlegs I recently acquired.

In other news my lovely Xtina and I will be returning to Grand Rapids for a limited three day engagement. The dates will be January 1st, 2nd and 3rd. This will be our christmas trip. The news alarmed my parents causing them to call me no less than three times last night trying to make, presumably, their first online purchase in a rush to have something for us to open on that sacred January second morning.

maps, maps, maps

Winter is here and with it our first gas bill in which our antique furnace was on in full. We are pleasantly surprised, especially considering the temperature at which we keep this place in comparison to our last cave of an apartment. The windows are sealed and we're ready for the first big storm of the season. We got a few inches last week which temporarily put an end to our bicycle commuting but it won't hold me back for long.

Last night I went to a christmas party thrown by a colleague of mine who was also fired yesterday. In a word, it was awkward. I was back home before midnight.

This week Xtina and i saw the new Noah Baumbach film, 'margot at the wedding.' We're both fans of his first film, 'the squid and the whale.' We found the movie entertaining, albeit a tad overwrought. It reminded me of 'little children' in the acting, subject matter and the two are also confounded by starring Nicole Kidman. I'm trying to get out and see 'I'm not there,' whose soundtrack is great with the exception of a few butchering tracks. I also have to see 'no country for old men' and now 'juno' as well as 'the savages.' We must be rounding the corner to oscar season because I haven't wanted to see so many movies at the same time for as long as I can remember.

To those of you who live in chicago: This week I saw the exhibit 'Maps: finding our place in the world' at the field museum. Simply put, it's really awesome. I spent over three hours in the one exhibit. From the Divinci map to Ptolemy's map of Rome, the Tolkien maps to the maps from the 'golden age of sea trade' in the Netherlands and the native american maps - I was fascinated. I must have been slackjawed the entire afternoon. I even used a map to get there! I'll probably go again. Also in the city: Lewis and Clarke: mapping the american west, a free exhibit at the newberry library. Perhaps I'll go back to school for cartography.