Brianne Blogs?

Yes, readers, she’s back and she’s not dead. (probably implied in the “she’s back” part, but I stated it anyway!)

I had a great time in Michigan for Christmas and have many stories and pictures to post but for right now I just want to wish you all a great New Years Eve and remind those of you in New York (Meghan) that today is not a great time to go into or around Times Square even if there are really cool hand dryers in the movie theatre bathrooms. (This is a hypothetical situation of course)

I am happily in Moore, Oklahoma for the first time in 2 years and it’s nice to be here. I have already been to Sonic in Moore and seen the Briggs. It’s like being back in high school except I have money and better hair.

I hope you all enjoy your last day of the crappy year, 2008 and start off 2009 in some awesome way!

Thanks for you dedication, my fine blog readers. And I’d like to give a hearty thanks to my daily readers, Meghan, Erica, and Grandma Sally. Some days lots of people read my blog, but some days only a lone 3 show up in the stats, and I know it’s you three. Thanks, guys!

Well, readers, if I managed to survive my flight to Michigan, then I am still alive and flying to Oklahoma today. And since I am flying with Mom, Dad and Kyle, and nothing bad ever happens when I fly with others, I expect this flight to take-off and land on time and for nothing crazy to happen before, during or after. What a great thing to be able to anticipate!

I am so super-excited about going to Oklahoma. Sonic, Teds, Wal-Mart! Oh the greatness of it all. And I get to drive all over and not pay $12 for movies and live, for a time, in a house, an actual house. What?

It’s the little things in life you enjoy when you live in NYC. For example, I can wash all of my dirty clothes in the place I am staying. For FREE! WHAT? It’s a laundry miracle!

I am hoping you have all been singing Oklahoma! in your head while reading this blog as I plan to do the entire time I am there. (Today – January 6th). So, OK blog readers, if you want to see me, let me know and we’ll do that. Well, only if I like you and want to see you, of course. I won’t just be visiting door to door.

Several months ago, I asked in a blog if anyone knew how I could easily make digital copies of all of my old photos and got not suggestions-thanks for the help, readership.

 (thanks for the boy haircuts, mom and dad)

Last year, my computer, Sirius Black, died a sudden and tragic death. He just stopped turning on. This created several problems for me, one of which being that I had to “statly” (that was for you Lisa) get a new computer. So, after the funeral, Zak and I went to Circuit City and bought Neville Longbottom. As I was purchasing, the guy said that it came with a free printer. Okay, great. And home came the printer that went immediately up into the loft and never ever saw the outside of the box.

In the year that passed in between, there have been many times I have needed to print things, but haven’t set up the bad boy. Until the week before Christmas when I needed to print shipping labels for the packages I was sending to Michigan and finally set up the free printer. And lo and behold, it’s not just a printer, it’s also a copier and….drumroll….a scanner! Yes, for an entire year, the ability to scan my old photos into digital copies had been collecting dust in the loft.

 (this was the summer we wore only our bathing suits. ah, the dream. Meghan-how jealous are you that 5 year old Brianne and 4 year old Maren had more hair than you do now?)

And while there might be some lesson here about not wasting free things, or some other such moral, I choose to see it as a printer miracle and hope you enjoyed the photos from the good ole days posted throughout this blog.

 (i think the best part of this photo, other than my awesome face are the knees of the person who took this photo. nice photography, mystery photo taker)

p.s. possible post-mortem blog

Right before our fake Christmas (Dec 17) I had a dream that my mom was growing alligators (you know, like you grow vegetables) and that when they got older, they turned into dinosaurs. I’m pretty sure she didn’t know this would happen. Anyway, I was at her house and this GIANT dinosaur tried to attack me and ended up eating my red sweater that I’ve had forever and love. Literally forever, I’ve had this bad boy since I was 18 and still wear it.

So, the next day when I was looking for what to wear, I saw my red sweater hanging in the closet and actually had the thought, “oh good, a dinosaur didn’t eat my sweater!” Yes, this actually happened. At least I then realized how absolutely ridiculous this was and had to tell Meghan about my relief at still owning a sweater that I thought a prehistoric beast had eaten.

This is clearly pointless information, but as I was packing this red sweater for wearing on my trip, I was once again reminded of my very real relief and thought I’d share with you. If  Zak were a blog reader, I bet he’d be really jealous that I had a dream about his best friends, The Dinosaurs.

A while ago, on a lovely winter day with rain/sleet and large puddles that you had to caulk the wagon to float across on the street corners of the city, Meghan, Lisa and I went to see the movie, Doubt. This movie was fantastic. And aptly named. It was so good that we stayed in the theatre for a while talking about it, then Meghan and I talked about it all the way home (which is a good 10 minute walk) and then we talked about it some more a few hours later. That’s the best kind of movie. If you can manage to squeeze it into your holiday schedule, I recommend it.

Also, a few days after that I finished the book, Revolutionary Road. The book, not the movie which is also out now, don’t be confused. This book was written in 1961 and is wonderful. Well, wonderful may not be the right word for it as that implies something light and joyous and this book was neither but it was excellent. So, while I don’t normally recommend seeing the movie rather than reading a book, since I don’t think there’s time for you to do both, I think you can just see the movie. I mean, Sam Mendes did it, so you know it will be good. If I get time to see it, I’ll let you know. But for those of you readers, this book is really, really good.

I’m hoping to squeeze in another book before the end of the year and before Crime and Punishment. I got a lot of books from Meghan and Lisa for Christmas and I’m pretty excited to read them all and there’s just so little time. How great is reading, I ask you?

P.S This is directed at Meghan specifically-A warning: there are going to be several blogs once I get back to Oklahoma telling about what I did in Michigan and if you don’t like back blogging, then you don’t have to read them, but they are going to happen. Perhaps I’ll start each one with “not for Meghan”. Although, I do promise not to do as many as there were for Thanksgiving.

On this day after Christmas in my possible post-mortem blog, I thought I’d show you some of my favorite photos of Christmas past. I don’t remember any of these christmases except for the one with the matching blue dresses which mom made for us.

I think when Maren and I are old that we will send out this Christmas card once again. According to the back, it’s from 1989, so maybe in 40 or so years, we’ll bust it out and you will all get it in the mail. Something to look forward to.

I love how sad we look in the above photo. And those are also my favorite pj’s from childhood. They had little orange and yellow football players on them and it was two pieces but they snapped together at the waist. Pajama perfection!

Hey, this Christmas, we were happy. And were sporting some awesome hair cuts. Small children should never have this much hair. It’s just not fair.

Yes! The matching outfits are back! And we have started a new holiday tradition of smiling with our faces lifted high in the air and closing our eyes and showing as much teeth as possible. It’s a good look!

I loved these trikes. They were awesome. And again, the bad Christmas morning hair strikes again. I’d like to say that we have made improvements in this area, but I fear that would be a lie.

I hope you all enjoyed these photos of Brianne and Maren’s Christmases past. But really, how could you not have loved these cute little girls?

Caution: live blog.

Last night, after church, we went to a bar. We normally go to Aunt Sandras, but she didn’t have her eve gathering, so we were forced to go to Trappers. And when I say we, I mean me, Maren, Jeff, mom, dad, Kyle, Uncle Tim, Timmy, grandma and grandpa.

Sadly we got there at last call so we were only able to have one drink each. Fellow New Yorkers, imagine in your head what it would cost to buy 5 beers, 2 vodka cranberries, a vodka tonic and a 7 up. Now sit down as I tell you that in Unionville, Michigan it cost $19. Maybe you are thinking I have made a typing error, but I assure you I have not. Can you even imagine that? I still can’t and I was there. So, you see, it is a Christmas miracle!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, friends.

Merry Christmas Friends. I hope you all have a lovely day.

Yes, some more possible beyond the grave pre-blogging. In todays edition, I thought I’d tell you about last Christmas with Zak and his mom. Zak and I woke up early (10-ish) and went to see Alien Versus Predator: Reqium the movie at the 84th street theatre for the low low price of $6. On our way there, we stopped to get a gingerbread man. What better says Christmas than a movie where aliens battle predator? I say, nothing.

Then we headed back home and opened presents.

Then we made a Christmas chinese feast. We decided to have duck, egg rolls and then some more traditional holiday meal stuff because, after dinner, we went to see: Holiday Wonders. This is an all asian Christmas-ish variety show with dancing, singing, instruments, more dancing, skits of sorts and so much more.

We also drank some applecidertinis in our brand new Rockette martini glasses.

Drinking, alien violence, presents, chinese dancing and apple pie. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Christmas Eve is far and away my favorite day of the year. Going to church in Moore or Unionville, singing Christmas hymns, the anticipation of the next day. It’s just such a great day.

Christmas Eve in Moore: when in Moore we watch The Santa Clause and City Slickers and eat our traditional Long John Silvers meal before going to late night church and seeing the worst interpretive dance in the history of time performed by the same not so good dancer to the same wretched song. And yet, it has become such a part of Christmas that I yearn for if when I am not in Oklahoma for it.

When in Michigan: service at grandmas church with the singing of Morning Star and Maren and I singing our own made up words. Then the after party at Aunt Sandras and Snow, Snow, Snow.

Last year in NYC: Zak, Zaks mom and I Christmased here last year. On the Eve we went to see The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular,

went to briannes favorite place in the city, Top of the Rock,

had the best turkey burgers ever (Zak and I still talk about them) and saw Sweeney Todd at the movies.

We had a great time (do these photos of us and our view finder friend look familiar?)

I mean, come on, Rockettes, turkey burger, movie musical about a murderous barber and the Target Breezeway?! That’s the dream, right?

Here’s wishing you all a Spectacular Best Day of the Year!

And as this is possible beyond the grave blogging, feel free to remember me happily hugging this metal man atop Rockefeller center. I do so love him and it.

I made it here without having to spend the night in Kentucky! Yes!

P.S. In case you weren’t sure, this is a live blog.