Rockstars and Nutcrackers.

So I’m really backlogged with stuff I want to post about. For some reason the blog has been really knitting heavy and not so much about the life lately – which is odd because we’ve had lots and lots of crazy-fun things going on. It’s weird what I feel like blogging about when – there really doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to it. I’m not going to get too hung up about it, though. So instead of trying to back-blog everything fun we’ve done over the past month (perhaps I’ll do that later because there are some hilarious pics I should share) instead I’ll just give a fly-by weekend recap.

So. Friday night I was MIA with a cold – I was going to go out anyways but I know how I am with the whole self-restraint thing and I’m guessing that “just one drink” plus cold medicine would equal BAD. So Dexter and I had a quiet evening together while Matt partied it up at the newly opened Bar Centro. Their pizza is quite tasty although not nearly as free as the pizza used to be at the Bier Market’s happy hours. Sadness ensues on that one. Anyone know of any happy hours with free food (and cute bartenders)? We’re looking for a new usual Friday night venue…

Then Saturday was a crazy busy day but one I have been looking forward to for a long, long time. Saturday I got to see the Real Nutcracker. See a long time ago in the 1990’s Cleveland had a Ballet company. And their production of the Nutcracker was second-to-none. Well at least it was the one that I grew up with and loved. Then in 2000 we lost the ballet permanently to San Jose – it’s something our city is still definitely missing. So to make lemonade out of the lemons my mom and I started a new tradition. Each December we took a little weekend trip somewhere to see the Nutcracker, usually paired with an art exhibit or a shopping excursion. We’ve seen the Nutcracker in Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta and none were even close to as good.

Ok in all fairness the Nutcracker is a ballet that is very open to interpretation. Each company does their own thing, includes their own dances and picks and chooses what music they want. Yeah there are some constants – like the tree growing – but it’s amazing the differences between them. In Chicago the character of Drosselmeir is much more… involved... in the story – to the point where we were calling him the “pervy uncle”. In Atlanta there are farm animals. No, really. Farm animals. Not sure what that has to do with anything but if you want to see a pig on pointe shoes check it out. Detroit’s was pretty good from what I remember and their theater is amazing. And Pittsburgh was my clear favorite because they did the most to make it seem local – the set and everything seemed to be in Pittsburgh which I really liked. However. None of them were quite right.

Well, this year for the first time since 2000 the Cleveland (oops I mean San Jose) Ballet returned home for the Nutcracker and I got to go with all of the ladies in my family:

The performance was everything that I wanted it to be. The costumes were a bit different in places and the set had been updated – but the things I had been missing in every other production were there. The swan taking them from country to country, the great jumping dance outside of the gates of the palace, and most importantly the pas de deux at the end with the coolest move in dance:

The fish. (pic from the Ballet San Jose Website.)

As my grandma put it – I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

From there it was a quick dinner at Otto Moser's before heading to the Artists of Cleveland Holiday Show which was very cool. Then we took my grandma home and I had just enough time to change before going to the Rockband party. Yes. Rockband party.

How about a visual:

Best video game EVER.


It’s like guitar hero for people with friends. It was amazing how into it everyone was – and can I just say I rock at Rockband? I didn’t do the singing part (noone wants to hear that) but I was the only one at the party (who doesn’t own the game) who could rock out medium on all 3 instruments. So. Much. Fun.


Matt rocks too but not at drums. He was terrible at those probably because he has no rhythm. No seriously. He’s very talented at many, many things and I love him dearly but the man has no rhythm at all. He figured out this little fact about himself while trying to learn Salsa dance in Copenhagen (seriously) and was depressed about it for like a week. By now he’s accepted his musical shortcomings – good thing the Rockband Guitar doesn’t require any musical talent at all:

Notice the flannel? Totally 90’s rocker. Heh.


Apparently I take this game very seriously. That or I was trying to vertical. Depends on how late it was in the evening…


Just a random picture of their dog, Max.

Sunday Matt was in an all day cornhole tournament with some of our neighbors so I spent the day recovering, doing laundry, getting my Christmas cards together, knitting a hat (still don’t know what I’m going to do about that – thanks so much for all of your input, though!), and spinning this:

I can almost see the end of the fire fiber!!! Very exciting. I can’t wait to see how much yarn I end up with…

And finally... It's official. I'm in my Fantasy Football Playoffs! I"m the underdog at #6 but I still have a chance. Stranger things have happened.