Ooooo December!

Part of the reason I've always wanted to move north is I love cold weather and snow. Apparently I should have stayed in the south! We've had ONE morning of a few flurries here and I hear Harrisonburg's already got a few little snows. Guess I'll just have to be patient. It's probably a good thing - I don't have snow boots yet and I hear once everything starts to melt here, it's disgusting. I just love being snowed in with movies, hot chocolate or spiced cider and some good friends.

I got a Christmas present this past week! And it's lasting two more weeks! My favorite new band of this year, Harper Blynn, is playing a three week residency at Rockwood. Please oh please oh please check them out. They're so wonderful! Not only are their songs simply amazing but they do a cover of "Halo" that makes Beyonce look bad (yes, I said it). Also spotted at the show: Adrian Grenier.



For the past few years I've been wanting to go ice skating around Christmastime but it never quite got off the ground. This year it worked! My friend Edward pulled some of us together and we went to Lasker Rink in Central Park. It was so perfect - Lasker Rink is in Central Park North so there weren't ANY tourists there (also a lot cheaper!). It was mostly families which is a good and bad thing... those little kids are CRAZY! They just go and end up taking people out with them when they fall. Everyone was a really good sport about it though and surprisingly enough, none of us fell! The coolest part was Edward's friend Polly came and she's from Africa... and had never been ice skating before! She absolutely LOVED it! I think the next time we go she'll be a pro. Meghan, Edward and Scott

My friend Laura's friend Elizabeth sings with the Manhattan Choral Ensemble and this afternoon then were performing a Christmas concert. I met up with Laura at Gray's Papaya for a pre-show snack. We hadn't seen each other in a couple months probably so it was great to catch up in person. When we'd had our fill, we made our way over to this beautiful church on W 71st Street for the concert. It was great and really put me in the holiday spirit. This year's theme was Readings and Carols on Peace. Between the songs, members of the choral read exceprts from Martin Luther King's Nobel Prize acceptance speech, a poem by Pablo Neruda, a musing of Ghandi and a few more. After the show Laura, Elizabeth and I headed across the street to Starbucks (it's true - one on every corner!) and got some winter themed drinks before catching our respective subways home.

I leave you this evening with a video of the aformentioned cover of Halo by Harper Blynn. Enjoy, friends.