Week Fourteen

(picture at left = Don's Mo Watch Day 27)

Today is the first day of December, my favorite month of the entire year. December is the only reason we put up with those first 11 crappy months (especially June a.k.a. "The Worst Month EVER". No offense to you Geminis or Cancers out there, but June is so boring that they had to stick the College World Series on ESPN every day just to get through the boring month with slightly less boredom.) December, however, is the bestest month there is and I'm starting it the same way I did on the first day of November: with a freshly-shaven face, a dissipating hangover and no idea where I put my phone. The difference between my November 1 and my December 1 is that I've also started the day listening to two-hours worth of Christmas music.

Now as all of my former or current roommates can attest to, I love Christmas music. I heart it. Christmas music is part of the joy of December, and unless you are Jewish or a terrorist, you should love Christmas music too. Even Communists love Christmas music! And for all of you Unitarians out there, there are thousands of great non-traditional Christmas songs, from Elvis' Blue Christmas to The Pretenders' 2000 Miles, and every Mexican (Feliz Navidad), Hawaiian (Meli Kalikimaka) or Punk (Oi to the World) Xmas song in between.

Here are some of my favorites, both original and remake, that I would encourage you all to listen to to get in the Christmas spirit:

1: Christmas Wrapping, Waitresses
2: Last Christmas, Jimmy Eat World
3: The Christmas Song, Raveonettes
4: Someday at Christmas, Remy Zero
5: Donde Esta Santa Claus, Augie Rios
6: I Won't Be Home For Christmas, Blink 182
7: 2000 Miles, Coldplay
8: Maybe This Christmas, Ron Sexsmith
9: Christmastime, Smashing Pumpkins
10: Christmas by the Phone, Good Charlotte
11: Carol of the Meows, Guster
12: Christmas, U2
13: River, Travis
14: Christmas Song, Dave Matthews
15: Christmas Time in the 909, Greenbrier Lane

(picture at right = Don's Mo Watch Day 29)

Well Saturday was the Movember Gala Parté, the culmination of four weeks' worth of moustache-growing for more than 12,000 Australian men. During the month of November, Mo Bros grew their facial hair to raise millions of dollars for male depression and prostate cancer. Thank you to everyone who supported me, whether financially or through motivational tactics such as calling me names or laughing while pointing your finger at my lip. I'm not sure what I would have done without such amazing support. With your help, you have enabled me to cross off another thing to try and ultimately fail at on my "100 Things to Try and Ultimately Fail at" list (see picture at left).

(pictures below = Movember Parté)

Well, the Syracuse football team finished the season 3-9 and without a bowl bid, head football coach, decent quarterback, defense, fan base or well-known recruit. Luckily, the end of football season means it's the beginning of basketball season, and so far so good for the Orange. In the past week SU beat three pretty good teams - Florida, Kansas and Virginia, and are sitting pretty at 6-0.

Next week is Burson-Marsteller Melbourne's annual Christmas party, where times have been tough and budgets have been cut. As a result, our Christmas party this year will involve chips and lawn bowling. But who needs steak dinners and wine when you've got good company... and a couple slabs of beer? Seriously, it's the greatest month ever and the holiday spirit is upon us. Send me your address and I'll even send you, my valued reader, a Christmas card. And Happy Kwanzaa Jasmine!!! :) Fourteen weeks down, 38 to go.

Week Fourteen Summary:
Weather: a few showers but mostly a beautiful week

New observation: Asians may lose moustache-growing contests but we would be champions in calculcus contests

New activity(ies): Australian Thanksgiving, Movember Parte

New food: pumpkin pie with sweetner

New word(s): Avos in the Arvo (Guacamole in the afternoon)

New people: A Columbian who thinks she's American and two Canadians who wish they were American; and a blue man from Kentucky

What I miss: the Christmas tree in Union Square, the Wall Street Journal, my Gerry McNamara Syracuse jersey, my moustache