Santa Baby

Man, Christmas just snuck (yes, "snuck" is an actual word - look it up) up on me this year. We did some shopping tonight, but it seems as if just last week we were avoiding trick or treaters. As we were wandering through the North Charleston Target (wow, didn't this whole blog's reason for being come from a trip to Tar-jae?) it occurred to me that we would now get to do the whole Christmas thing. Man, I can't wait. The fetus is still forming (we're up to week 17) and Margaret is already having to hold me back from buying stuff for the Bean. I'm talking about the basics, like a red Radio Flyer wagon, Fisher-Price stuff, and, most importantly, one of those little popcorn popper push-around thingys. Man, I can't wait to see the Bean's eye when he or she gets a new bike from Santa! Obviously that's a long ways off, but it'll be cool nonetheless.
Margaret is really beginning to show now. She's beginning to feel the effects of pregnancy. Just tonight she felt like the Bean was dancing the Macarena on her bladder - and it's early yet.
We went to see Alison Krauss and Union Station last Sunday night. Outstanding show. Krauss (that'd be her in the photo, taken by yours truly) sings like an angel, and is yet another artist I can't wait to show the Bean. This kid is going to be one hip music listener. None of this prepackaged pop crap you hear oozing out of the radio today. We'll start with a safe, steady diet of Beatles albums, followed by car trips where the Bean will be exposed to Bob Marley, Wilco, The Stones, The Who, Stevie Wonder, DeLa Soul, Elvis Costello, and whatever other cool music I can come up with.
Oh my god! I'm sitting here watching Saturday Night Live while I'm writing this. Lately the show has absolutely stunk. The new cast, with a few exceptions, are listless. Alec Baldwin is the host, and the show had been pretty lame - the highlight being musical guest Shakira's magic dislocated hips (holy schneikes!). But then damn if the last skit doesn't hit a home run. It was Baldwin recreating his famous monologue from Glengarry Glen Ross where he comes in and tears the lowly salesmen new ones. The difference on SNL was that Baldwin and his targets were all elves at the North Pole. "First prize is a shiny new toboggan, second prize is a set of candy canes, third place is you're fired!" If you haven't seen Glengarry Glenn Ross yet, go out and rent it immediately - but keep it away from the kiddies. That's one we won't be sharing with the Bean until he or she is considerably older.