If only in my dreams.

Christmas Music That Doesn't Suck 2014 Edition: Day Nine


Baby it's Cold Outside - Skyler Astin and Briga Heelan


Yes, that is the guy from Pitch Perfect. He stars in this comedy series called Ground Floor. I've seen a few episodes, it's not bad.

2011 was Tallulah Bankhead and Jack Carson - my favorite version - 2012 was She & Him, 2013 was Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lady Gaga


Silver Bells - Doris Day


Love her, always have. Growing up my favorite movie was Calamity Jane, must have watched it a thousand times.

2011 was Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, 2012 was Twisted Sister, 2013 was She & Him


Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - She & Him


I KNOW! It took long enough for me to find one I hadn't already posted. I love their Christmas album, it was the first one I took out to my car this winter. I actually own the physical album instead of just buying it on iTunes. They were also fantastic live.

2011 was Toby Keith, 2012 was Brenda Lee, 2013 was Glee Cast


I'll Be Home For Christmas - Tommy Kraft


Acoustic, love the guitar in this one.

2011 was She & Him, 2012 was Kristin Chenoweth, 2013 was Gabe Bondoc


2011 Day Nine - I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me
2012 Day Nine - And the game of golf was invented
2013 Day Nine - In the new old fashioned way

In the new old-fashioned way.

Christmas Music that Doesn't Suck: Day Nine

Baby It's Cold Outside - Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon-Levitt


love him, she's still growing on me.

2011 was Tallulah Bankhead and Jack Carson - my favorite version - 2012 was She & Him

Silver Bells - She & Him


i know, it's shocking i haven't posted them yet this year but this is my favorite christmas album ever so i'm spacing them out so they'll last. seeing them live was fantastic. go here.

2011 was Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, 2012 was Twisted Sister

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Glee Cast


i may not watch it anymore, but every year i get the christmas album cause it's fantastic.

2011 was Toby Keith, 2012 was Brenda Lee

I'll Be Home For Christmas - Gabe Bondoc


very cool acoustic version.

2011 was She & Him, 2012 was Kristin Chenoweth

2011 Day Nine - I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me.
2012 Day Nine - And the game of golf was invented.

and the game of golf was invented

Yes, I know. I'm late again.

Went out to dinner with the boyfriend's family for his birthday and then after we went to see the Hobbit 3D.

Which didn't get out 'til midnight.

It was pretty good though. Not as good as the first movies but maybe the sequel will be better.



Scale of Awesome puts it at around 7/10. It had it's moments. That sounds like it's bad, it's not bad. It was good, just not as good as I thought it would be. But it's hard not to build it up when the first three were awesome.

Though I do enjoy Martin Freeman as Bilbo. Benedict Cumberbatch was in it as well, though you couldn't tell it was him. Looks like he'll have a bigger role in the next two. I just love that both of them are in it.

Please tell me you've seen the latest BBC version of Sherlock.

If not go here: Amber Atkins that is not American Teen Princess Language

What else from yesterday?

Slept in, jammed out with the boyfriend. Watched Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter - which I've already reviewed here: Dick Cheney, Vampire Slayer - and The Raven. I slept through part of it but for the parts that I watched it was pretty good. Think I'll go back and watch it again. At the moment it's around an 8/10, but maybe that'll change once I see it all the way through.



Alright, on to the music.

Christmas Music that Doesn't Suck: Day Nine

Baby it's cold outside - She and Him


love these guys. in my top 5 of favorite bands.


Silver bells - Twisted Sister


ummm, okay. so the beginning is a little questionable. okay the whole video but the music is great.


Rockin' around the Christmas tree - Brenda Lee

original version is still the best


I'll be home for Christmas - Kristin Chenoweth

great voice, very impressive.

and good timing as i'm headed out to the farmhouse this weekend.

me and carter, i'm sure my mother is thrilled.

but it'll probably be like last year - take him home over christmas and then he'll stay there through new years. otherwise i have to load him up and bring him back twice and he hates the car. as you've heard many times. i'm sure if you looked hard enough you could find multiple lists of the songs he hates.

and i'm off.

For last year's Day Nine go here

I'll be home for Christmas, You can count on me.

A semi-normal day at the library.

Sort of.

What's becoming normal anyway.

I was at the desk for a couple hours but it was mostly off-desk projects that took up the majority of my time today. Did my first set of supply rounds today, super exciting.

More of the same tomorrow.

And actually finished going through the YA section, now all that's left is the display area. It's not much of a display, Girlscout says it feels like a waiting room. I'll fix it. Eventually.

It was weird though cause I kept delegating things to Friday.

Oh I'll do that Friday.

And I can wait for that until Friday.

Hey, can you look at that Friday?

Then Second Sister said "okay, tomorrow" and I went, ah crap. Friday's tomorrow.

Not that I didn't know it was Thursday, I did subliminally. It says that in big bold letters on the schedule I stared at on multiple occasions today.

Can't believe it's the Thursday before Christmas.

Does it feel like Christmas to any of you?

Cause it doesn't to me.

Maybe that's cause I'm working more than ever before.

I'm used to weeks off from school and snow on the ground.

Now I'm doing nothing but work and there is not a single flake of snow on the ground.

Now wait, I'll wake up tomorrow to a blizzard and you will all blame me.

I've now realized that I have to take Carter to the farmhouse for Christmas. He will love it, he loves the farmhouse, more specifically the basement.

Seriously weird cat.

Cause no one likes that basement, it's creepy.

I cleaned out the whole thing, painted the walls lime green and blue, made a lounge out of the thing and I still don't like the basement. Though it's still got the paintjob and my awesome Harry Potter and Scooby Doo stickers all over the wall.

But he likes it. There's this giant cabinet thing that my brother covered in radio station stickers - no idea why - that he sits on top of and crawls up into the ceiling. No idea where that leads. Or if I should be worried. Or why there's a hole there in the first place.

I think he also likes it because there are window wells that the outdoor cats sit in. Ha! you're out in the cold and I get to lounge in the heat. I will now stare you down. Yes, look away, look away jealous outdoor cats. Though not as pleasing as when he struts back and forth inside the glass doors while the outdoor cats stare at him in spite. I'm so cool and you're just cold.

He's a punk.

A big fat one.

But he's my punk so I love him.

So does his grandma on occasion.

But never grandpa.

Ironically that's the only person he doesn't bite.

Like I said, weird cat.

Christmas Music that Doesn't Suck: Day Nine

Yes you're getting a lot of them tonight, you can pick and choose.

"Baby It's Cold Outside" Tallulah Bankhead and Jack Carson

"i said i'd stay..."
I cannot pimp this song enough. It's fantastic, hilarious, and completely Tallulah. It just sums up her personality perfectly.

"Silver Bells" Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney

i was going to post She & Him's version of this, but this is just classic.

Besides, then it would have been redundant to post this:

"I'll Be Home For Christmas" She & Him

it's just so simple and clean. that's why i love their christmas album, they don't kill the classics, they just bring them back.

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Toby Keith

Though Brenda Lee clearly sings it the best - her version is definitely in my top 5 Christmas songs of all time - I haven't posted a lot of Country-fied versions of songs yet. This one is actually not bad.


Aaannd! Here's a bonus one,
Sensei's Christmas Music that Doesn't Suck

"Christmas Can Can" Straight No Chaser

love the mashup, that's fantastic. thanks for the rec.
I keep watching it over and over just for the Jewish rant but mostly 2:17.

Big day tomorrow. Off at 4 to pick up Grams, then it's the pitch party, then gotta pack up my big fat cat and all the rest of my stuff to go jam at the farmhouse for a few days.

It's funny, work makes the day fly by so fast - who can say that and mean it, seriously I love my job - but I was hoping this week would go slower. I don't want Christmas to be over yet!

"Who licked my boots?"

I cannot convey how much I love She & Him's new Christmas CD. Buy it. Or check it out on iTunes. It's worth it. Zooey Deschanel's voice is fantastic and they don't kill any of the classics - like so many others do. I'm impressed.
Although, whenever I hear "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" I cry no matter who sings it. And if they suck it's because they suck. I have no idea why that song. So don't ask. Just like I can't keep a straight face when I hear "Baby, It's Cold Outside." But I blame that on Tallulah Bankhead. I'll explain that one later.

Okay, so Booze Cakes with Slim Shady and Fearless Leader. I left the baking to the pros since Slim Shady likes her apartment as it is - minus the scorchmarks that would array her ceiling if it was me. Not that they adorn mine, yet. But I'm sure those days are numbered.

I documented. and threw in some colored commentary.

Cake #1: Take #1. "Mudslide Cake"

Check these.


post-baking process.


caramel of awesomeness


adding the creamy stuff.


cake pre-caramel wreckage


post-caramel wreckage of awesomeness.

It's excellent. And now there is a significant hunk-o-booze-cake sitting in my fridge. Surrounded by other random leftovers that have built up this week.

But that was yesterday. Today was class, and I think I'm good. And forgiven. It seems to be good, "I'll probably do it to you twice before we're done." So life is good again. Huzzah! Excited about life! Well. Getting there.

Class this morning, went early so I could grab coffee for self and the Library Goddess on the way. Then hit up their impromptu lunch thing in the lobby with sloppy joes and the fixings. I jammed with David. I seem to be hanging out with him at class a lot. He's cool. We jam in the back corner for class. And he's in cataloging with me next semester as well. We also redesigned the same library, he's the one that set me straight on the due dates and saved my butt.

But anyway, we watched the game in the lobby and cheered and yelled at the screen. Freaked out one of my female classmates when she thought I was yelling at her to "GO!" No. Not you. Burkhead. Up the middle. Sorry. WHAT A GAME!! Oh man!! I could not be prouder of my boys. Seriously. That was a tough game with all the drama involved but they kept it together and were classy about it as well. No disrespect at all, met them on the field before the game. I was impressed. And that was drama central. I don't even want to think about that, seriously. Awful.

After that I came and watched some Scooby Doo at the apartment, finished all my discs so I can return them tomorrow. I'm loving these collections that have them grouped by genre. Scooby Doo and the Zombies or and the Pirates or and the Ghosts. It's fantastic. Cause it's classic episodes mixed in with the "What's New Scooby Doo's" and all that. I'm a fan. Our whole family is a fan. My big brother used to take a break from driving tractors when he was like 10 to come back and watch Scooby Doo for half an hour before he'd go back out to work. Left a 4-wheeler at the end of the field for him. Still makes me laugh. I'm tempted to download the original theme as my family ringtone. Not that Super Mario Bros. is getting old, but it's good to switch it up every once in a while.

Aannd after that I hit up the Parthenon with Oldest Sister. She was pretty much zonked out with tiredness so when we attempted to watch Captain America afterward she was out within minutes. "You awake" .... .... .... "Guess not." But I jammed with her fluffy cat on the couch. Although she was freaking me out. Has a thing for my jeans. Think they smell like Carter or something.

Quotes of the day:

Me: "I'm gonna need a serious box."
Oldest Sister: "As opposed to a normal one?"
Me: "Yeah, cause a serious box helps to contain the seriousness of the dish and keep it seriously contained because of it's seriousness..." and then I added a few more "Seriousness"s in there somewhere. But I refused to explain it again to the waiter cause you know, that would just be redundant. For serious.

Oldest Sister: "Who licked my boots?" ... "Who got slobber all over my new kicky boots?" I'm gonna blame the dog. She was trying to lick the paint off your fake trees while we were leaving.

Me: "Freakin' Bellydancers. Gonna have nightmares they're gonna come at me with their stomachs."
Oldest Sister: "What?!?"
does anyone else have that phobia? is that a phobia? belly-smothering? it should be! there's one for clowns and cake and socks, there should be one for belly dancers.
somehow it's always with her that there's belly dancers. Craft shows. Greek Restaraunts. Freakin' bellydancers.
...
...
...
...
"And him, waltzing up with some bellydancer girl."
"Bellydancer girl? Izzy I think you and I should talk."
"As long as I don't get shot."
sorry. Mummy Returns. had to. be glad I stopped there, I could go on for the rest of the movie.

Music Recs: To get you in the season.

I'm looking for a new Xmas tree for the farmhouse. I still want to burn that freaking tree. My Life in Closed Captions: A Christmas Tree Nightmare Seriously. Match and lighter fluid. Watch me roar. Dude.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" She & Him

no one can beat out judy garland, but they come pretty close.


"Baby, It's Cold Outside" Tallulah Bankhead and Jack Carson

There. Listen to that and not laugh. I dare you. Then try listening to the original and not reply like she does. I can't do it. She's too good.

"Say anything about me, dahling, as long as it isn't boring." -TB

This vampire bat, This inhuman beast...

She oughtta be locked up, And never released.
This song has been stuck in my head since this morning when Sensei asked a girl about her dalmation coat. I'm going bananas.



I love Tallulah Bankhead. And that they based Cruella after her. That's fantastic. The bad girl of show business back in the 1930s-40s, she was an all-around actress, theater mostly but also movies, radio, and tv. She was known for her deep voice (calling everyone "Dahling") and um, well, we'll go with "rebellious" personality. That's the nice way of putting it. She was kind of a bitch. But she loved to party and smoke and do drugs and drink - her last word was "bourbon" or "codeine...bourbon" to be more specific - and she had an on-going rivalry with Bette Davis, they hated each other. But she had some of the best one-liners.
When seeing a former lover for the first time in years - "I thought I told you to wait in the car."

-"The only thing I regret about my past is the length of it. If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner."

-"It's the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time."

-"I'm as pure as the driven slush."

About Bette Davis -"Don't think I don't know who's been spreading gossip about me...After all the nice things I've said about that hag. When I get hold of her, I'll tear out every hair of her mustache!"

I've been a fan of hers for a while but watching that clip brought it all back.
If you have time you should check out her "Big Show" interview with Marlene Dietrich. Hysterical back and forth. I'll find it for you.
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

"Is this a dagger I see before me..." "THIRTY-TWO?!"
And don't ask about the dolls, I have no idea. I mean, obviously the redhead on the left is Tallulah, she smoked over a hundred packs a day.

Another one to check out is her duet with Jack Carson.
"Baby It's Cold Outside"

Hilarious.

Both available on itunes btw and my ipod, shameless plug.

But today was good. Got some ideas for my project due Saturday. The beauty of working with smart people. Not that it's rubbing off on me or anything, but they do give great tips. And Team Awesome was reunited for a few hours so that was exciting. Aka me and Girlscout. We don't get to work together very much so opening with her is always fun.
Tomorrow is halfday plus homework plus the possibility of going back to the white walls/sterylized equipment, but that depends on what mom and oldest sister have to say.

"Is that your age darling...or your shoe size?"