rebecca_in_blue | Rebecca a essayé d'acheter un livre de cuisine français en anglais, mais...

Almost every time I turn on the radio now, I hear "Good," by Carrie Underwood. I'm ashamed to say I actually like it, but geez, there's a limit to how much I can take. (Edit: I just googled the lyrics, and it's actually called "Mama's Song." Ugh.) But it is better than the Christmas music that some stations are playing. Today I heard that awful Christmas song by Alvin & the Chipmunks, and even more disturbing, a tweaked version of "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" called "Hanukkah and Christmas Hand in Hand." Listening to it was easily the biggest what-the-fuck moment of my day.

Speaking of which, the Hanukkah service at the temple last Friday was really lovely. There was a dinner afterwards, and I ate my first latke and, miraculously, several bites of salad. I never eat healthy foods, especially salads, so it was a big deal. It helped that there was goat cheese in it. Finding goat cheese in salad was like running into an old friend in strange place. I also met an older lady who recognized my last name because she went to school with my Aunt Alison and Uncle George. They live in California and I haven't seen them since 2006, so hearing their names dropped was really random and surprising. When I tell people at the temple my last name, I usually get, "What? Cohen?" — my last name is unusual, Scottish, and not Jewish in the least, but it sounds a lot like Cohen — not, "Oh, I know your Uncle George." What were the odds that we would be seated next to each other? I guess it is a small world.

I have still haven't put up Christmas decorations or a tree. I've done a tiny bit of shopping, but not much. Some years I just can't get into the Christmas spirit, and I think 2010 might be one of those years. I've always hated wintertime, and I still do.