Christmas Concert: Handel's Messiah w/ Chorus Austin and Austin Symphony

Every year we try to do something for Christmas - some sort of live show.  And most years, we include my parents.  For example, we've been to Zach Scott to see Christmas Carol and Long Center for The Nutcracker.  

And, every year, after it's already happened and I see a TV report on it, or mentions online, I say "next year I'll go see Handel's Messiah performed for once in my life".  And, on December 2nd, we did just that.

We all know two or three selections from the work, but I didn't know much about it other than those bits and that it's a staple.  At this point in my life, I'm not getting younger and I feel like I should take in come of Western Culture's biggest hits. 

League Rewind (Week of November 30th)

Happy post-Thanksgiving.

That picture above is my (first) plate of food from Thanksgiving dinner at my folks' house.  Jason, Amy and the kids were visiting her parents and family in Phoenix.  Back here we had Karebear at the forefront making an amazing dinner.  Jamie made the stuffing (and it was great).  The Admiral poured wine.  My Unky B, who moved here this year, was in attendance - as was Cousin Sue.  And Jamie's Dad, DocDik, rode up with us.  My folks' friend, Janie, arrived a tad later and joined us.  

It was lovely.  Had some nice pumpkin pie, too.  

The Phoenix voyagers returned before the weekend, so we did all manage to catch dinner out (where I ate so much cheese, I needed to be rolled home).

The Thanksgiving Day Parade

Settling into the Holidays at League HQ - 2025

Well, Thanksgiving is over and we're headed toward Christmas and New Year.  

This weekend, Jamie and I managed to decorate the inside and outside of League HQ.  It was a large task, but we'd started by setting up one of our two trees last weekend, and it took a surprising amount of pressure off this weekend.

Starting last year, we quit wrapping the upstairs pillars as we had a friendly owl living in the balcony.  But the oak tree in front of our house more or less obscures the lights up there, anyway.  So, now you just get the four columns of peppermint wrap and the candy lights in the tree.  You're welcome.

Meanwhile, the living room isn't much different from prior years.

Happy Thanksgiving 2025

Happy Turkey Day, everybuddy!

We made it.  The Holiday season starts in earnest.  My mom is making a dinner in North Austin, and we'll be there this evening.  Rumor has it she got three kinds of pie, which I am excited about, but for me it's about turkey, Jamie's stuffing (she's been working on it for several days), potatoes and whatever greens are on the table.  

I love me a Thanksgiving dinner.

Thankful for so much this year.  

As always, Jamie is first up.  Especially as she's taken care of me for *months* as I have this busted foot, so I can't drive, and for a while couldn't cook or clean.  She's done *everything*.  So, thanks, Jamie!  But she's also just Jamie, and that ain't bad.  So thankful for every day before and every day to come.

Thankful for a new gig I kind of love.

Thankful for my pals near and far.  Some of you I know mostly online, and some I barely text with but we get to hang out in person.  But a guy needs to count himself rich with how many people he can call a buddy.

Thankful for parents and family!  We are a small family, but we are mighty.  And the niece and nephew are growing up strong and smart.

I've got my health, if you don't count this foot.  Jamie's had a good year, and our parents are doing well.

This year we also adopted Emmylou, and she's been a delight every day.  Good dog.

just look at that cutie-patootie

And, if I may, I'm thankful for a lot of silly things, too.  Hey, I got two superhero movies I'd always dreamed of this year.  Not grateful for my bad financial management when it came to Superman merchandise, but here we are.

And if you you read to the end here, thanks!

Now get out there and eat your favorite foods and get a slice of pecan pie.  (And I say it "peh-cahn").

League Lagniappe (Week of November 23rd)

Hey, y'all...

I'm gonna try to bring back something I did at the media site, which was the Signal Watch Rewind, over a decade ago.  

It's just a regular collection of a bunch of junk in small bits you can just scroll through and see if you care or not.  I'll include YouTube clips, links off to other sites, and maybe other things that haven't fired off a full post, but I kinda want to share.

Like...  

Animal I didn't know exists:  The Binturong

Those @#$%ers Stopped Making Pennies

Today I had to tell my co-workers, who did not see the news on social media, that the United States has discontinued the penny.*

Look, the world has a lot of problems, and apparently it costs $0.04 to make a penny, which is why they stopped, but..  dang, man.  It feels like we should have been consulted.

The penny is a huge part of culture here in the United States.  Now what the @#$% am I supposed to pick up and all the day have good luck?  Riddle me THAT, US Mint.  

What will the name now mean when we meet a Penny?  We might as well call women "Doubloon".   

What giant coin will Batman have in the Batcave?  A NICKEL?  Like a common nickel hoarder?   

Are we supposed to read the Dime Saver?  Offer a quarter for your thoughts?  At gas station cash registers, are we to give a Sacagawea dollar, take a Sacagawea dollar?   

This is bullshit.  I would have been happier had they said "no more dimes and nickels.  A penny is now a dime.  Everyone round up."  

*Thanks, Nathan!

One Week and Counting Since I Posted the Only Review of the Lacey Chabert Ornament

This year Hallmark is offering an actual Lacey Chabert Porcelain Ornament.

Maybe the ornament is a little weird, but so is Hallmark.  And as long as they make ornaments for pretty much any other media franchise under the sun, it makes sense that eventually they'd want to float a trial balloon of what they have to offer from their own networks.  And what Hallmark has leaned into of late is "Hallmark Stars" - of which Chabert is a bit singular.

And so it seems, rather than go all in on, say, the entire cast of Three Wisest Men, they've decided to go with one of their biggest stars who has more than a decade with the channel.  

So why the review?