Perchten from Wikimedia Commons

Sure, I’ve written about Krampus before. But Perchten aren’t exactly Krampus. Perchten are unique to the Salzburgerland and Tirol areas of Austria – places I happened to visit this past July and areas of the world that are very important to me.

Perchten are connected to the mythical goddess Perchta (or Bertha in some tongues), a figure in many pagan traditions in the Alps. Perchta’s name roughly translates as “the bright one,” and she is seen as the southern cousin of Holda (another pagan goddess) and one of the guardians of “the beasts.”

In most Austrian lore, Perchta visited homes between Christmas and the Epiphany, typically on the Twefth Night (i.e. January 6th) to see if the children had been good – i.e. if they had done their chores, helped the family, and been obedient. If the kids were good they received a silver coin in a shoe or pail.

The bad ones faced a far more dire fate: they would be disemboweled, their empty stomach cavities stuffed with straw and rocks. And showing bad form was an extremely broad spectrum of bad deeds, from not doing chores, to not spinning the yearly allotment of flax or wool, to eating the wrong food on Perchta’s feast night (the “right food” was a meal of fish and gruel – yum?).

The Perchten are the beasts associated with Perchta – her entourage. Perchta is always in the middle of the throng… somewhere.

So the Perchten are sort of a second coming of the Krampus in parts of Austria, but with a bit of a twist. You see, there are both Schönperchten, the “pretty Perchten” who bring luck, happiness, and wealth to the people, as well as the Schaichperchten that have horns and fangs and are used to drive away demons and ghosts.

So in the Salzburgerland – and especially in Sankt Johann im Pongau, where my Mom spent some of her youth – there are parades of both Schönperchten and Schaichperchten held between Winter Solstice on December 21 and Epiphany on January 6.

Perchtenlauf in Skt. Johann im Pongau, 2017. From Wikimedia Commons.

In fact, Salzburg’s Perchtenlauf takes place on December 21st. Most people prefer to watch from the sides, but for those who dare interact with the Perchten there could be mischief afoot…

Thanks to Wikipedia, the Austrian Tourism Board, and the Salzburg Tourism Office for background info.

Most folks know him from TV and movies, though this post will concentrate on two Christmas themed episodes of his TV shows.

The first is a classic episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show, the 13th episode of the third season of the groundbreaking sitcom. The show featured Van Dyke as Rob Petrie, a comedy writer for a TV comedy/variety show. His boss, Alan Brady (played by Carl Reiner), kept Rob and his fellow writers, Maurice “Buddy” Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam) and Sally Rogers (Rose Marie), on their toes to keep the show going. Rob’s wife, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), was always working to keep Rob grounded.

Originally airing on December 18, 1963, this episode finds Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) working hard with Buddy and Sally to come up with a spectacular Christmas episode. However, Alan is aware that critics have seen his previous holiday shows as a bit lacking in heart. So Alan, going against the instinct of his writing staff, throws a bit of a curve ball: have the writers be the stars of a Christmas-themed variety show, something they do at company parties as improvisational entertainment.

The episode, titled “The Alan Brady Show Presents,” is one of the classics of the series. And as was the fashion on the show at the time, Carl Reiner’s character doesn’t appear clearly on screen, being dressed up as Santa Claus (and being excluded from the credits).

Sure, some aspects of this show haven’t aged well over the years – 1963 is certainly not 2023 in terms of women’s rights and their ability to play a leading role. But it is a very self-aware episode, flipping some tried-and-true TV holiday special tropes on their ear.

It was really hard to replicate the sheer quality of The Dick Van Dyke Show, something that was obvious after the actor returned to the small screen in 1971 after making movies such as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Van Dyke was already an established stage and screen talent, having wowed audiences in the stage and screen versions of Bye Bye Birdie.

Van Dyke’s new TV show – called, rather non-creatively, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, was commissioned by CBS, who were eager to get the actor back into viewers’ living rooms. They agreed to film the show near Van Dyke’s home in Arizona, they commissioned Carl Reiner to develop the show (and Reiner ended up writing and directing some episodes), and they originally aired it within the network’s powerful Saturday night lineup among heavy-hitters like All In The Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

And the show was, sadly, a bit of a dud. Van Dyke played a TV talk show host in Phoenix, Arizona, with the show’s action taking place in a similar split of office life and time at home. It was standard ensemble comedy fare based around a marquee star but the show was not as stacked with talent – both in terms of writers and actors – as was his earlier TV hit.

In the second season of The New Dick Van Dyke Show they aired a Christmas themed episode on December 24, 1972. The plot revolved around Van Dyke’s character, Dick Preston, being caught speeding. Not having enough money to post bail he ends up in jail, calling his friend, Bernie (Marty Brill, perhaps better known for his time on The Mary Tyler Moore Show) to bail him out. When Bernie also ends up on the wrong side of the law, though, things get… funny?

The New Dick Van Dyke Show only aired for three seasons. By the second season it was moved to CBS’ Sunday night lineup which lacked other popular shows to prop up the ratings and things only went down from there.

The final season saw the show moved to Monday nights – and the filming location moved to Hollywood, mostly to save production costs. This season saw Dick Preston land a role in a medical soap opera called Those Who Care. Much of the original cast of the show didn’t make the move to California, so new cast members were added, including Dick Van Patten (in one of his first season-long TV roles), Richard Dawson (fresh from Hogan’s Heroes), and Chita Rivera (in her first recurring TV role).

The show tried to be edgy to fit in with the predecent set by All In The Family by airing a show that season where the Prestons daughter walks in on her parents having sex (the bedroom, itself, being in an off-screen shot). CBS refused to air the episode (which would have been the season closer), saying it had gone above and beyond in terms of indecency. This so incensed Carl Reiner that he left the show entirely, both as a writer and producer. Reiner tried to make the case that AITF was able to handle even more controversial subjects with nary a complaint from CBS executives.

(Of note: the controversial episode, “Lt. Preston of the 4th Cavalry,” eventually did see broadcast in 2004 on the syndicated GoodLife TV network. That said, the show seldom airs these days, even in syndication. If you want to watch the episode in its entirety, click here.)

Once Reiner left the show was essentially done. Van Dyke was unhappy filming away from his Arizona home and, without Reiner’s steady presence as an adviser and writer, he chose not to renew his contract with CBS – thus bringing on a de facto cancellation of the show in 1974.

Thanks to myriad sources, including Wikipedia and the Museum of Television and Radio, for research help on this piece!

I typically go for December 8th because it’s the anniversary of the murder of John Lennon, one of my musical heroes. Yes, it’s morbid – as is much of Christmas lore, if you think about it. But John loved his time in New York City where he could live mostly unbothered by the public and just be a person. After the Beatlemania reality it must’ve been a breath of fresh air.

He really embraced his NYC life, even being a tourist in his adopted hometown. One of his pals in NYC was Bob Gruen, a photographer of some renown, and the photos Gruen took of Lennon are some of the most iconic of his 1970s life.

John Lennon at Statue of Liberty, 30 October 1974. Photo by Bob Gruen – all rights reserved by Mr. Gruen.

The object in the background of this shot is, in fact, possibly the largest Christmas gift ever given: the Statue of Liberty.

Yes, in many respects the wonderful copper statue that lives in New York’s harbor was a Christmas gift! While likely an apocryphal storty, it’s said that around Christmas of 1865 French jurist and historian Édouard de Laboulaye, in recognition of the United States’ commitment to democracy, its coming centennial, and recognition of the recently-freed U.S. slaves, proposed a gift of a grand statue symbolizing liberty, equality, and freedom to be given the U.S. The timing was good and the gift could be seen as acknowledgement that the United States had worked toward being a free, democratic country – win-win, right?

Unfortunately for these plans, the Franco-Prussian War delayed construction and delivery of the statue. After the war’s conclusion in 1871 the French government agreed to fund the construction of the statue if the U.S. provided its location and pedestal. The statue’s form was designed by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (in the image of Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty) with a sub-structure designed by Gustave Eiffel, he of that one structure in Paris.

Given the delayed construction the only bit of Lady Liberty that was ready for the U.S. centennial was the right arm and torch, which were proudly displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, then at Madison Square Park from then until 1882. Fundraising for the construction of the statue’s pedestal was also beset with problems, work almost being stopped by 1885. Only the intervention of Joseph Pulitzer (he of the now-famous prize and then the publisher of the New York World) kept pedestal construction alive via a small-donor drive that raised over 120,000 contributions, mostly of one dollar or less ($33 or less adjusted for modern dollar values).

Eventually the statue arrived in pieces from France, was assembled on the now-finished pedestal on Bedloe’s Island, and was dedicated on October 28, 1886. What followed was New York City’s first-ever ticker tape parade – something that is commonplace now, but then was very new.

Is this a bit of a stretch of a Christmas story? Perhaps. But hey: there are myriad Statue of Liberty tree ornaments available these days. Same with Photoshopped pics of the statue festooned with holiday baubles, trees, and costumes. And many a holiday film has featured the statue prominently in its run (e.g. Elf, The Santa Clause).

But I really wanted to get my John Lennon reference into something without resorting to the usual musical offering.

So I’ll pop in the latest – and likely last – new Beatles song as a parting gift. “Now And Then” is a helluva gift from John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

I’ll be back next week with another Virtual Advent thingamajig!

It’s just perfect jazz.

I finally watched this story from CBS Sunday Morning from December 2021 where David Pogue (the tech writer and hobbyist jazz pianist) gets to the bottom of how Vince Guaraldi managed to write the soundtrack that millions of people equate with Christmas, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the gang.

It’s a great piece, interviewing three of the now-very-much-upper-middle-age boy choir singers used on the album, the son of Lee Mendelson, and the daughter of Vince Guaraldi about how this entire relationship of Charles “Sparky” Schultz and Guaraldi came to pass.

Another stop on sprite‘s #VirtualAdventTour 2022.

Perhaps.

But I really like sharing weird holiday music so I am on a roll!

Ahem.

Postmodern Jukebox – “Last Christmas”

So this isn’t Wham! doing this cover so if y’all are trying to avoid your “Whampocalypse” (or whatever it’s called) this year you are officially safe (by my reckoning, at least).

Ali Spagnola – “In Da Club”

So what if this hip-hop hit was a Christmas song? Worry no longer! Ali Spagnola has you covered!

(Sorry there’s no YouTube version just yet. Once there is it’ll replace this birdsite version.)

Richard Cheese – “Christmas in Las Vegas”

Something that Geoff and I made a point of doing on our road trip in July was skipping through Las Vegas as quickly as possible.

It was not a mistake.

But Richard Cheese is a guilty pleasure of mine so here’s his ode to the town he calls home around the holiday season.

The Moron Brothers – “The Funniest CHRISTmas Song Ever”

Some old Kentucky bluegrass pickin’ and singin’ about the family that gave Santa Claus… lice.

The United States Navy Band – “Dueling Jingle Bells”

As a resident of the District of Columbia I get to see this group perform every now and again – they’re stationed on Barracks Row on Capitol Hill – and they’re known for fun holiday concerts. This shows that even our military musical groups can have a sense of humor.

Will Farrell and John C. Reilly – “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy”

It’s a straight-up redo of the famously weird pairing of David Bowie and Bing Crosby from the latter’s final Christmas TV special.

Adam Sandler – “The Hanukkah Song III”

Third verse, same as the first…

BTW: a most happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate!

James Corden and Jimmy Fallon – “Christmas Musical (Cold Open)”

From an episode of The Tonight Show that aired this past week with James Corden (soon-to-be former host of The Late Late Show) as the featured guest. Both are known for musical fun and this… well, it works.

Fascinating Aïda – “The Rudest Christmas Song Ever…?”

This is definitely NSFW with some spicy language but the sentiment is spot-on, so… have at it!

Holderness Family Music – “Honest Christmas Songs”

I think that sprite would identify with the sentiment of the first lyric reworking on this mega-mix of holiday songs treated with a bit of an honesty lens.

Twisted Sister – “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”

As one of the commenters on this video says: Twisted Sister is just what we need in 2022 – and I can’t argue with that!

Peter Hollens – “The 12 Days of Christmas but it’s CHAOS”

This is a mashup done the old fashioned way – and well!

Another stop on sprite‘s #VirtualAdventTour 2022.

“What if you could have a fantasy holiday concert, sort of in the guise of the ‘Spotify Unwrapped’ lists folks share this time of year?”

OK, that works. And as a person whose “Instafest” looks like this:

you can tell that I’d need to branch out a bit.

(FWIW, I only use Spotify for two reasons: listening prescriptively to specific album releases; and for their holiday mixes that make nice background music at parties. Otherwise I’m mostly an Apple Music user.)

As this is a fantasy concert I’m not limited by whether the artists are alive or dead – or even real, for that matter. So let’s see where this goes…

Opening Act 1: El Vez

Why not El Vez, the most excellent Mexican Elvis impersonator? Pardon the hideous quality of this video, but I was actually at this show at the (late and lamented) U Street Music Hall 10 years ago.

Why El Vez? He is fun, he brings the show and gets folks in a jovial mood. And during the holidays – when things can be truly depressing and maudlin – why not have an energetic, raucous, happy opener?

Opening Act 2: Bing Crosby

Yeah, a classic. “Old Blue Eyes” could buh-buh-buh his way through a mayonnaise ingredient list and still bring about the holiday spirit.

Opening Act 3: John Denver and The Muppets

Because a guy with beady eyes and wire-rimmed glasses countered with the chaos of The Muppets always brings the show.

Opening Act 4/MC: Robin Williams

Before we hit the main stage acts for the evening we get a set from Robin Williams. I got to see him once while working at Georgetown University and bearing witness to his comic talents, intelligence, kindness, and wit was truly being in the presence of genius. This clip from a USO Holiday Tour show he did in Kuwait back in 2007 is classic improvisational material from Robin and has a bugle piece I hear frequently wafting its way downhill from the U.S. Naval Observatory at sunset every day as they lower the flag.

Main Act 1: The Beach Boys (1960s lineup)

This is not the current “Beach Boys product” that Mike Love and Bruce Johnston parade around as the “official” band. Rather, this is the original lineup of Love, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, David Marks, and Dennis Wilson – i.e. before Brian retreated from touring. They recorded some amazing holiday stuff back in the day – and they were a tight little band on stage in the pre-Pet Sounds days, as well.

Yes, I realize this video is them miming along to the studio record. They actually could – and did – play their instruments back in 1964.

Main Act 2: Glen Miller and his Orchestra, circa 1941

The World War II era iteration of Glen Miller’s Orchestra was truly hot jazz. So let’s have them play a song for us.

This is from a 78rpm record that, well, hasn’t aged well in terms of being politically correct. But the band’s performance is tight – and that’s the feeling I’m going for here.

Main Act 3: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

You know what song they’ll be doing here…

Main Act 4: Vince Guaraldi Trio (featuring tributes to A Charlie Brown Christmas)

I mean… how can you not close with what’s possibly one of the finest jazz works of all time? Critics thought that Charles Schultz was bonkers for choosing a well-heeled jazz composer to write and perform the soundtracks for the Peanuts TV specials.

Those critics can suck eggs because Guaraldi’s compositions and performances rocked.

Of course there are many other artists here to pay respect to Vince’s awesome work. First off, let’s hear from the drummer in the classic trio, Jerry Granelli, as they cover the classic “Linus and Lucy.”

Next a cover of “Christmas Is Coming” by The Peanuts Gang Trio – whose main focus is covering Guaraldi’s songs for the Peanuts specials.

Y’know what? That song is so good that we should hear it again, performed this time by Chris Thile, Cory Wong, and friends on “Live From Here” back in 2019.

Next up: a medley of assorted tracks from A Charlie Brown Christmas performed by Josh Turner and… Josh Turner and… umm… Josh Turner.

To close this out, Josh Turner brings out his friend, Allison Young, to perform a lovely rendition of “Skating.”

Thanks for coming! Be sure to get home safely!

In previous years I’ve been able to do most of these outings from places not close to DC. The past two years’ worth had a lot of Utah stops. Every year (save one?) has had some New England stops.

This year? Just one Connecticut stop, with all the others being in the greater DC area.

I tried for a theme of “cheap coffee” with all the stops being convenience stores, gas stations, or chain budget coffee places (e.g. donut shops). I didn’t quite pull that off – oh, well, it was all good. And I did end up going to a place or two I’ve been to before, which is something I try to avoid but can’t always manage.

At any rate… here goes! To see the rides and their routes, click on the links next to “Distance Ridden.”

FIRST STOP:
Date: 10 October
Distance Ridden: 63.49 miles
Location: Cumberland Farms, Stafford, CT
Bike Friendliness: 4/10 (this is on a main road with high speed traffic and zero bike/micromobility accommodation, and there’s no bike parking at the store; there’s a clean restroom and you can refill bidons at the soda fountain for free, and there is plentiful space to lean your bike outside and still see it from inside)
Drink: drip coffee (limited-edition seasonal blend, non-flavored)

Lesson Learned: I was up in Connecticut for sprite’s dad’s birthday weekend, which typically falls around Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This year was a monumental birthday for Bob, so we spent some of our trip at Cape Cod at a luxe resort. After returning to Somers I was able to ride a route that I’d cued in RideWithGPS many years ago. Back when I cued it RWGPS didn’t know dirt roads from paved. Turns out I’d routed myself on some prime abandoned roads in Yale Forest – almost 8 miles of them! This route tested the abilities of my Moots Vamoots DR – and it did great! The coffee at Cumberland Farms has come a long way since I lived in New England – this roast was quite good!

SECOND STOP:
Date: 13 October
Distance Ridden: 33.46 miles
Location: Starbucks, Alexandria, VA
Bike Friendliness: 7/10 (on a street with sharrows and low-speed traffic; no bike rack at the store, but easy to lean bike outside and have it remain in sight; clean bathroom, free bidon fills by the baristas – with ice if requested; plentiful seating outside and nearby at the waterfront park 75 meters away)
Drink: pumpkin spice latté (as you do)

Lesson Learned: So I knew that my mom’s old Audi A4 Quattro was not doing so well. It only had 93,000 miles and change on its odometer, but it was also 22 years old – it was an “elderly teenager” in car parlance. It had issues and given I need reliable transport for ski coaching season it was time to find something new. So this ride took me to Beyer Subaru to test drive and put a deposit on a new car: a 2023 Crosstrek! I ended up getting a the base model with 6-speed manual transmission and only a few options, but it’s been a great car thus far. As for the Audi: a friend in Vermont bought it as a project car for his twin teen boys. He’d previously fixed a similar vintage A4 so he knew the issues and was ready to take them on. Thank you, Eric G!

THIRD STOP:
Date: 18 October
Distance Ridden: 22.84 miles
Location: Gregory’s Coffee, Navy Yard, DC
Bike Friendliness: 8/10 (big, accommodating plaza/sidewalk outside with bike racks and New Jersey Ave SE has a non-protected bike lane; shop has restroom, free bidon fills with ice; plentiful outdoor seating)
Drink: drip coffee (Gregory’s House Blend)

Lesson Learned: I wanted to go for a bike ride and see the progress on the New Frederick Douglass Bridge. The inbound side multi-use path wasn’t officially open but people were using it! I’d never been to a Gregory’s location before and this was a welcome surprise: friendly barista, brew was fresh even though I was there near closing.

FOURTH STOP:
Date: 23 October
Distance Ridden: 20.30 miles
Location: Sheetz, Thurmont, MD
Bike Friendliness: 7/10 (no bike racks but plentiful places to lean bikes within eyesight; great outdoor seating; bidon fills with ice a soda fountain; good restroom)
Drink: drip coffee (Sheetz Columbian with just-in-time grind-and-brew)

Lesson Learned: I’d spent the morning at Liberty Mountain at my ski team’s fall meeting and I brought my bike to ride after lunch was done. I did a standard loop in the Catoctins. I also had my first go at the self-service checkout at Sheetz which was… OK. It worked. The Ridge Supply Arsenal kit got noticed and people liked it (it is a stunner).

FIFTH STOP:
Date: 29 October
Distance Ridden: 2.70 miles
Location: “Coffee in the Wild” at Union Station, Washington, DC
Bike Friendliness: 7/10 (it’s Bikeshare – not difficult to criticize ample parking outside the train station that’s connected to both a multi-use path and multiple protected and non-protected bike/micromobility lanes; restrooms are fine; note that I would not lock my personal bike here at the racks – it’s a haven for bike thieves)
Drink: drip coffee (Salt Lake Roasting Company Morning Thunder – my favorite!)

Lesson Learned: I took Amtrak to the Philly Bike Expo with Ricky joining me. We both rode Capital Bikeshare from our respective homes. I packed a HydroFlask filled with homemade drip (brewed with Morning Thunder blend from my hometown roaster, Salt Lake Roasting Company). It was early – pre-dawn – and the route to Union Station was mostly deserted. I used the Q/R Street bike lanes to the Metropolitan Branch Trail, parking my bike at the CaBi station on the east side of Union Station. The train was on time!

SIXTH STOP:
Date: 2 November
Distance Ridden: 34.10 miles
Location: Broad Branch Market, Chevy Chase, DC
Bike Friendliness: 7/10 (a bike rack in front of the store and ample places to lean a bike, along with plentiful outdoor seating; restroom for customers; on a quiet road with speed tables and some suggested bike wayfinding)
Drink: drip coffee (Swing’s Diplomat Blend)

Lesson Learned: This year I discovered the awesomeness that is Broad Branch Market. Tucked away in tony Chevy Chase, CD, and kitty-corner from Lafayette Elementary School, this place has a wonderful deli (sublime salads and pizza), a fun candy and ice cream counter, and quality drip coffee. My brew wasn’t particularly fresh as I was there in late afternoon but it wasn’t bad – the beans used were good. I had a wonderful conversation with a young child who rode to the store “on [her] own” with her dad to get an ice cream.

SEVENTH STOP:
Date: 10 October
Distance Ridden: 75.01 miles
Location: Dunkin Donuts, Accokeek, MD
Bike Friendliness: 4/10 (it’s in a strip mall on a major arterial road and has zero bike racks and limited space to lean a bike without good viewshed; restroom is clean; no bidon filling option)
Drink: macchiato

Lesson Learned: This was a ride with Jonathan and it allowed me to introduce him to roads south of the District, between Oxon Hill and Fort Washington/Accokeek. This is a go-to route for me when I need something different, and both of us enjoyed an unseasonably warm day. This was the first time I’d ever actually gone into the historic fort – it’s awesome!

Total Miles: 251.9
Total Climbing: 13,388 feet

This is that post.

It’s been a tough 2022. Starting on January 2 the year went kinda pear shaped. It got better as the year went along, but it started on a very down note for me.

Absurd humor was a healing tonic. It helped me through a lot of the initial healing process after my mom’s passing. And during stressful times humor is often in short supply and excess demand.

It’s in this guise that I offer these songs and clips as part of sprite’s #VirtualAdvent 2022.

“Weird Al” Yankovic – “The Night Santa Went Crazy”

Mr. Yankovic now has his own totally-not-fact-checked biopic starring Daniel Radcliffe (it’s awesome, by the way). And one thing he’s known for is less-than-reverent Christmas songs. This one is my favorite (and yes, I’m a huge fan of his “Christmas at Ground Zero”) and this live performance from a New Year’s Eve concert in Hawai’i is perfect.

SNL: “Michael Bublé Christmas Duets”

Saturday Night Live will make a few appearances here. The first is a fake commercial for a duets Christmas album with Michael Bublé and a raft of other musical hit makers. Kudos to Bublé for being a great sport with this one – and to Jimmy Fallon (who may have been host for this episode?) doing some great impersonations.

SNL – “Now That’s What I Call Christmas”

We’re all familiar with the never-ending Now That’s What I Call… series of mix CDs (or Spotify playlists these days… right?). SNL did their take on a Christmas mix in 2008 – the year before the first U.S. Now… holiday CD hit the shelves. It’s a doozy.

SNL – “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”

This take on the classic novelty song extends the narrative: what if Daddy did see Mommy exchanging lip greetings with the jolly elf? And how well does dear Daughter know her parents? Kudos to Scarlett Johansson for playing Mommy in this send-up.

Viva La Dirt League – “Horrible Christmas Music in Retail Stores”

This comedy troupe from New Zealand has produced a few Christmas gems, but this one rings true for anybody who has done retail work over the holiday season and is stuck with corporate edicts about dress codes and, worst of all, the approved music that plays ad inifinitum in the store. A clear reference to a certain printer scene in Office Space is especially appreciated.

SNL – “Santa Song”

Last year SNL had Billie Eilish as their pre-Christmas host and musical guest. She wowed with this homage to the siren singers of the 40s – doing so with a ditty that wasn’t entirely reverent, as you will.

Jimmy Fallon and Saoirse Ronan – “A Fairytale of New York”

Four years ago Fallon had Ronan on The Tonight Show and performed a splendid cover of The Pogues’ seminal holiday song.

And because it is December 8th…

But the recent criminal actions of Russia against Ukraine has unearthed a deep sorrow and anger within me – all because of my mom and her beginnings.

My mom was born in Taganrog, USSR – now in Russia – along the Sea of Azov. Taganrog is known as a birthplace of Anton Chekhov. It has been a bustling port city for Russia for many years. It has twice been occupied by the German army, in World Wars I and II.

Taganrog is roughly 55 kilometers (34 miles) from the Ukrainian border. There is a lot of cultural commonality between the people of Taganrog and the Ukrainian people – a border is just a line on a map, moving from side to side due to saber rattling by various leaders over history.

I’m glad my mom didn’t live to see a madman invade Ukraine. She would’ve cried, she would’ve yelled in anger, she would’ve lost sleep over the whole situation. Even though she had no way to change what was going on, she would still be furious and sad.

I’ve never been to Russia. I’ve seen pictures of my ancestral house in Taganrog, as well as pictures of my relatives, many of them featuring the patriarchs of the family in proper Cossack finery (which looks remarkably similar to the folk outfits still worn proudly by Ukrainians at traditional celebrations).

I love the food of the area. Whether on the Russian or Ukrainian side of the border, borscht is borscht, pierogi are still awesome, and vokda is best sipped with a roll of the tongue.

And I am heartbroken that young boys from Russia, conscripted into military service by a despotic dictator who is increasingly isolated from the world and reality, are forced to take arms against a neighboring country that is not a physical threat at all. The strawmen of so-called “separatism” are bandied about by Russian leaders as a reason to “liberate” Ukraine.

Yes, Kyiv is the ancestral point of origin for those who call Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus home. But that was many, many centuries ago. The evolution of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus over the ensuing years is divergent, creating unique and awesome cultures that, while they have a common root, have differences which should rightfully be celebrated and embraced.

Instead, a former KGB agent who has browbeat or poisoned all opposition into the shadows is now trying to “liberate” a country that rightfully celebrated independence from the USSR in 1991 and has, with the typical stumbles of a newly minted democratic republic, sought its own path to the future.

So as a person who is half Russian, I #StandWithUkraine. I wish them peace and prosperity. I hope the Russians will withdraw, that their conscripted soldier children realize the folly and error of their duties. And I hope that the sunflowers that bloom this summer are ones greeting a new day for a Ukraine that is part of the European Union and NATO, one with an inspired leader in President Volodymyr Zalenskyy and a people whose cultural pride shines through the darkness.

In 2019 and 2020 I covered the holiday window decorations from ZCMI (now Macy’s) on Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City. As I was back there last week I had a chance to see their latest offerings.

This year’s Macy’s theme was Tiptoe the Reindeer, so the candy art wizards in SLC integrated this new character into all of their windows. I’m impressed with how much the designers worked with the source material, trying to stick with the same character design and color scheme while still keeping these windows uniquely “ZCMI in Salt Lake City” in character.

First window:

Second window:

Third window:

The next three windows are more traditional ball shapes.

Fourth window:

Fifth window:

Sixth window:

By the time I got to this window the store abruptly shut off the lights so my photo of this Tiptoe ball isn’t as bright as it should be.

As usual these decorations are impressive. They’re definitely a highlight of downtown SLC holiday decor as the Temple Square lights are on hiatus as the LDS Church renovates and rebuilds the temple and its visitors’ centers after earthquake damage sustained in April 2021.

This post is part of sprite’s Virtual Advent Tour 2021. If you want to put up your own post for this, check out her website and let her know!