Tis' the Season!

Before I get to the good stuff about Christmas at 2 Rennyhill Gardens, a few words about the past week. First, snow. You may have heard that Mother Nature layered Europe in snow over the weekend. I have roughly four-six inches on my front porch- just enough to enliven the Christmas spirit around here. And just enough to bring Scotland to a frozen standstill. As if this never happened before, classes were cancelled, the supermarket ran out of food, roads are closed and iced over, etc.

Undeterred, my trusty Malibu slides to town and back. With Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker blaring over Radio3 (BBC's commercial free classical music station), everything is in it's right place.

Last Friday I went to Glasgow with a few friends of mine to see The National in concert. It was a fantastic. I won't go into it because I know most of my limited readership has never heard of The National or Phosphorescent. But like any good concert, they performed the music in the full-bloom of tension that inspired it. I tried to give an example of how, but after thirty minutes of trying to capture it in words I've given up. Like any good concert.

By the time we got back in the car to leave Glasgow the snow had started. I could barely see the lines on streets downtown. I wasn't the only one. I saw a Scot turn the wrong way down a one-way street. I was nervous that I'd do the same.

I was under the impression that the Scots don't do Christmas lights like we do in the US, but George Square in Glasgow was brilliantly lit. I asked my friend to take a picture as we drove past. I didn't get a picture, but I did get arrested for 'suspicious behavior.' The officer got angry at me because I couldn't understand him. The whole while I thought I was being rather aggressively interrogated for some traffic violation. On the contrary, taking pictures of beautiful things downtown can get you thrown in the back of a police van in Scotland. I'm sure he felt like an asshole when I showed him my military ID. Wrong person to accuse of terrorism.

This highlights a deep cultural/philosophical difference between the States and Britain. They weigh in on balance between liberty and national security very differently than we do. Just imagine if taking a picture of Times Square could get you locked in the back of a police van and treated rudely. For the record, I'm not offended; it's just a guy doing his job. And I was only in the van long enough for them to realize how terribly stupid you'd have to be to think taking a picture of Christmas lights is suspicious. But it was quite surprising nonetheless.

The drive back was awful. By this time the snowfall was quite severe, and forward momentum was really the only thing keeping me out of a ditch or guardrail.

This brings me to the present. Now, ladies and gentlemen inbound to Scotland for Christmas, I have business to discuss. Packing Lists.

Lisa and I intend to jazz things up a bit for when you all get here. We really want this to a fun holiday for everyone, but in order for that to occur, we all need to bring the festive spirit. Christmas Eve we're having an Ugly Christmas Sweater dinner party. The person with the ugliest sweater wins a prize. You're going to love the prize.

Seriously, we're having an ugly Christmas sweater party here at 2 Rennyhill Gardens. That means you need to bring your ugliest Christmas sweater. If you don't have a godawful Christmas sweater, you need to buy one. Dean, I expect you to help Sherle and crew navigate eBay. Keep in mind that your ugly sweater is supposed to be a secret. Don't go showing off your ugly sweater before the party, or you'll get disqualified. And we won't let you eat Christmas dinner with the rest of us.

Other things to pack. Jolene was correct, it isn't wise to bring gifts for everyone here. But, I'll pass around a Secret Santa list. The intention is that you get your person a small, cheap novelty item. Lisa and I need something to put under the tree. We also have a few things in mind as far as White Elephant goes.

Keep in mind that it is cold here. During the day it gets to about -1 or -2 degrees Celsius. That's roughly 28 degrees Fahrenheit. So, it's cold, but it's not unbearably cold. Not to condescend to anyone, but to dress warm you need a layer of close-fitting material to wear underneath your jacket. Basically, if you wear a pair of long underwear, a sweater, and a winter jacket, you'll be fine. You do not need a full-blown ski jacket and pants. I'd bring a little hat to wear and shoes that are water-resistant, and thin gloves if you plan to take pictures (Otherwise, just keep your hands in your pockets. It's rude to point anyway.). I wouldn't recommend boots per se, but sandals, even with socks, simply won't keep you warm.

We're planning a lot of fun things for when everyone gets here. Bring the energy. I've got enough alcohol for everyone to have a good time. We'll have a running Hearts tournament, karaoke, among other things. Yes, I got hot chocolate and gourmet chocolates in a glass delicacy dish.  Lisa and I are getting a little tree, lights, a wreath, and the whole 9 yards. So bring your game face.

We're are serious about the ugly Christmas sweaters. Don't make us disqualify you.