12 Dates of Christmas

Michael and I are doing a "12 Dates of Christmas" challenge by going on 12 dates between December 1st and Christmas. We're not being super strict about our definition of "date," but it does have to be something out-of-the-ordinary and fun that we do together (so driving to school together is out, but silly things like going to McDonald's and sharing a milkshake with two straws is in, as well as more typical dinner or event dates).

1. Taking Christmas card pictures
We really wanted some new photos of us as a couple, so Michael grabbed his nice camera, tripod, and flashes, and we headed off to nearby Homestead Park to take some pictures. Most of them turned out really well! Here's the one we're using on our Christmas cards:

2. Holiday Pops concert with the Columbus Sympony
Super, super fun. They had a full choir with them, and that was a blast too. It was held in the Ohio Theater downtown, which is one of those old-timey, super fancy and ornate, everything's-covered-in-gold-leaf theaters. The first half was more traditional orchestral (or choral + orchestral) Christmas music, like "For Unto Us a Child is Born" from Handel's Messiah, and the second half was mostly pops, like "Sleigh Ride." And since it was a pops concert, they had lots of cute things, like swing dancers coming out for "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," a reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" accompanied by the orchestra with adorable and talented little-kid dancers from the BalletMet interpreting the poem, and an appearance by Santa Claus at the end. Super cute, and a really nice mix of beautiful music, entertainment, and beloved kitsch.

The best part was when they had a brass choir come out to the front of the stage for a song or two, and when they were done, they had to cook up some scheme to get someone to come out and mop up everything that got emptied from their spit valves during those songs (since there were about to be dancers on the same part of the stage). So they did this cutesy little sketch with a cleaning lady in a Christmas outfit with a Christmas-light-bedecked mop come out and be sassy to the conductor ("Ma'am, what are you doing out here? We're in the middle of a concert!" "I know, sonny, all of you musicians are in my way! Just tryin' to do my job! By the way, let me dust some imaginary dirt off your tux with my oversized feather duster and really ham it up for the audience!"). I just thought it was so funny that they came up with this little skit between songs to get someone to come mop up all the brass players' drool in the middle of the concert--it really did fit with the overall feel of the fun pops concert, but I just wonder how many people in the audience actually realized that the mopping skit had a real purpose? I, as a trombone player and producer of copious drool when playing said trombone, saw right through it!

3. Watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional together. D'aaww. I think the decorations they have in the Conference Center for Christmas are so much better than what they have during General Conference.

4. Dinner at Pizzeria Uno. Man, that place is one of my new favorite chain restaurants. So many vegetarian choices! Plus, they email out awesome coupons all the time. Last night we had a buy-one-entree-get-one-free coupon, plus we came on a promotional "Insiders Club" day, so we got free appetizers, free punch, and a free goody bag with cookies, apples, and a gift card in it. What a deal! And, you know, the food was pretty dang good, too. Deep dish pizzas are wonderful.

I'll keep the blog updated with our next eight dates. We know that at least one of them will be our anniversary celebration (we're driving down to Arkansas for Christmas, and we're staying in a nice bed-and-breakfast on a farm halfway there for our anniversary), but that leaves 7 more to figure out between now and Christmas...