i try to impress upon ben: it's not so much christmas day that's fun. christmas day is OKAY. it's all the time before christmas that is really fun. you can rent christmas-themed slasher movies like black christmas, for one thing.

our xmas-themed entertainments are fairly vicarious. never mind the fact that (even though i said i wouldn't blog this, it was just too personal and wonderful to blog, but i will mention it briefly) I GOT TO SPEND AN AFTERNOON AT QVC STUDIOS, HANGING OUT IN THE GREEN ROOM WITH ALL THE PEOPLE SHILLING WEIRD STUFF, FOR A WHOLE AFTERNOON, DURING THE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING SEASON (yes! yes! yes!) but nutcracker and other holiday programming? ick. after "helping" people choose tickets for various theatre events during the week, i don't have much urge to be out among them.

a holiday suggestion for some people who probably wouldn't even know who they were if i named them: when you donate money to an arts organization, you do so to support its programming and growth. you have not bought yourself a gal friday, concierge, or any other minion who will sit around happily fanning the tiny, weak flames of your self esteem. anybody who thinks they "should get special treatment" because they wrote a check is, in a word, small. in fact, the best way to identify a real VIP is in the fact that they rarely demand VIP treatment.

it's called class, people. and i guess there's a reason why they say money can't buy it.