BDH Wrapped
Dec. 29th, 2025 05:40 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
ilonaandrews_blog_feed
If you’ve spent any time on the internet in December, you’ve probably encountered some version of “Wrapped” data from various apps or media services.
The idea became mainstream with Spotify Wrapped, an annual feature that summarizes a user’s listening habits into a “snapshot of the year”, including features like estimating your age based on the music decade you listened to the most – with the obvious hilarious results. Since then, nearly every major platform has followed suit.
It’s a way for the algorithms to tell a story about how we spend our time. Since I spend most of my time here with you, I thought I could tap into the Ilona Andrews website stats and traffic and create a Wrapped story for the beloved entity that is the Horde.
The Horde Is Vast
Taxonomy: Hordus booki devourensis; Order: Readeriformes; migratory omnivore
Geographically, the Horde spans the globe. Its largest concentration is in the United States, but it ranges far and wide, from Canada and UK to New Zealand, particularly notable in Poland (Cześć!), Singapore to South Africa, and Brazil to Japan.
From one edge of the map to the other, we stand united by a single purpose: getting more books by our favourite authors.
The Horde is Mighty
Population metrics: megacolony
In 2025 so far, the Horde has logged 3,323,051 sessions and generated 7,422,430 pageviews on the Ilona Andrews blog website.
The most visited page this year, after the blog homepage, is the Release Schedule page. This confirms what science has long suspected: the Horde is calm, rational, and merely checking for new book updates. Repeatedly. And one more time to be safe.
The Horde Is Tidal
Observed behavior: annual feeding cycle
Careful study reveals a powerful seasonal pattern. The BDH activity builds steadily through spring, reaches peak strength in summer, and is especially formidable on Fridays in June, only to settle in fluffiness from the bounty of autumn snippets and festive surprises.
This is a yearly cycle tied to free serials, releases, funnies, announcements, giveaways, and the profound understanding that Fridays are when good things happen.
The Horde Is Vocal (and welcoming)
Social structure: highly communicative megafauna; low aggression toward kin
Over 300,000 comments remain on the blog from across the Horde’s lifetime, despite bursts of post archiving – with tens of thousands more added this year alone.
The posts that inspire the most engagement are clear favorites: giveaways and snippets. Like any well-adjusted fantasy species, the Horde enjoys spoils of victory and loot. A chance at the This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me ARC gathered over 6 thousand comments for one September post alone!
And à propos of nothing at all, we managed to crash the website on 2 separate occasions in 2025. We’re chalant like that.
Participation takes many forms. Reading quietly, sharing posts, or simply showing up from time to time are all valid expressions of Horde membership. Like Dina taught us, not all strength roars. But if you want to ensure you’re not missing anything, you can always subscribe to the Ilona Andrews newsletter.
The Horde Is Devouring (Efficiently!)
Bonding behavior: lifelong, high-fidelity attachment.
On average, the Horde consumes a blog post in 2 minutes and 29 seconds.
Most of this reading happens on mobile devices (61%), indicating a highly adaptable organism capable of devouring content while commuting, waiting in line, or pretending to listen during meetings.
Sustenance may be fast and portable, but we are consuming real nutrition here.
With 179 posts read this year and millions of returning visitors, the Horde data tells a simple story of our time and love for House Andrews: this is a committed relationship, and we’re here to stay for as many adventures as they want to take us on.
The post BDH Wrapped first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.
December Layoff 2025 Week 3 part 1: Twixtmas, Brightline, Frozen
Dec. 28th, 2025 07:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taz_39Jameson had to be up at 7:30 for a morning rehearsal, so I was up too. I worked on OKC Foodie Finds, had breakfast, and packed a dinner for Candlelight tonight. Someone had crammed a bunch of their trash into our trash can (which blows my mind as ours was already overflowing-full and there were plenty of empty cans around) so I had to be an equal a$$hole and take their trash out, moving it to one of the empty ones. I hate to do that but don't want to be stuck with trash due to someone else's Christmas selfishness (the trash collectors sometimes won't take bins that are overflowing.)
I saw via website that the DMV now has my title, so I called two dealerships to express interest in selling my car and got a digital offer from CARMAX which I want to bring to their location along with the car and see if they'll honor it. The digital offers from all places are $8000, but I have a feeling that will drop immediately upon seeing the car.
Next was scrubbing the shower, my least favorite chore, followed by some practice on bass trombone, then lunch. After lunch a quick jaunt to the car wash to have the car look as nice as possible and to get all of my belongings out. By the time I got home Jameson was back and eating lunch. We would ride the Brightline train to Fort Lauderdale tomorrow. It's 3 hours down and 3 back for a total of 6 hours, and we'd just discovered that our seats are facing backwards both ways. I was dismayed enough that Jameson kindly called their hotline to try and have our seats changed, but since we got cheap-o ones we can't change them. I'm trying to be optimistic and cheerful, but tbh six hours facing backwards in motion sounds like it's not going to go well for me (or him, he gets motion sick easily too. I'm actually a little surprised that he didn't check this detail.) With this in mind I packed us ginger candies, motion sickness bracelets, snacks, and dramamine for tomorrow.
A few hours later Jameson went for his massage and I got ready for Candlelight. Went over and warmed up, and the usual three shows without a hitch. My Main Street Phil friends Chris (bass trombone) and Will (tuba) were there, so we got to catch up and that was really nice :) The narrator was Luke Smallbone of the contemporary Christian band For King & Country. This is his first year doing Candlelight, and I thought he did a good job. It might have been his last night as well, because afterward he stood by the stage door and shook all of our hands as we left. Seems like a nice guy!
When I got back home Jameson and I packed a little bag of snacks for our Brightline trip tomorrow. We are going to see our friend Lea perform the lead in Frozen. It's gonna be a long and fun day!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY
Up way too early, but I like to try and have coffee in my body and through me well before travel :) We drove to the airport...but for the train!
The BrightLine station is located in Terminal C, which is where international flights come in. The station is soooo new, they opened it a few years ago but only so the thing could be earning money for them, meaning lots of stuff is still under construction. Thing Number One, the parking garage, which was CLOSED :( We had to park way out in the overflow lot and take a shuttle back to the terminal.
At the terminal there was a very long line at security. Jameson has ridden the train before and said he hasn't seen it like this, and others in line were commenting the same. Must be the holidays. Most people had small carry-ons and looked like they might be catching cruise ships.
We were only minutes from boarding and the train leaves RIGHT on time, so we were worried we might miss it, but luckily the line moved fast. Still, we and everyone around us had to jog quick-like-a-bunny to make it!
As mentioned earlier, Jameson had booked us economy seats that were facing backward. It was similar to plane seating but with more leg room, nicer windows, and nicer tray tables!
I was immediately taken up in the novelty of the experience and was looking all around, but as soon as the first little jolt told us we were moving I knew I'd have to be cautious to avoid motion sickness for this long ride. So I tried looking around for a while, but within 15 minutes Jameson cursed quietly under his breath and said he felt motion sick already. He got up to walk around (which it's lovely that you can do on the train) and I tried turning sideways but it was uncomfortable, so instead I put the tray table down, closed my eyes and put my head down for a while (I saw some other passengers doing this as well.)
This turned out to be the right choice as it allowed my body to get used to the motion of the train without the interference of my eyes. When Jameson got back I got up to explore. Immediately, the vestibule gave me a wave of nostalgia for my time spent living on the circus train. Such a bittersweet feeling, of a home and a lifestyle that no longer exists. (CLICK HERE for a short Brightline vestibule video.)
(also, isn't it ironic that both Jameson and I lived on a moving train for 5-6 years, and yet we still get motion sick!! But you can't help your genetics I suppose. I had to be careful about reading and such on the circus train, too.)
Next I checked out the bathrooms, which Jameson had told me were nice. They are! They're big and clean and touch-free! For context, our toilets on the circus train were capsule-sized (I am an average-petite woman and MY elbows could touch both walls), stinky, gross, and had a janky foot pedal to flush the toilets that you had to mash multiple times to get results.
Brightline toilets:
Circus toilet circa 2013. Photo taken from the hallway as there's absolutely no room to take one IN the stall. And yes that is a random bystander taking a picture of our train as I'm in the bathroom. Don't worry there's a shade you can pull down.
Walking around made me feel MUCH better, and afterward I was able to continue facing backward and look out the window without issue (still had to avoid looking at my phone though.)
Poor Jameson did feel better, but had to sit on the aisle so he could turn sideways. We ate the Biscoff I'd packed and a ginger candy each, and some other small snacks, and we made it just fine with no further issue. At the Fort Laud terminal we bought premade sandwiches and scarfed 'em down, then quick-walked to the theater. As we walked up to the front I realized that I recognized this one: The Broward Center, where I'd performed with Tootsie in 2022!
Lea's show was in a smaller adjacent theater, but still respectably large. We enjoyed finding her photo in the program and admiring the staging :)
The show was wonderful! Very well done, especially Olaf's puppetry and Lea's quick change during "Let It Go." Believe it or not, Disney Producer Jameson has never seen Frozen!!! I kinda wish he'd known the source material, but this also meant that I got to watch him be surprised by the two biggest plot twists (highlight white text for spoiler: A character who spends the whole movie being a good guy very suddenly becomes the villain; the "act of true love," which everyone expects to be a kiss from Anna's "prince," turns out to be an act of love between sisters/sisterly love.) Lea's singing and acting were fantastic, we were very proud for her! And the rest of the cast was exceptional too, the ensemble singing was very impressive and Anna was vocally incredible.
Afterward we met Lea in the lobby where she was taking photos with misc little girls wearing Elsa or Anna dresses :) We walked to a nearby taco place and ate while catching up and talking about nerdy musician, theater kid, and Disney stuff.
My chicken al pastor tacos were not exceptional, but they LOOKED pretty.
We got to spend a good hour with Lea, which is great because she's got a lot going on. She's recently started her own band and she and Jameson talked back and forth about promotional tactics and industry connections and rehearsal spots. I mostly listened but chimed in occasionally, and got Lea to myself for a bit while Jameson went to the bathroom so we got to catch up just-us as well. Too soon it was time for us to head back to the station. We hugged goodbye and congratulated Lea on her starring role and awesome performance.
While walking off his motion sickness, Jameson had apparently been annoyed enough about it to book us the PREMIUM tickets for the ride back! Therefore we got to wait in a bougie lounge with snacks and flavored water while we waited for the boarding call (we were too full from tacos to take advantage.) Our seating was QUITE different, with loads of legroom, a table...and of course, facing forward this time :P
Premium Brightline tickets come with snacks, complementary beverages, and a full meal! I enjoyed a hummus cup while Jameson had salami and cheese and a ginger-and-Jack. This time *I* was the one to feel motion sick because I kept looking at my phone, but I am very used to this happening--story of my whole travel-based life really!--and knew how to handle it. I can enjoy my phone/the view for about 45 minutes at a time, then have to take a break where I stare into space or put my head down for 15 minutes, then my body calms down and I get another 30-40 minutes of freedom from nausea. Wash rinse repeat. It's annoying, but at least I can still interact and have fun this way.
Dinner was holiday-themed with thick-cut turkey, butternut squash, a "holiday slaw," and a mini pecan pie for dessert. I wasn't hungry enough for this but Jameson enjoyed it. Instead I had an apple and ate his squash for him.
We reminisced about the circus on this ride, the motion of the train and how it reminded us of home. Chatted about our busy week ahead...all the stuff we normally talk about. I love how, even when we run out of things to say, we can sit in silence and be totally comfortable with each other. Jameson's the best :)
Soon enough we were back at the airport, riding a shuttle to the distant overflow lot and driving home. I was very happy to have ridden the Brightline and for experiencing both the economy and premium seating...I think both were excellent, and would be happy to ride either way again. Front-facing seats, of course!
We got home around 10 I think, and were too tired for anything but to clean up and get to bed. I was surprised with a package at the door from my brother Jonah. It was my Christmas present: A 1996 signed poster from the first national tour of Beauty and the Beast!!! Amazing!!! I will have to get it framed!
(now I feel like an even sh*ttier sister for sending him a gift card. boooooo)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY
Jameson was able to sleep in, but I was up at 7 because I wanted to hit Whole Paycheck and be home before lunch (It's an 80-minute drive round trip.) I needed a few very specific ingredients for the special The Office chili I was making, plus Whole Paycheck's cornbread mix is THE BEST so I wanted that too. The trip was successful and judging by the stop-and-go traffic that I saw on my way back, I'd beaten the Sunday morning theme park rush.
Back home Jameson had just finished breakfast and was leaving to do a Publix run. Meanwhile I broke down our cardboard boxes from Christmas, swept out the garage, and was going to practice trombone but our neighbor appeared with a huge plate of lemon bars for us! I accepted them with thanks but also unconcealed exasperation. This is the THIRD plate of sweet treats this neighbor has brought over, and it is too much. Half of these will end up in the trash along with all of the stale cookies that we couldn't eat. I hate wasting food.
I practiced bass a little right before lunch, and after lunch helped Jameson fold his laundry before doing my own. Packed a few things in my suitcase but didn't go too crazy just yet. Got the chili going around 4pm so it could simmer on the stove for a full hour, and made the cornbread. It was a lovely recipe and very flavorful, even though it was 78°F (25.5°C) outside which is NOT chili weather! The rest of our evening was quiet.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday: I'm visiting a car dealership and CARMAX to get an in-person estimate and to find out if I'll be able to sell my car before this layoff ends. Nothing else planned for the day so I hope to practice and make an ingredients list for New Years Day eats.
Tuesday: My final Candlelight performance in the evening. During the day I'll probably do some cleaning and practicing. A walk would be nice too.
I saw via website that the DMV now has my title, so I called two dealerships to express interest in selling my car and got a digital offer from CARMAX which I want to bring to their location along with the car and see if they'll honor it. The digital offers from all places are $8000, but I have a feeling that will drop immediately upon seeing the car.
Next was scrubbing the shower, my least favorite chore, followed by some practice on bass trombone, then lunch. After lunch a quick jaunt to the car wash to have the car look as nice as possible and to get all of my belongings out. By the time I got home Jameson was back and eating lunch. We would ride the Brightline train to Fort Lauderdale tomorrow. It's 3 hours down and 3 back for a total of 6 hours, and we'd just discovered that our seats are facing backwards both ways. I was dismayed enough that Jameson kindly called their hotline to try and have our seats changed, but since we got cheap-o ones we can't change them. I'm trying to be optimistic and cheerful, but tbh six hours facing backwards in motion sounds like it's not going to go well for me (or him, he gets motion sick easily too. I'm actually a little surprised that he didn't check this detail.) With this in mind I packed us ginger candies, motion sickness bracelets, snacks, and dramamine for tomorrow.
A few hours later Jameson went for his massage and I got ready for Candlelight. Went over and warmed up, and the usual three shows without a hitch. My Main Street Phil friends Chris (bass trombone) and Will (tuba) were there, so we got to catch up and that was really nice :) The narrator was Luke Smallbone of the contemporary Christian band For King & Country. This is his first year doing Candlelight, and I thought he did a good job. It might have been his last night as well, because afterward he stood by the stage door and shook all of our hands as we left. Seems like a nice guy!
When I got back home Jameson and I packed a little bag of snacks for our Brightline trip tomorrow. We are going to see our friend Lea perform the lead in Frozen. It's gonna be a long and fun day!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SATURDAY
Up way too early, but I like to try and have coffee in my body and through me well before travel :) We drove to the airport...but for the train!
The BrightLine station is located in Terminal C, which is where international flights come in. The station is soooo new, they opened it a few years ago but only so the thing could be earning money for them, meaning lots of stuff is still under construction. Thing Number One, the parking garage, which was CLOSED :( We had to park way out in the overflow lot and take a shuttle back to the terminal.
At the terminal there was a very long line at security. Jameson has ridden the train before and said he hasn't seen it like this, and others in line were commenting the same. Must be the holidays. Most people had small carry-ons and looked like they might be catching cruise ships.
We were only minutes from boarding and the train leaves RIGHT on time, so we were worried we might miss it, but luckily the line moved fast. Still, we and everyone around us had to jog quick-like-a-bunny to make it!
As mentioned earlier, Jameson had booked us economy seats that were facing backward. It was similar to plane seating but with more leg room, nicer windows, and nicer tray tables!
I was immediately taken up in the novelty of the experience and was looking all around, but as soon as the first little jolt told us we were moving I knew I'd have to be cautious to avoid motion sickness for this long ride. So I tried looking around for a while, but within 15 minutes Jameson cursed quietly under his breath and said he felt motion sick already. He got up to walk around (which it's lovely that you can do on the train) and I tried turning sideways but it was uncomfortable, so instead I put the tray table down, closed my eyes and put my head down for a while (I saw some other passengers doing this as well.)
This turned out to be the right choice as it allowed my body to get used to the motion of the train without the interference of my eyes. When Jameson got back I got up to explore. Immediately, the vestibule gave me a wave of nostalgia for my time spent living on the circus train. Such a bittersweet feeling, of a home and a lifestyle that no longer exists. (CLICK HERE for a short Brightline vestibule video.)
(also, isn't it ironic that both Jameson and I lived on a moving train for 5-6 years, and yet we still get motion sick!! But you can't help your genetics I suppose. I had to be careful about reading and such on the circus train, too.)
Next I checked out the bathrooms, which Jameson had told me were nice. They are! They're big and clean and touch-free! For context, our toilets on the circus train were capsule-sized (I am an average-petite woman and MY elbows could touch both walls), stinky, gross, and had a janky foot pedal to flush the toilets that you had to mash multiple times to get results.
Brightline toilets:
Circus toilet circa 2013. Photo taken from the hallway as there's absolutely no room to take one IN the stall. And yes that is a random bystander taking a picture of our train as I'm in the bathroom. Don't worry there's a shade you can pull down.
Walking around made me feel MUCH better, and afterward I was able to continue facing backward and look out the window without issue (still had to avoid looking at my phone though.)
Poor Jameson did feel better, but had to sit on the aisle so he could turn sideways. We ate the Biscoff I'd packed and a ginger candy each, and some other small snacks, and we made it just fine with no further issue. At the Fort Laud terminal we bought premade sandwiches and scarfed 'em down, then quick-walked to the theater. As we walked up to the front I realized that I recognized this one: The Broward Center, where I'd performed with Tootsie in 2022!
Lea's show was in a smaller adjacent theater, but still respectably large. We enjoyed finding her photo in the program and admiring the staging :)
The show was wonderful! Very well done, especially Olaf's puppetry and Lea's quick change during "Let It Go." Believe it or not, Disney Producer Jameson has never seen Frozen!!! I kinda wish he'd known the source material, but this also meant that I got to watch him be surprised by the two biggest plot twists (highlight white text for spoiler: A character who spends the whole movie being a good guy very suddenly becomes the villain; the "act of true love," which everyone expects to be a kiss from Anna's "prince," turns out to be an act of love between sisters/sisterly love.) Lea's singing and acting were fantastic, we were very proud for her! And the rest of the cast was exceptional too, the ensemble singing was very impressive and Anna was vocally incredible.
Afterward we met Lea in the lobby where she was taking photos with misc little girls wearing Elsa or Anna dresses :) We walked to a nearby taco place and ate while catching up and talking about nerdy musician, theater kid, and Disney stuff.
My chicken al pastor tacos were not exceptional, but they LOOKED pretty.
We got to spend a good hour with Lea, which is great because she's got a lot going on. She's recently started her own band and she and Jameson talked back and forth about promotional tactics and industry connections and rehearsal spots. I mostly listened but chimed in occasionally, and got Lea to myself for a bit while Jameson went to the bathroom so we got to catch up just-us as well. Too soon it was time for us to head back to the station. We hugged goodbye and congratulated Lea on her starring role and awesome performance.
While walking off his motion sickness, Jameson had apparently been annoyed enough about it to book us the PREMIUM tickets for the ride back! Therefore we got to wait in a bougie lounge with snacks and flavored water while we waited for the boarding call (we were too full from tacos to take advantage.) Our seating was QUITE different, with loads of legroom, a table...and of course, facing forward this time :P
Premium Brightline tickets come with snacks, complementary beverages, and a full meal! I enjoyed a hummus cup while Jameson had salami and cheese and a ginger-and-Jack. This time *I* was the one to feel motion sick because I kept looking at my phone, but I am very used to this happening--story of my whole travel-based life really!--and knew how to handle it. I can enjoy my phone/the view for about 45 minutes at a time, then have to take a break where I stare into space or put my head down for 15 minutes, then my body calms down and I get another 30-40 minutes of freedom from nausea. Wash rinse repeat. It's annoying, but at least I can still interact and have fun this way.
Dinner was holiday-themed with thick-cut turkey, butternut squash, a "holiday slaw," and a mini pecan pie for dessert. I wasn't hungry enough for this but Jameson enjoyed it. Instead I had an apple and ate his squash for him.
We reminisced about the circus on this ride, the motion of the train and how it reminded us of home. Chatted about our busy week ahead...all the stuff we normally talk about. I love how, even when we run out of things to say, we can sit in silence and be totally comfortable with each other. Jameson's the best :)
Soon enough we were back at the airport, riding a shuttle to the distant overflow lot and driving home. I was very happy to have ridden the Brightline and for experiencing both the economy and premium seating...I think both were excellent, and would be happy to ride either way again. Front-facing seats, of course!
We got home around 10 I think, and were too tired for anything but to clean up and get to bed. I was surprised with a package at the door from my brother Jonah. It was my Christmas present: A 1996 signed poster from the first national tour of Beauty and the Beast!!! Amazing!!! I will have to get it framed!
(now I feel like an even sh*ttier sister for sending him a gift card. boooooo)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUNDAY
Jameson was able to sleep in, but I was up at 7 because I wanted to hit Whole Paycheck and be home before lunch (It's an 80-minute drive round trip.) I needed a few very specific ingredients for the special The Office chili I was making, plus Whole Paycheck's cornbread mix is THE BEST so I wanted that too. The trip was successful and judging by the stop-and-go traffic that I saw on my way back, I'd beaten the Sunday morning theme park rush.
Back home Jameson had just finished breakfast and was leaving to do a Publix run. Meanwhile I broke down our cardboard boxes from Christmas, swept out the garage, and was going to practice trombone but our neighbor appeared with a huge plate of lemon bars for us! I accepted them with thanks but also unconcealed exasperation. This is the THIRD plate of sweet treats this neighbor has brought over, and it is too much. Half of these will end up in the trash along with all of the stale cookies that we couldn't eat. I hate wasting food.
I practiced bass a little right before lunch, and after lunch helped Jameson fold his laundry before doing my own. Packed a few things in my suitcase but didn't go too crazy just yet. Got the chili going around 4pm so it could simmer on the stove for a full hour, and made the cornbread. It was a lovely recipe and very flavorful, even though it was 78°F (25.5°C) outside which is NOT chili weather! The rest of our evening was quiet.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday: I'm visiting a car dealership and CARMAX to get an in-person estimate and to find out if I'll be able to sell my car before this layoff ends. Nothing else planned for the day so I hope to practice and make an ingredients list for New Years Day eats.
Tuesday: My final Candlelight performance in the evening. During the day I'll probably do some cleaning and practicing. A walk would be nice too.
Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkadelt [music]
Dec. 28th, 2025 05:45 amsiderea2025 Nov 14: Jonasquin on YT: "Bridge over Troubled Water but it's a Renaissance Madrigal | Feat. Tabea Bös":
There's more where that came from:
• Let It Be (a Renaissance Madrigal) | Feat. Anna Petrtylová
• 'Enjoy The Silence' by Depeche Mode in the style of a madrigal by Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (1566 - 1613).
• Bach Chorale "Last Christmas" "From the Last Christmas Oratorio, BWV (Bach Wham Verzeichnis) 1984"
• If Stayin' Alive Had Been Written in 16th Century "From the BG Manuscript, ca. 1570"
• One Night in Bangkok but it's a 16th century chanson "If Clément Janequin (ca. 1485 - 1558) was the songwriter for Murray Head..."
• If 'A Whole New World' (Aladdin) had been composed in 16th century "From The First Booke of Songs or Airs by Ala(ddi)n Menken"
There's more where that came from:
• Let It Be (a Renaissance Madrigal) | Feat. Anna Petrtylová
• 'Enjoy The Silence' by Depeche Mode in the style of a madrigal by Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa (1566 - 1613).
• Bach Chorale "Last Christmas" "From the Last Christmas Oratorio, BWV (Bach Wham Verzeichnis) 1984"
• If Stayin' Alive Had Been Written in 16th Century "From the BG Manuscript, ca. 1570"
• One Night in Bangkok but it's a 16th century chanson "If Clément Janequin (ca. 1485 - 1558) was the songwriter for Murray Head..."
• If 'A Whole New World' (Aladdin) had been composed in 16th century "From The First Booke of Songs or Airs by Ala(ddi)n Menken"
Just Create - Hacker Edition
Dec. 26th, 2025 09:49 pmsilvercat17 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
justcreateWhat are you working on? What have you finished? What do you need encouragement on?
Are there any cool events or challenges happening that you want to hype?
What do you just want to talk about?
What have you been watching or reading?
Chores and other not-fun things count!
Remember to encourage other commenters and we have a discord where we can do work-alongs and chat, linked in the sticky.
December Layoff 2025 Week 2 part 2: Christmas!
Dec. 25th, 2025 07:10 pmtaz_39Christmas Eve Day!
It was chill for both of us, and we both needed it. Jameson did a little work in the morning but before lunch he was ready to shut his laptop until the new year. He gamed while I wiped my small tenor trombone down and put it back in storage (neither Epic nor Main Street Phil are likely to call again while I'm home) and broke down a bunch of boxes for recycling.
I did a quick dash to Publix for toilet paper, napkins, and apple cider vinegar which I hadn't realized we'd used up. It was 10am and already packed/crazy at the grocery. I was happy to get in and out. I do wish I'd made a plan for dinner because I could've picked up ingredients. But I didn't. Oh well.
After lunch Jameson and I went for our neighborhood walk. It looks like this.
But if you zoom in on one section, it looks like this:
This is because as we were passing a house on the first cul-de-sac, a big brown chocolate lab came bolting out of a house and ran right up to us, play-bowing and bouncing the whole way! His parents were mortified (he had escaped while they were pulling in groceries) and tried to herd him back in the house but of course he was not having it. We ended up sort of zig-zagging up to their door acting as though we were going inside too, to trick the dog into going in. Hence the zig-zags on our map!
The humans screamed a "thank you!" at us as they quickly slammed the door, and we laughed and walked off. Jameson worked at a vet's office when he was young and his family also owned large dogs. And I've worked at two kennels. We were the right people for this activity :D And what a lovely energetic dog!
The rest of the walk was uneventful, we just chatted about what a crazy year it's been and about our plans for early 2026. Jameson will have a lot of work to do for Disney, a lot of upcoming events that will require his skills. I will go back on tour. We both have things we want to buy. We have plans to invest more in the house (new carpet and tile, a new sliding door for the pool deck.) Once I sell my car I want to buy a second large tenor to stay at home so I don't have to worry about my ONLY trigger trombone getting damaged by an airline. Things like that.
Back home we got showers and had a small snack. My Aunt called and we chatted briefly to wish each other Merry Christmas. I bought some last-minute gifts for everyone...it's one of those lame gift card years. And we ordered tacos for dinner.
Cannot believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. As we relaxed in front of the TV (we watched Krampus!) I kept asking myself: do I have everything? Have I missed anyone? Did I do enough? Although that's not what Christmas is about.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christmas Day!!
I was up at 8 to have coffee and send my lame-o gift cards to family via email.
One of my sisters and my brother and his fiance got flight gift cards, supposedly good for any airline.
The other sister with three kids got a gift card to a nice Italian restaurant, really just for her and her husband and NOT the kids!! They have enough stuff!!
And my third sister got a 5-qt Kitchen Aid mixer, which we all chipped in to get since they're kinda pricey, but we wanted to get her the best one that we could! She was so happy she said she might cry.
When Jameson was up we had cinnamon rolls from a can (sometimes I make them from scratch but not this year....give me a break, guys, I'm a touring trombonist not a 1950s housewife) and exchanged stockings. It was mostly an assortment of candies with a few small toys and gag gifts mixed in. I got Jameson marzipan and Sour Patch Kids because I know he likes those things, and a new Koosh ball (I got him one last year too.) He got me a dark chocolate Terry's orange (I love them!) and some Japanese gummies which, unbeknownst to him, are some of my favorites because they have an amazing texture!
We watched Home Alone 2. Aaah the Twin Towers....and actual phones....and being able to get onto the wrong flight! How things have changed. Then it was time to exchange presents.
Jameson got me three different kinds of sake, some gourmet chocolates (mostly dark, he knows me so well!), and his big gift was gift cards for Uber, Target, and Buc-ee's! I am VERY excited for the Uber gift card since I plan to sell my car.
His parents got me a notebook with a funny saying on the front, a watercolor book and paint set, and this really cool little pottery that is supposed to strip herbs when you run the stems through those tiny holes! If it works with thyme it'll be worth whatever they paid for it.
My sister Kate sent homemade gifts, which is standard for her and which I adore! This year it was homemade granola (delicious, I ate some right away), spiced brown sugar peach butter, vanilla pear butter, and avocado shea body butter. She had made an herb butter spread also but was afraid to send it (I reassured her that this was the right choice as we are still at 80°F (26.6°C) down here.
My sister Raven sent a thrifted shirt, she happened to find a Full Metal Alchemist one for me and a Queen one for Jameson! Good finds!
And Jonah has sent something that hasn't arrived yet.
I never expect or require gifts from anyone, ever...all I truly want is to share a meal with my family members the next time we're together. Everyone was so generous, and I love and appreciate all of these great gifts!
As for Jameson, I got him some bootleg Queen records (he knew these were coming, I bought them for him on tour), a big cast iron griddle pan for the grill, a "Shart Survival Kit" gag gift, a Mountain Dew mystery gift which turned out to be some hideously corny sunglasses, some TikTok-viral rice krispie treats in a variety of crazy flavors, and his big gift was a 3D-printed LEGO wreath! It is not LEGO-official but looks like the real deal, and it comes with lots of attachments. I'll buy him more attachments for other upcoming holidays (St. Paddy's, Easter, Halloween, etc). It is very cleverly designed.
His parents got him an ergonomic mouse, the Game Boy LEGO kit, a Funko Pop, and Kevin Malone's chili cookbook. We had weird lunches of leftover half-chewed burritos and stale Christmas cookies, and watched Emmet Otter, then Jameson listened to one of the bootleg records and gamed while I prepped some things for our fancy dinner like the horseradish sauce and the rub for the tenderloin. I also typed up this post, and sorted my MOUNTAIN of candies and treats into my Home Candy Stash Tupperware and my Tour Travel Stash Tupperware. At some point Jameson's parents called and we thanked them for our gifts, and we texted back and forth with our families all afternoon.
In the evening I cooked up our fancy dinner: peppercorn-crusted tenderloin with horseradish sauce, mashed potatoes, lemon zested asparagus, and crescent rolls. It turned out quite good, the beef for once was perfectly cooked and decadent. We are incredibly fortunate to afford a beef tenderloin each Christmas.
And now we have cleaned up the kitchen, put the trash out (fingers crossed that it'll actually get picked up!) and are relaxing with full tummies. I'm so grateful that I got to have Christmas with Jameson.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday: Jameson has a rehearsal for a NYE gig in the morning followed by a massage, and I've got Candlelight at night. I'll probably practice and do a little cleaning or something ahead of that.
Saturday: Spending most of it in Fort Lauderdale, we're taking the Brightline train there to see our friend Lea perform in a local production of Frozen!
Sunday: I think we might actually be free, so I will make us chili and cornbread :)
It was chill for both of us, and we both needed it. Jameson did a little work in the morning but before lunch he was ready to shut his laptop until the new year. He gamed while I wiped my small tenor trombone down and put it back in storage (neither Epic nor Main Street Phil are likely to call again while I'm home) and broke down a bunch of boxes for recycling.
I did a quick dash to Publix for toilet paper, napkins, and apple cider vinegar which I hadn't realized we'd used up. It was 10am and already packed/crazy at the grocery. I was happy to get in and out. I do wish I'd made a plan for dinner because I could've picked up ingredients. But I didn't. Oh well.
After lunch Jameson and I went for our neighborhood walk. It looks like this.
But if you zoom in on one section, it looks like this:
This is because as we were passing a house on the first cul-de-sac, a big brown chocolate lab came bolting out of a house and ran right up to us, play-bowing and bouncing the whole way! His parents were mortified (he had escaped while they were pulling in groceries) and tried to herd him back in the house but of course he was not having it. We ended up sort of zig-zagging up to their door acting as though we were going inside too, to trick the dog into going in. Hence the zig-zags on our map!
The humans screamed a "thank you!" at us as they quickly slammed the door, and we laughed and walked off. Jameson worked at a vet's office when he was young and his family also owned large dogs. And I've worked at two kennels. We were the right people for this activity :D And what a lovely energetic dog!
The rest of the walk was uneventful, we just chatted about what a crazy year it's been and about our plans for early 2026. Jameson will have a lot of work to do for Disney, a lot of upcoming events that will require his skills. I will go back on tour. We both have things we want to buy. We have plans to invest more in the house (new carpet and tile, a new sliding door for the pool deck.) Once I sell my car I want to buy a second large tenor to stay at home so I don't have to worry about my ONLY trigger trombone getting damaged by an airline. Things like that.
Back home we got showers and had a small snack. My Aunt called and we chatted briefly to wish each other Merry Christmas. I bought some last-minute gifts for everyone...it's one of those lame gift card years. And we ordered tacos for dinner.
Cannot believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. As we relaxed in front of the TV (we watched Krampus!) I kept asking myself: do I have everything? Have I missed anyone? Did I do enough? Although that's not what Christmas is about.
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Christmas Day!!
I was up at 8 to have coffee and send my lame-o gift cards to family via email.
One of my sisters and my brother and his fiance got flight gift cards, supposedly good for any airline.
The other sister with three kids got a gift card to a nice Italian restaurant, really just for her and her husband and NOT the kids!! They have enough stuff!!
And my third sister got a 5-qt Kitchen Aid mixer, which we all chipped in to get since they're kinda pricey, but we wanted to get her the best one that we could! She was so happy she said she might cry.
When Jameson was up we had cinnamon rolls from a can (sometimes I make them from scratch but not this year....give me a break, guys, I'm a touring trombonist not a 1950s housewife) and exchanged stockings. It was mostly an assortment of candies with a few small toys and gag gifts mixed in. I got Jameson marzipan and Sour Patch Kids because I know he likes those things, and a new Koosh ball (I got him one last year too.) He got me a dark chocolate Terry's orange (I love them!) and some Japanese gummies which, unbeknownst to him, are some of my favorites because they have an amazing texture!
We watched Home Alone 2. Aaah the Twin Towers....and actual phones....and being able to get onto the wrong flight! How things have changed. Then it was time to exchange presents.
Jameson got me three different kinds of sake, some gourmet chocolates (mostly dark, he knows me so well!), and his big gift was gift cards for Uber, Target, and Buc-ee's! I am VERY excited for the Uber gift card since I plan to sell my car.
His parents got me a notebook with a funny saying on the front, a watercolor book and paint set, and this really cool little pottery that is supposed to strip herbs when you run the stems through those tiny holes! If it works with thyme it'll be worth whatever they paid for it.
My sister Kate sent homemade gifts, which is standard for her and which I adore! This year it was homemade granola (delicious, I ate some right away), spiced brown sugar peach butter, vanilla pear butter, and avocado shea body butter. She had made an herb butter spread also but was afraid to send it (I reassured her that this was the right choice as we are still at 80°F (26.6°C) down here.
My sister Raven sent a thrifted shirt, she happened to find a Full Metal Alchemist one for me and a Queen one for Jameson! Good finds!
And Jonah has sent something that hasn't arrived yet.
I never expect or require gifts from anyone, ever...all I truly want is to share a meal with my family members the next time we're together. Everyone was so generous, and I love and appreciate all of these great gifts!
As for Jameson, I got him some bootleg Queen records (he knew these were coming, I bought them for him on tour), a big cast iron griddle pan for the grill, a "Shart Survival Kit" gag gift, a Mountain Dew mystery gift which turned out to be some hideously corny sunglasses, some TikTok-viral rice krispie treats in a variety of crazy flavors, and his big gift was a 3D-printed LEGO wreath! It is not LEGO-official but looks like the real deal, and it comes with lots of attachments. I'll buy him more attachments for other upcoming holidays (St. Paddy's, Easter, Halloween, etc). It is very cleverly designed.
His parents got him an ergonomic mouse, the Game Boy LEGO kit, a Funko Pop, and Kevin Malone's chili cookbook. We had weird lunches of leftover half-chewed burritos and stale Christmas cookies, and watched Emmet Otter, then Jameson listened to one of the bootleg records and gamed while I prepped some things for our fancy dinner like the horseradish sauce and the rub for the tenderloin. I also typed up this post, and sorted my MOUNTAIN of candies and treats into my Home Candy Stash Tupperware and my Tour Travel Stash Tupperware. At some point Jameson's parents called and we thanked them for our gifts, and we texted back and forth with our families all afternoon.
In the evening I cooked up our fancy dinner: peppercorn-crusted tenderloin with horseradish sauce, mashed potatoes, lemon zested asparagus, and crescent rolls. It turned out quite good, the beef for once was perfectly cooked and decadent. We are incredibly fortunate to afford a beef tenderloin each Christmas.
And now we have cleaned up the kitchen, put the trash out (fingers crossed that it'll actually get picked up!) and are relaxing with full tummies. I'm so grateful that I got to have Christmas with Jameson.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday: Jameson has a rehearsal for a NYE gig in the morning followed by a massage, and I've got Candlelight at night. I'll probably practice and do a little cleaning or something ahead of that.
Saturday: Spending most of it in Fort Lauderdale, we're taking the Brightline train there to see our friend Lea perform in a local production of Frozen!
Sunday: I think we might actually be free, so I will make us chili and cornbread :)
