Next Stop = Oz

New Year will be celebrated at 30,000 feet. Am I sad to be missing a great party?

NOT AT ALL.

Blog you all from the flipside!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The Shortest Day of the Year

For most of you, 21 December comes and goes without much thought other than that you only have 3 more shopping days until Christmas. In Alaska, 21 December is one of the most anticipated days of December - almost more so than Christmas or New Year - because it's the shortest day of the year, the Winter Equinox. After 21 December instead of losing light we gain it - in huge leaps of 5-6 minutes at a time. We are on the way back to spring.

According to the Anchorage Daily News the sun doesn't officially rise in Anchorage until 10.15 am. It sets a mere 5 1/2 hours later at 3.43 pm.

This morning when I woke up at 10 am at the cabin it was grey and low light (a balmy 22 degrees). I lay in bed under my down comforter and stared out the big picture window at the snow covered trees and the mountain across the lake and thought, I could do with another 20 minutes, surely it can't be time to get up YET. But it was. Don't let the light fool ya.

Needless to say, I've been sleeping extraordinary amounts since I got here. I've been averaging 10 -12 hours for the last 3 nights in a row. Call it the combination of quiet, dark, and the fact that I am totally stress free these days and have no need to be anywhere before noon.

It's a nice way to start the sabbatical.

I hope this Christmas Eve finds you all well and happy and spending time with those you love and that tonight you get to sleep as long as like. That's my simple Christmas wish for all of you.

Now, I must dash - there is a glass of egg nog calling my name...

ReckenRoll Hitting the Road

Today is my last official day of work until 4 Feb 2008.

Let me repeat that. It's kinda a big deal. TODAY IS MY LAST OFFICIAL DAY AT WORK FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS.

After almost 8 years at my company, I am taking 6 weeks of sabbatical and holiday time. SIX WEEKS of no work responsibility. No meetings, no commute, no need to be awake before 9 am (unless my tour is leaving without me that is...)! I counted, the last time I went six weeks without any type of serious responsibility was the summer of my sophomore year of high school.

That would be 15 years ago.

After all the planning, the stress, the money, the anticipation...it's hard to believe it's actually here! Tomorrow I am off to Anchorage for the holidays and then on New Years Eve at 11.30 pm PDT, my plane takes off for Australia and I will greet the new year in mid-flight.

Yes, you should be jealous. I am jealous and I get to do it!

It's gonna be, in a word awesome.

I'll keep you all posted!!

OMG. OMG. OMG. Pink Martini in Oz!

Was just randomly checking the web and discovered that PINK MARTINI will be playing in Sydey when we are there!! Tickets = PURCHASED. As many of you may recall, I saw them in London in May when I was on a concert kick and it was a lovely lovely evening. They are such a fun band.

For those of you in Chicago, they will be there in March (link to tour dates is above). I HIGHLY SUGGEST you get your tickets now. They are not to be missed. So fun!!

Christmas Cards = FAIL

So I actually did buy Christmas Cards this year. They're cute. Black and White photos of a little boy staring up the chimney waiting for Santa. You'd love it.

I take pride in choosing a cute card, one that is slightly whimsical and will stand out from the rest. My favourite one that I ever send had a bunch of little kids dressed up as reindeer pulling a sleigh in black and white. It was cute. I got positive comments. I like feedback.

This year, all my Christmas Cards are ready to go...and by 'ready to go' I mean, they are all sitting in their pretty little boxes on my dining room table waiting for warm wishes and addresses.

This makes me feel like a bit of a big loser.

I figure I have until Wednesday morning to get those bad boys in the post. After that, I might as well save them for next year.

Top Five Holiday Songs This Week

• All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
• Carol of the Bells - Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops
• I'll Be Home for Christmas - Michael Buble
• The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Diane Krall

Friday You Tube Clip of the Day

Instead of boring you with tales of my terrible morning (all before 9:30 am) I will instead share this awesome clip and sip on my double tall gingerbread latte and think good thoughts about humanity.

You make your own good times people.

Watch all the way through cause the first kid is good but the second kid...er third kid, is freaking amazing!



Happy Friday! Enjoy everyone!!

Ride the S.L.U.T.

That headline is sure to drive some new traffic to my site...

Big day here in Seattle, the South Lake Union Trolley (S.L.U.T.) is officially open for business. Sadly, it's actually officially called the South Lake Union Streetcar, but who wants a t-shirt with that on it?

To celebrate the grand opening, you can ride the SLUT for free until the end of December and then it's gonna cost ya...a dollar. So come on everybody, let's go ride the S.L.U.T!!

Stuff You Can Buy Me For Christmas

Inspired by Julie Gong and lacking anything better to write about...here's some stuff you can get me for Christmas:

1. The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass -

I just read The Golden Compass and these are books 2 & 3 in the trilogy. If you liked Harry Potter, chances are high you'll like these books too...although I haven't seen the movie yet so can't comment there.

2. UGG SlippersI would never buy UGG boots but I can easily get myself vested in some Ugg Slippers. I rent the basement of a house in Seattle and while spacious and lovely, it's not exactly the warmest floor in the world. These babies would not leave the house but I see some serious warm tootsies in my future! Sign me up! I get cold feet.

3. Solitaire Diamond Pendant

Do I really need to explain why I want a diamond? I am girl. Tiffany's has some nice settings but I prefer the way this diamond can move around on the chain and is set off in it's own setting. (I will also take diamond earrings. Don't feel locked into the necklace!)

4. Samsung LN-S4096D Flat Screen TV

Highly rated by CNET Reviews. I also want an XBox 360 and Guitar Hero (seriously, I rock) but I'll take the TV first. Kthnksbye.

5. A 2008 Audi TT - RED. Convertible.

Let me know if you need my delivery address, ok?

Friday You Tube Clip of the Week

As I recover from the holiday party, I bring you the fainting goat.
This one's for Jeffe.

The Office Holiday Party

Tonight is the annual Holiday Party around here. We're all going to some nice place downtown to whoop it up like the party animals that we are....and by that I mean drink my 2 drink tickets worth of cocktails, eat some lukewarm buffet, schmooze with the execs and then cut out early.

After 3 years of holiday parties in London, I don't really see how the Seattle team can measure up. There's no shutting down the office early to have a Christmas lunch at a private club or having open bar up to a certain dollar spend (so much better than the ticket thing - almost like a competition with co-workers to see who can drink the most before it's not free anymore!). I can pretty much guarantee there won't be any karaoke, dance floor shenanigans, or any of my direct reports embarrassing me by hitting on senior execs (but hey, they could always surprise me).

I won't be falling down in the street and dirting my dress (still not been dry cleaned), watching the office Casanova have a melt down as all his conquests figure out they weren't the only one, or telling the dj to play "Getting Jiggy With It" because I know Jeffe can't listen to that song without singing it and when he's had too many beers it's real funny to watch.

Nope, when it comes to the holiday party, London definitely gets it right. Sadcakes.

London = 1
Seattle = 0

It's Booked - Let the Countdown Begin!

I just dropped a crapload of cash on the Interweb today. No, it wasn't on Christmas presents, it was all on ME ME ME. (Really, is there anything better to spend money on? I think not. All of you feel free to spend money on ME too, ok?)

The money was spent booking and confirming details for the trip to Australia next month and it's all coming together nicely! However, I do have to say, nothing is scarier than hitting 'confirm' on something costing more than $1000 on the Internet. Eek.

Here is the itinerary so far:

• Jan 2 - 5 Melbourne
• Jan 6 - 7 Drive to Sydney
• Jan 8 - 10 Explore north of Sydney
• Jan 10 -15 Sydney
• Jan 16 -27 Tour east coast up to Whitsundays
• Jan 28 - Back to Melbourne
• Jan 29 - Fly back to USA

I leave in 2 weeks to go home for Christmas and then straight on to Oz after that. Let the countdown begin!

*cartwheel!*

Welcome to America Suz!!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to announce that we have a new star on our shores! The lovely Suz (of this blog's fame) has officially relocated to the NYC and will be making America a better place to live for at least the next 3 years. You can expect the ReckenRoll to pick up and head off to the East Coast a lot more often now.

If you're in NYC and happen to run into a fabulous blonde girl with a lovely Dutch accent, a wicked sense of style, and the left half of my brain, do say hello and give her some kushyas for me!!