merry bikemas to all, and to all a good night...

the snow is on the ground here in chicago, the radio stations are a month into their all-christmas-tunes all-the-time routine, and stores are packed. despite the fact that mb and i don't have kids and aren't spending the holiday morning around a grandma's tree, i really feel like we're managing to create a pretty festive atmosphere for ourselves this season... just on our own terms. score one for tradition, and score one for, well, something else?

- we have a little fake tree, gifted from my parents a few years ago, but left it in storage this year in favor of our second annual "bikemas tree" - pine garland and lights strung up on the bike rack in the dining room, base covered in a snowflake tablecloth from tj maxx. two dimensional saves space in our not-huge apartment, plus less decorating.

- we're a little late getting into the holiday special-meals department, but trimmed the bikemas tree with the help of whole foods (the yuppie seal is now officially broken -- mb walked in for the first time and looked at me quizzically: "i'm sorry, why do you object to this place? it's beautiful!") in our defense, did you know you can get a smoked beef brisket sandwich at whole foods for $4?

- i was lucky enough to attend a lovely three-dimensional tree-trimming get-together at ck's house, complete with home-baked bread, the best soup EVER, yummy wine and good company (and a beautiful tree). we reminisced fondly about other holidays in the city, such as attending an easter vigil ceremony chosen for its proximity to an irish pub (which turned out to be a good thing: after 1 1/2 hours when the lights were still off and the candle wax was threatening to burn our hands, we snuck out and celebrated some very special easter pints).

- we don't have holiday music on cd, but we do have yahoo music engine with its 15 different holiday stations; cookies last night were baked to the "scrooge christmas" station, with such festive holiday tunes as the classic "grandma got run over by a reindeer" and new favorite "daddy drank all our christmas money again."

hope your holiday season is festive on your own terms.