It’s late I know, but I’m still up, determined to get some writing out before bed. I thought I’d talk for a bit about how I spent my Christmas. The family and I met in Chicago, where my older sister lives. We had a relatively quiet few days, and gathered at my sister’s condo on Christmas morning to exchange gifts. For me, there’s rarely a gift exchange that doesn’t include at least one music-related item. This year, there were a few things, two of which were Rush related. See for yourself!
I’ve had this tradition dating back at least a decade of having a Rush-themed calendar. Some of them have been centered around specific albums, like the ones pictured, while others have been more creative, like the Fantoons calendar I had in 2023. 2025 was dedicated to their 1985 album, Power Windows, in honor of its 40th anniversary, while this year’s is for their 1996 album, Test for Echo. I’m honestly surprised they didn’t make a calendar for 2112, considered it turns 50 this year! Either way, I’m happy to be keeping the tradition. The Peanuts-themed coffee mug is insanely cute, too.
I once read something that said that people who spend more on experiences tend to be happier than people who spend more on material goods, so a few years back, I decided to put that to the test, by gifting each of my family members tickets to an event. We’ve done things like concerts, musicals, and art exhibitions. I wanted to keep that going by finding something for all of us to do while in Chicago. I was thrilled to discover that a production of The Phantom of the Opera would be playing in the city during our time there. On a more selfish note, I had always wanted to see Phantom on stage but never got the chance to. Growing up, I was very fond of the 2004 film adaptation starring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum, and regularly had the soundtrack playing on my iPod. Even the opportunity to see Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular ended up slipping through the cracks. I had last heard that the show was closing, so it was a wonderful surprise. I booked tickets for December 26th at 1:00PM. It was everything I had hoped it would be!
The Girl in the Scarf 
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