The Holladaze

Okay, I've done enough Montreal reminiscing to bring us back to the current affair: the holiday season!

I dressed up for Christmas.  

The only one, of course, but I wanted another excuse to wear this dress from Francesca's.  

I was mildly indifferent about Christmas this year, not annoyed by the glee but not entirely absorbed.  I think I was too lost in my warp of school.  Nonetheless, I exercised significant consumer power (see the new L.L. Beans boots above) and returned the favor.  I'm still young/poor enough to not feel obligated to buy gifts for everyone in the family-- I hope in a few years I can afford that though!  For my dad, I bought him a nice pen from my school's bookstore (yeah, he likes pens!) and 'man' soap from one of my favorite local shops, Wickedly Scent in Canandaigua.  They make lotions, soaps, candles and other bath things by hand with few artificial ingredients.  I've been a loyal customer since last spring.  For my mom, I bought her hand lotion from there as well.  I also bought these lovely porcelain, tropical fish set of plates from Williams-Sonoma, so that was more a family gift.  I think they'll be marvelous to use at our house in Florida.

But I'm not that eager to hop down south yet, I'm enjoying the snow!  Above is a picture of some of the charming boat house cottages on the pier in Canandaigua.  Below, my house after the night-long snow barrage.  It's the perfect nordic ski weather if I could just get off my butt and go outside.  It's also the perfect cuddle weather, but oh wait...

Haha, fortunately I have evidence of productivity that I'll do another post on.  Look at this blogging streak!  Trying to sneak as many in before the year ends, I suppose.  Hope you're all staying warm, how were your family festivities?

Listening: the local Top 40 radio station.  It's complete crap, why am I doing this to myself?

Montreal, encore

I just couldn't stay away from Montreal!  The second time around in the city of poutine and beer was the first weekend of December.  We scuttled through the cobbled streets, significantly colder but alight for the winter holidays.  Dressed in a simple black Urban Outfitters dress (courtesy of Courtney), black tights, riding boots, a magenta scarf and three freshemen (HA!) boys in tow, I saw Band of Horses play at the Metropolis for their Mirage Rock tour (the album released in September).

 I honestly didn't know their music too much beyond "No one's ever gonna love you" and "Funeral", but I'm so glad I went because I'm now a converted fan.  It was amazing; their talent was raw but appeared relaxing, easy and pleasing for the band.  Ben Birdwell, the beautifully bearded lead singer and founder of Band of Horses, his vocals simply soared.  They played on a backdrop of projected scenes from western USA, a lot of Lake Tahoe-region locations that our friend Dylan recognized (he's from California).  Right before I came home for the winter, Colin shared all the music he has and I'm enjoying going through their albums, suddenly recalling what we saw live.

That breath-catching moment when the band steps onto stage, illuminated as silhouettes against the stage lights,striking the first chords on their guitars.. AH :)

This is a video I took on my phone of "No one's ever gonna love you" in acoustic!  It's quiet but so lovely.

Here's a video that someone else took at the concert. I wasn't too much farther behind them, and it's pretty good quality so it catches the incredible feeling of "The Funeral." Ben's voice reverberates into your soul!

Compared to the last concert I saw at the Metropolis (3OH!3 my freshmen fall, don't judge it seems so long ago), the atmosphere for Band of Horses was incredibly relaxed.  Everyone was hanging out, calmly sipping beers and buzzing with excitement, minus the shoving and desperate clamor that I've normally experienced at concerts.  Lots of coiffed hairdos, thick-rimmed glasses, blazers, skinny jeans and cigarettes.  It's either a pseudo-European scene, or I'm just not used to being in cities.

All smiles after the show, mine the typical snarl.  I look so short!

After the concert, we took off into the night and drank lots of amber beers, found ourselves at a hardcore metal underground bar, an outrageous gay kareoke bar, the lavish but deserted bar of our hostel (M Hostel by the way, highly recommend it!) and then the two mile hike to La Banquise!  It's the mecca of the finest poutine that serves 24/7.  I hadn't eaten since lunch before we left school.. the hot fries smothered in grilled pepers, onions, cheese and gravy (la Rachel specialty) saved my stomach!  The last time I was here with the frisbee team I split the poutine, but this time it allll went to me..

And there went another overly expensive weekend in a foreign country.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Listening: "Feel Alright" by Albino!

Poutine and Beer

I more or less joined my school's ultimate frisbee team last spring, but this fall I played at full force.  In October we ventured to Montreal, the famed city of poutine and extra-large beer, for our big tournament of the semester.  We are the Ruckus Bus but we became known as Team Shithead.  We didn't win as many games as we had hoped, but there was no doubt that we won the party.

The first night my vehicle was the last to arrive at the apartment where we stayed, and we evacuated into the night because of police-issued noise violations before I had a chance to change out of my well-worn tye dye and zip-up.

 These are only photos from Friday night!  Saturday was more outrageous because our hosts at McGill University rented out a club for all the teams in the tournament.

 There was a lot of nudity-centered antics, but hey, who's to expect less from a group of 18-21 year olds who are hammered the entire weekend.

 It was an epic bonding experience, to say the least.  Although we weren't the most eccentric team there, the frisbee culture proves to be a band of raucous misfits, and we were no exception.