1.) Baked white chocolate cranberry/cherry cookies with the help of my new Kitchen Aid Mixer
After a lively debate via comments and suggestions to moi, I have declared a name for my lovely new, knight-in-shining-armor Kitchen Aid mixer…and that name is Lancelot.
Bob came up for such a name, and expertly defended his idea:
“I’m going to go with the obvious and say that you should name your fabulous mixer…Drum Roll Please….Lancelot! Lance rhymes with dance and celot looks like it rhymes with zealot. If I had a mixer that is what I would be. A dancing zealot. Whirling and twirling and dancing and singing and baking cookies galore. My kitchen would be a Broadway musical.”
Of course, every knight needs a full title. Fellow blogger Pegoleg also suggested a moniker of “Sir Mix-A-Lot”, so, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen: please welcome Sir Lancelot Mix-A-Lot to the family.
2.) Travelled to Pottery Barn (no, an ACTUAL pottery barn…full of pots)
My highlight of New Year’s Eve Day was a trip out to a local potter’s warehouse, which comprised 3 floors of pots, pots, and more pots. Most of his wares ranged somewhere between $100 and $400, so I settled on a nice, single flower vase for about $20. And a $7 magnet. I’m a big spender.
3.) Sang and played oboe in a New Year’s Eve Broadway Gala
At our local playhouse, there is a traditional New Year’s Eve Gala held every year. For the 2010-2011 crossover event, they presented a concert full of Broadway music, presenting over 100 performers who were all volunteer. The event featured a full orchestra and a 70-member chorus, as well as several individual soloists.
I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off between the hours of 6-10 PM. I had served as vocal director for this event, guiding the chorus with their material, and also subsequently became a member of their ranks come showtime. I also played my oboe in the orchestra (correction, I squawked on my oboe in the orchestra), and I was lucky enough to have a vocal solo as well.
If anyone is familiar with musical theatre, a few of the pieces presented in the show included West Side Story Highlights, Phantom of the Opera Medley, “Agony” from Into the Woods, “I Know Where I’ve Been” from Hairspray, and my song, “Astonishing”, from Little Women.
3.) Ate Papa John’s pizza, drank Blue Moons, and watched “The Soup Clipdown 2010” with The Mom 
Yep. My New Year’s Eve was spent indoors, on the couch, with a slice of pizza in one hand and a beer in the other. Some might call this a “New Year’s Eve fail,” but after finishing up a 2 1/2 hour concert which made me feel like I was “only mostly dead,” I very much welcome the warm embrace of my sofa and extra cheese.
If you haven’t taken a look at The Soup’s Clipdown 2010, I suggest starting with some hors d’oeurves to whet your appetite:
4.) Contemplated life, the universe, and how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop
5.) Redecorated my living room
Poor winter, it gets a bad rep. I mean, after following such a vibrant and decorative season such as fall, and an elaborately adorned Christmas, how the hell do you decorate for winter? Simple. A couple throw pillows, a new blanket, blue foiled Hershey Kisses, et voila…a blue-themed living space, completely re-done for those somber winter months ahead.
6.) Played Rock Band 3 on the new keyboard accessory
As I already wasn’t addicted to the Rock Band guitar, they had to go and throw in an instrument that I actually already play. Good move, Nintendo…good move. Now, I’d like to see you try and make Oboe Hero into a game…
7.) Ate Subway at a Delta Sonic Car Wash
Gents, if you’re looking to take your special lady on a romantic outing, try Delta. Not only can you buy her a nice steak dinner (uh, that’s a Philly Steak Sub, mind you), you can treat to an assortment of libations (via the Sonic Spinner, a fountain of almost 20 sodas) and dessert (Subway Chocolate Chip Cookies). Want to show her how special you think she is? Fret not. There is an assortment of Valentine’s Day cards already displayed in the greeting card aisle, plus you could always buy her a special gift from the Delta Store…like ear muffs, a can of Red Bull, a car wash, or…heck…a camouflage jumpsuit. Every kiss begins with Kay?? Pshh…those prudes never had sex in a car wash (it’s not called “The Kissing Clean Car Wash” for nothing…)
8.) Browsed Bed, Bath, and Beyond for a suitable clip (albeit on the wrong viewing axis) to leave you with on New Year’s Day…Happy New Year, folks!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Stay tuned tomorrow for an RAC Wrap Up Party!
Miracle on 32nd Street 
Posted by The Edmonton Tourist on January 2, 2011 at 4:58 pm
When I am mostly dead, I enjoy a little MLT
Posted by auntbethany on January 4, 2011 at 3:13 am
Would that be “Miller Lite Time”?
Posted by Tori Nelson on January 3, 2011 at 2:06 am
You are Sir Lancelot Mix-A-Lot are making me feel like a domestic failure. Tom wanted cookies the other night, so I cut a roll of packaged , raw cookie dough into slices and gave it to him on a paper towel 😦
Also, a barn full of pots sounds surprisingly awesome, and they don’t make sexy car washes like that in Tennessee (think flashing Bible Scriptures as your car moves from suds to rinse) 😦
Posted by auntbethany on January 4, 2011 at 3:16 am
Nothing wrong with store bought! They are so chewy and doughy…I love those!
That pottery barn WAS pretty amazing…3 floors of nothing but wonderful items REAL people had fashioned from their own hands. The best I have are stick figures on a sheet of paper.
HA! I’d love to see that kind of car wash. Maybe you get communion while getting your car waxes, too?
Posted by Angelia Sims Hardy on January 3, 2011 at 4:45 am
TRAN Legacy and your low, low, low Snowman cracked me up! How do you find this stuff?? LOL!
I really want the Rock Band 3 keyboard. I got decent on the drums, but that’s about it and would really LOVE to try another instrument.
You are enormously entertaining as always. Your New Year’s Eve sounded fantastic! I love couch parties. 🙂
Posted by auntbethany on January 4, 2011 at 3:20 am
TRAN: Legacy is courtesy of The Soup! I just had to re-post it. I watch that show every week.
The snowman is something I encountered at Bed, Bath and Beyond!
The keyboard is so much fun. The drums give me grief because it hurts my ankle after a while to use that damn foot pedal. I also tackle the guitar way too often, so now I have two instruments that I’m addicted to.
Thanks for stopping by, as always, Angelia!
Posted by thoughtsappear on January 3, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Mmmmm…Papa John’s. Gorgeous dress!
Did you figure out how many licks it takes to get to the center of the Tootsie Roll Pop? I’m pretty sure it’s more than 3.
Posted by auntbethany on January 4, 2011 at 3:22 am
We had Papa John’s BLT Pizza…chicken, bacon, tomato and onion…mm mm good!
I’m pretty sure it’s somewhere around 348 licks. Further experiments must be done, though.
Posted by fnkybee on January 3, 2011 at 3:05 pm
You look beautiful!!
Your weekend was definitely more exciting than mine! I nursed a hangover from Thursday, played xbox and got to know my couch really really well. Wow..that was pathetic! haha!
Posted by auntbethany on January 4, 2011 at 3:24 am
Thanks, dear! My weekend was more exciting?? Sheesh, that’s saying something. I drank by myself, played video games by myself, and played piano at church…..there’s something very wrong with this scenario!
Posted by educlaytion on January 3, 2011 at 4:04 pm
All in all looks like a sweet holiday weekend. I love the Oboe Hero. I’m more of a drummer man my own self. Congrats on a successful performance. I can’t imagine direction like that. I can control groups but you have to be a big time psychologist to deal with everyone’s anxieties and differences and whatever else I can’t even imagine. Glad you were only mostly dead. Good day to you.
Posted by auntbethany on January 3, 2011 at 6:26 pm
I actually did minor in percussion in college, although the elusive drum set was always a bit too much for me. I still love to hit things with sticks, though.
It was kind of tricky to organize every one in a chorus like that, only because rehearsals were book-ending both holidays. Somehow, though, it did finally come together, and almost all limbs were kept intact!
Posted by bobcb518 on January 3, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Your baking looks so much more fabulous that mine. I am still recovering from New Year’s Eve.
Sir Lancelot Mix-a-lot is such a tongue twister…but I suppose that it should be.
Posted by auntbethany on January 4, 2011 at 3:25 am
I wish I was recovering from New Year’s Eve. I had one beer. That’s a crime somewhere in the USA. I think the rule reads: You must imbibe at least 3 drinks on New Year’s Eve. Holiday fail.
Posted by Chase McFadden on January 4, 2011 at 12:42 pm
Blue Moon and pizza? Sounds like a fine New Year’s to me.Did you give Sir Lancelot Mix-a-Lot a kiss at midnight? I fully expect you to post an engagement announcement later this spring.
Awesome snowman costume, by the way.
Posted by auntbethany on January 4, 2011 at 1:57 pm
You know, me and Lance are waiting for the right moment. We don’t want to rush anything…plus, I still haven’t met his parents. They still live at Wal-Mart, in the aisles between Home and Kitchen Appliances. He said he’ll introduce me to them once he explains that I’m not actually a microwave or blender.
And that snowman costume is actually a dancing doll…and yours for only $24.99!
Posted by pegoleg on January 4, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Smart idea to wait to be sure. Sometimes those mixed marriages cause problems. (sorry)
Posted by auntbethany on January 5, 2011 at 4:21 am
Yuk yuk yuk…I groaned audibly when I read this on my phone. A friend nearby thought maybe I had received bad news or passed a kidney stone. Touche, Pegoleg!
Posted by Why Am I Writing About Katy Perry & Kelly Clarkson? « EduClaytion on January 12, 2011 at 8:07 am
[…] called Relient K. I’m a big fan of piano-driven rock (so you can understand my jealousy of Aunt Bethany’s Rock Band keyboard) whether it’s super poppy or […]