Not sure I should admit this

I guess it may be somewhat obvious from previous posts, but I am becoming a much bigger Weird Al Yankovic fan in my old age than I ever was in the early days. And yes, I was aware of Al from those first appearances on the Dr. Demento show, back when I was still in high school in the late 70s-early 80s (no comments from the peanut gallery), so I'm no Johnny(-ette) Come Lately where this accordion-playing rocker is concerned.

But it's taken my fairly recent "discovery" of YouTube to really light my fire (ok, I can handle some mild teasing on that front). The guy is a genius; the live videos remind me of Zappa. (I know it's heresy, Chuck -- but the tight musical transitions and comfort in so many styles? Come on, admit it's a little impressive at least!) And now I've found the Newgrounds Weird Al collection -- will the wonders of the intarweb never cease?

On a totally different subject, I think the Guerreros are now officially late on the whole Christmas season thing -- no tree, no lights, and at the rate we're going, thank goodness I'm taking Julian to San Francisco in a week to see the S.F. Ballet's Nutcracker, as it may be the only holiday tradition we keep this year before we hook up with the San Antonio clan on the 23rd!

And what a tradition -- my mother and my grandmother have been waiting ever so impatiently for Juj to be old enough to participate in this, the most constant holiday activity in my life (more than Grateful Dead New Year's Eve concerts, even). My mother used to go as a child with my grandmother (SFB Nut, not the Dead), I've been at least 20-30 times I would guess (and that does not count all the Nut productions I worked on for other dance companies in my previous career - Tandy Beal, Los Angeles Classical / Long Beach Ballet, Donald Byrd's Harlem Nutcracker - what a walk down memory lane Google provided on this subject!), and now, finally, the moment has arrived for the J-boy to join the ranks. Hope he doesn't fall asleep! ;-)