White Christmas

OK, it's only Dec. 21st, but last night's foot of snow (fourth big storm since Thanksgiving?) ensures there will be some snow on the ground next Tuesday morning when the 'Hat Racks unwrap Christmas presents. That's something we can get excited about, right? We built a snowman and snow dog/reindeer (on a leash!) in the front yard this afternoon.

What a great week... anticipation building for Christmas. We took the 'lil 'Hat Racks to see Santa today and Sophia, our youngest, just lit up when Santa walked in. She was positively dazzled after saying for weeks, "Santa Kitchen!" She wants Santa to bring her a kitchen set - I think she wants to show us she can make biscotti, ravioli and coffee. Don't tell her - but I think Santa is going to oblige.

Last night Snow Lion had its holiday dinner at Cucina Toscana. It could not have been more night-and-day different than my previous employer's two shindigs at a banquet room at Homestead Resort. We drove through blinding snow to a house last night for drinks before the restaurant, then slid down an Avenues hill to dinner. We emerged after a classic Italian meal to 6" of snow on our cars - but the fresh blanket of snow sure beat driving to bum-f*&# Heber for a terrible meal, cash bar, no coffee and a 50-mile drive home. Life is good.

Mrs. 'Hat Rack and I saw the movie of the year - based on my second-favorite book of all time - "The Kite Runner." The early scenes are filled in Kashgar, a "Star Wars bar scene" remote Western China town that is the gateway to some of the most exotic destinations in Asia. (Snow Lion can take you there!)

The film is set primarily in Kabul in the run-up to the Soviet invasion, as two boys from different strata of society grow up - and ultimately apart. It's a powerful film that successfully portrays the anachronism of class-based societies; and how a religious fanatic government can create a chilling societal tone and cast aside basic freedoms in the name of one supreme God. Go see it.

SLC-ites have one more week to catch "Gutenberg - The Musical" ... a Plan-B Theatre production. On the surface, it's a play-within-a-play about Johan Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. Gutenberg, his assistant Helvetica, two playwrights, an evil monk, two town drunks and 25 other characters are all played by two men. "Wearing many hats" is more than a euphemism here - as the characters don mesh hats with hand-written character names every time they switch identities. It's not as compelling as Exposed (see below), but it's pure holiday fun. We heartily recommend...

... as we do the Acme Burger Company. Wow. Add it to the list. Any list of SLC's best eateries should now include this best hamburger on the Wasatch front. Hands down, no contest... beats Cotton Bottom, Hire's, Squatter's... great beef, spices, yummy bread, delicious shoestring fries, mmm, mmm.

Finally, more good news about Exposed - the play about the "downwind" effects of 928 Nevada test site bombs on Utahans. The play was nominated by the American Theatre Critics Association as the Best New Play of the year produced outside of New York City! Way to go, Mary Dickson and co.!

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