Deck The Halls With Bottles Of Leiny, Tuomala-la-la-la-la-la-la
(or)
A Crazed Loner Christmas ... Best Ever?

I woke up at the crack of noon to find that one of my bonehead neighbors stole my paper. I thought Christmas was ruined but I fired up some coffee and walked to the corner vending machine to score a Strib. But what really cooled me off and made me appreciate the day was opening my sole gift under the tree. It was from the girl who I wrote about in Exiled #32. I'm not gonna you what the gift was, but I shook my head and said "omigod, omigod!"

I emailed Radio K and requested a drinking song. The deejays, Kate Silver and Michaelangelo Matos, revealed my identity and chatted a bit about Exiled on Main Street, the Da Capo book, and my love of Radio K. Then they played a set of four beautiful beer-sipping songs. I called 'em up and thanked 'em.

My mom called me to wish me Merry Christmas while I was on the phone with Radio K. Such is the life of a music geek. I called her back immediately, of course.

I started what I think may become a Christmas tradition for me. I drank beer and listened to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music. It's horrible, but was made worthwhile by 1) reading Lou's speedfreak liner notes, 2) reading Lester Bangs' hilarious 1976 Creem articles on the album, and 3) hearing my brother chuckle on the phone when I told him about how much I enjoyed his gift of Metal Machine Music.

My sister called me and filled me in on another Tuomala song, which I stole for the title of this post and corrupted with a beer reference. (Oh, and I have found another Tuomala Song: Three Dog Night's "Shambala" - how does your light shine / in the halls of Tuomala?)

I ate a steak.

I took the bus to the CC Club. Sat next to a man in his sixties. He was short, chubby, had long white hair, and a white beard. I'm not making this up. And he drank Bud on tap and smoked Marlboros. I thought Nick would be a Summit Winter Ale guy like me on Christmas night, but no. Hey - he can drink (and smoke) whatever he wants - he's earned it. And sitting next to him, I couldn't help thinking: Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.