a brawltimore tradition

i don't know if i've told you this before, but i now sing at the world's super-sweetest church job. ok, so maybe amanda has a better deal because she sings at the church she grew up in and makes TWICE (yes, i nearly fell over, too, when i found out, so feel free to scream, pull your hair out, make monkey noises, or shit yourself.) as much as i do. TWICE. but ah well, she's in fairfield, connecticut and i'm in brawltimore, murderland, so i can't really compare. as far as baltimore church jobs go, i have pretty much the sweetest deal.

1. i make more money than i did at my old job and only have to go to two rehearsals and three sunday mornings a month.
2. i sing in hilary's choir, which means that i get to see my bestest friend AND have fun with her at rehearsal. as well as getting to sing with her.
3. it's an all-paid choir, which means that all the singers are required to know their stuff when they come in and we never spend time learning notes. whether or not some of the singers ever get their shit right is a point of contention, but oh well. it means that we get to sing pretty awesome, difficult rep, and for the first time since high school i'm singing in a choir that i'm actually really proud to be a part of. how dorky does that sound? DORK!
4. as i mentioned before (1), we only have two thursday rehearsals a month. that means, dear friends, that i'm able to, for the first time since moving to baltimore, take part in what some people i've talked to call their favorite baltimore festival: the monument lighting in mt vernon.

it's called "a monumental occasion" and i heard that john waters is going to be there as part of the festivities. i've lived in baltimore three years and consistently hung out where john waters supposedly hangs out, yet i've never seen the man. that'll be cool. oh, and our hott-ass mayor, mayor martin o'malley, the same hott-ass mayor that i once was naked with in the DAC locker room (no, i sadly didn't look down south and i've spent 2 years wishing i had). and my friends scott and ron from the paper are having friends meet at the tusk lounge for martinis beforehand. and hilary and ashli are coming down from roland park for the occasion.

as if putting up my own christmas tree hadn't gotten me in a christmas-y enough mood, now i've got friends and local yuppies hanging out in the park to light up the big fakechristmastreemonument in mt vernon square. and the martinis don't hurt. and since they don't ever take the lights down until june (i think they run out of money a little earlier in the season), i'll be able to feel the christmas spirit practically all year round. i hear it's quite a "monumental occasion." har har.