tonight i visited cousin chris, his wife fran, and their brand new baby, emma. we talked about wikipedia, we ate tasty japanese takeout, we held the baby. but you don’t want to read about it, do you? you just want more pictures of emma.

it’s a wonderful life is not only my favorite christmas time movie, it’s also one of my favorite movies, period. it was on tv tonight, and i got so into it, and so choked up at the end. i think it also stands out as one of the few black and white movies i really love. maybe there are others?

yesterday we watched the original miracle on 34th street (colorized) and a christmas story when 34th street went to commercials. i noticed i was paying attention to all these interesting cultural habits frozen in 34th street, the way the men dressed or held their hands, mr gailey smoking in bed right after brushing his teeth, the interaction between the cigar chewing political strategist and the judge. my favorite phrase from the movie is when doris gets all upset at mr gailey for going on an “idealistic binge” after quitting his job.

white christmas is also a family favorite, but we’ve only got a vhs copy and the vcr here is broken. it’s funny, we own all of these movies, but instead we end up watching them when they come on tv, commercials and all (which i try to mute if the remote’s near).

i remember a wedding on the coast of maine, for a second cousin. i remember taking pictures of everyone on disposable cameras they’d set out at every table.

around age 12 or 13 i went to a wedding of a cousin (who later got divorced, but has since remarried). i remember it rained just before the ceremony. i wore a tux, possibly because i was an usher?

i remember my grandfather getting married to ruth. i remember the weather being very warm.

at age 20 i went to the wedding of the previous cousin’s sibling. i remember the ceremony being simple. i remember throwing a frisbee outside with my brother and a second cousin towards the end of the reception. i remember an unfathomably long line forming for the buffet.

brother matthew recently got himself a picture phone.