Silly season meltdown, early stages

Oh my gawd. The Silly Season is really taking its toll on me, and it is not even a week into December! I don’t think the US has a comparable month to Australia’s December party season. There are two things at play in Sydney during this time of the year: 1. the start of summer: sunshine, beach and boats 2. the lead up to Christmas and New Years. Between wanting to spend every minute with your friends and boyfriend at the beach or dining alfresco and then the various invitations to work functions and miscellaneous parties (is this one a farewell? A birthday??) let’s just say it is….well silly is one word to describe it.

Summer in New York does kick of with enthusiasm, and you can’t pinpoint a certain month where things just go off. Yes, of course, we are coming out of hibernation and the first day the tights come off and the hemlines get shorter is cause for celebration. Here, while people have been enjoying summer-like weather well before December, suddenly when the month belonging to Christmas and New Years Eve begins the calendar becomes jam-packed with events requiring cute outfits and copious alcohol consumption. And it becomes impossible to get a cab.

The lead up to Chistmas in the States has a fair share of parties and catching up with friends & family, and certainly a lot of wine-drinking, but it isn’t with the same intensity as Australia’s December madness. I suppose here Chrissie takes on a role more easily equated with the 4th of July: cold beer under a hot sun, hotdogs (or snags if you’re Aussie) and even fireworks. It is almost like a 4th of July that lasts for a month…and involves highheels a lot of the time.

So here I am on December 4th, haven’t spent one night this week at home eating healthy home-cooked food watching TV with my laptop in hand, but instead had reason to polish up and go out Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and tonight (Friday- office xmas party..) much to the dismay of my wardrobe and liver…and wallet. Let’s pray that those three valuable entities can make it 19 days til I board my flight and head off to my proper cold and cosy Christmas in DC.

(Anja Rubik by Ben Hassett)