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Show The Park Record A-14 New Y e a r ' s Eve i C e l e b r a t i o n Tues/Wed/Thurs, December 28-30, 2004 SUNDAY IN THE PARK By Teri Orr • A Christmas to remember, if I could H APPY W )f.'-: :' Bfci^i-.15^' F ^ " ! « l ^ 5:^<Xi*i f e .=••»" hen I tiptoed outside on Dec 26, blinking at the ered gifts, prepared a lunch for the oldest of friends and Sunday morning after Christmas sunlight, I got the house ready for the family. By four, we had all saw a foreign object sitting on my porch steps. It was a assembled at the house of the godparents who lavished single bottle of ginger ale with a red bow on top and a attention on my children and my children's children as typed note attached. "The children have the measles, it if they were somehow the holy family themselves. I left must be Christmas, Erma Bombeck." I smiled and won- a few minutes before the crew and ran home to turn on dered which of the many people I had spoken to in my the lights and put out the gifts. And when Izzy, my haze yesterday had left the object of my desire. And the three-year-old granddaughter walked in the door, the hard work had the desired effect. She giggled and pointtalisman of my most recent Christmas past. Now before you go jur™ng to conclusions that I ed and scooped up red and green M&Ms. Her parents jumped the fun barrier on tne holiday, let me confess and her aunt and uncle with my one-year-old first there have been years when I admit to having done just grandson, oohed and aahed and we all watched the chilthat. Too much eggnog and champagne and salted nuts dren explore while we had snacks and laughed and washed down by holiday cookies and candies are often warmed ourselves by the fire. It was all I had hoped for. a recipe for seasonal attitude disorder. That wasn't the And more. case this year. But I'm ahead of my story. When the tired children and their patient parents The week before Christmas was as jammed packed gathered up gilts and teething rings and sippy cups and as I can remember. Work was insanely busy and social bid adieu, it was almost midnight clear, certainly a engagements seemed to happen on top each other with moonlit reflective. I will forever remember Mz Iz standing on my walkway many folks just declaring while her parents were the entire week a kind of stuffing the car with endless celebration. I and her baby tried to make time for a • • Sometime in the middle of the night gifts brother, standing there few lunches with special friends, a couple of din- a series of unfortunate gastrointestinal blowing me kisses. I prepped for Day ners and a winter solstice events occurred with a tsunami of intensity.was T\vo when I would celebration with wise Those precious children who attend the descend to the respecwomen. I was cramming homes of my chilin still more last minute petri dish -- better known as day care -- tive dren in Salt Lake City shopping, decorating for my family who would • were most likely the carriers of The Bug." on Christmas Day and descend with their babies m^mmmmm^^^^^^m then come back and for Christmas Eve and I cook dinner for my had attempted to revive a lost personal art and try my friends who have become family. I fell asleep in a rare hand at cooking. Other than the Thursday night tree state of peace. disaster, things were hectic but going well. Sometime in the middle of the night a series of The night before, the night before Christmas, I unfortunate gastrointestinal events occurred with a plugged in the perfectly decorated tree and found the tsunami of intensity. Those precious children who lights entirely burnt out or shorted or whatever. The attend the petri dish -- better known as day care -- were damn things didnt work. I panicked and called my most likely the carriers of The Bug. During a break in neighbor, who assessed the situation and determined the action around 9 a.m. when I was due at the first they were, kaput. I wasn't about to undo and redo the house, I called to declare my personal part of Christmas tree when I still a full day and night's work to do so I ran canceled. I repeated the call between bouts into the one to Dan's and bought more lights. Which explains the room that had escaped artful Christmas decorations. I long string of red on the top of the tree that segues into called off my visits and my dinner guests and then slept green for several feet and finally to the bottom encased for six hours, during the day, and ate the best-tasting in rows of blue. Not artful but bright enough to cheer three bites of Campbells chicken noodle soup that ever made up a holiday dinner. the most important three-year-old in my life. On Sunday morning, feeling very weak but at least My neighbor and his patient son hung the lights while I dervished about. They "also went up in the rafters upright and taking nourishment, I was so grateful for of the garage and brought down the slightly politically that ginger ale I was certain I heard a chorus of halleluincorrect, much beloved, horsehair rocking horse that jah angels singing in my head. I grabbed the New York has been a part of my children's Christmas for more Tunes and immediately returned to bed. I did the bed, bath and beyond to the couch dance, all day long. I felt than 30 years. Not only did my saintly neighbor do all this, his wife well enough to gather wood from the garage and make called half an hour later and said they had chicken alfre- endless pots of tea. I plugged in the tree lights and do waiting for me with a glass of wine. Yes, they knew I smiled at the rocking horse. I was exhausted, a wee bit had projects to finish but, after all, I had to eat. And I'm sad but happy I had garnered such magic before the not making this up, but while we were dining, the door- wipeout. bell rang and three beautiful young girls, who I suspect Next week we will continue celebrating. Next week, have no idea yet how beautiful they are about to when the calendar ends and the year ahead is a tabula become, were at the door singing Christmas carols. rosa of possibilities. My friends and family understand They were not caroling for a cause. They asked for that sacred isn't reserved only for a certain day. It can nothing in return but did pocket a home-baked cookie occur any day, even a blessed, ginger-aled, Sunday in as our humble offering. It will stand out as one of the thePark... watercolor moments of this season. Teri Orr is a former editor o/The Park Record and On Christmas Eve Day I was in The Zone. I deliv- director of the Park City Performing Arts Center. cc The Canyons will have ~ -- •-.":• i . a grand fireworks ,., display and live music by "Solid Gold11 from ,, " 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm .T : ,-; *• • . <•» •• : , "<%^.-^ in The Canyons Resort Village. FREE TO THE PUBLIC '^:4$:^ ,| " .f»>.- -kr. ->•,'."... - f • i * •• _^^ •-» JT.J«, . 4 .%AM W l / B , - CORE SAMPLES By Jay Meehan Night moves T New Y e a r ' s Party in D o c ' s at t h e ^ G o n d o l a 1 Join us in Doc's, locatediin the Grand Summit Resort Hotel, and ring in the N<$v Year. Enjoy a delicious menu of appetizers, sandwiches, full bar and our alt new Sushi menu! As our guest, you'll also enjoy complimentary champagne at the stroke of midnight. Doc's is a private club for members and you must be 21 or over. No reservations accepted, lor more information, please call (435) 615-8068. GW Y e a r ' s Eve Family Dinner Buffet 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Red Pine Lodge Ride the Gondola to the Red Pine Lodge for a fun, Family Dinner Buffet with entertainment for everyone $59 for adults, $29 for children 12 and under, 5 and under free Reservations made through Grand Summit Concierge or by calling (435) 615-8042. New Year's Eve Four Course Feast 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm Seating The Cabin Enjoy a sumptuous 4 course meal and a complimentary glass of champagne in a beautiful atmosphere. $95.00 per person. THE CABIN tfeservutions Recommended and can be made by calling The Cabin at (435) 615-8060. www-thecanyons-cqm '•• f, T EXPLORE. EXPERIENCE- DISCOVER. 'ARK CITY, UTAH ; his just in! Film at eleven! The view from the although dominant, is not the only player of note. Comet Machholtz, for instance, has been creeping up darkside inspires! That would be the darkside of the earth - the side the sun's not facing. It's also rather the right side of Orion, getting a bit higher and a bit puzzling if getting to the bottom of things turns your more naked-eye friendly (supposedly) with each passing crank,butsomebodysgottodoit... and its a gig we dig. day (you couldn't prove it by me) - or, if you will, each So Happy New Year from all us back-of-the-Wasatch passing revolution of the earth upon its axis. That brilliant thing below and to the left would be Sinus, the night herders. We keep the faith by keeping tabs on the night sky brightest star. Above all this is the Pleiades (Seven and, although it hasnt been that long since we last Sisters) star cluster, quite the favorite in some herding checked-in, there have been recent episodes of note circles. occurring in the visible universe. This month has been It^ the comet thatls been messin' with us starfolk. flat-out breathtaking. Actually, I guess it's the moon, too, and where it is in the A couple of weeks back had the Geminid meteor sky during your walch on the herd. It doesn't do you shower struttin' its stuff in the crystal clear cold of night. much good if you've nodded-off in the saddle during the That was around the new moon so the sky was dark and most prime lunar-comet viewing aspect. stars filled the heavens and the milky-way splashed The fun part is never knowing what's actually going across the celestial sphere wjth enough amplitude and on out there. Whole sections of space come up missing attitude to make a black hoje blush. when juxtaposed over your night-sky mapping system. It Its pretty cool when yotf£et out on the other side of does "matter," however. In fact it's all about "matter," the knoll where the neighbors lights fear to tread and and the spaces in-between, and if those spaces inthat special deep darkness the solstice drug-in envelops between are just another kind of "matter." you like a horse blanket. Most of what's out It's pretty cold, too. there is "dark matter," Warmth comes, howevthey say. That old • It's a given that outer space can "ether" er, if you stay slowly on that poets loved the move and hunkered space you out... you start adding shootin' so well is no longer down with your head bona-fide. And just tipped back and the stars and comets and "inclinations of the when you get comfortnight sky spread out ecliptic" and, before you know it you're able with elementary above you. particles, you discovered awash in conjunctions and occultations they aren't all that eleWhat better way is mentary after all - that there for a card-carryin' and reaching for the flask." cosmic cowboy to bide ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ everything might be made up of itsy-bitsyhis time and ply his trade ""--"~™~^^^^^^~^^^"""•"••••'••^^^™ teeny-weeny vibrating - especially during a lunar cycle such as this. December has been just about as good as it gets if you'rein the dark strings. And they wonder why flask sales are taking off and lookin' up. as they are. Planets wander and night herders wonder. Early It's a given that outer space can space you out. You've got your five naked-eye planets - Mercury, wonderers thought the world was flat with a crystalline Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn - laid out against a sky overhead. The sun was a god that rode across their backdrop of 15 billion years of stellar evolution and sky in a chariot during the day and beneath the earth at then you start adding shootin' stars and comets and night. They thought their world was created in a small "inclinations of the ecliptic" and, before you know it, amount of time by the deity they worshipped. you're awash in conjunctions and occupations and These adherents are still around and, if nothing else, reaching for the flask. have proven especially skilled at gaining higher office. They wander, planets do. In fact, the word "planet" They no longer wonder, however. They know! The means "wanderer" in Greek* Doesnt that piece of info "uncertainty principal" need not apply. They aren't hirjust make you want to go into orbit. Now, I'd like to have ing. a telescope and be able to check out Uranus, Neptune, Obviously life must be much easier for those in the and Pluto, too, but then again, I'd also like a spaceship know than for the rest of us night-sky flask foragers. with lots of windows, a wet bart and a dance floor. Their world is pretty much complexity poor. They It's about comfort out there, even when it's sub-zero havent had a metaphor over for tea in ages. But, and your breath can be seen from the moons of Saturn. although they are never in the dark, luminosity aini If you can stay continually dazzled by the quality of the their shtick. quantum, a sensation of snugness will nuzzle where disThat's a good thing because, if they were to spend comfort once roamed. As elsewhere, misdirection is the time alone with the cosmos, questions as to who they name of the game. were might enter upon their thoughts - and that would Although night herding is all about burning daylight just not do! They have more pressing issues on their so as to best maximize the minimalism that is the night plate than night herding and wondering about whether sky, even when the dark aint black there is a lot of bang their belief system relates in any meaningful way to for the visual buck. Take nbw for instance. Having only quantum reality. They just need to get a lot more Sinus recently slipped passed full, the much brighter moon, and a lot less serious. |