Do You Believe In Magic?

It all started some 14 Christmas Eves ago. We'd moved to L.A. a couple of months before and were cozy in our Burbank apartment, which bordered Toluca Lake. I think we were watching tv--probably A Christmas Story or something, when all of sudden we heard quite a ruckus. We knew it was way too early for Santa to be stopping by and besides, the noise was far greater than a few tiny reindeer paws clickity-clacking on the roof. The way I describe the sound was that it was like a "football game." Like a stadium full of people going completely nuts when their hometown team has scored the game winning touchdown. Really. It was THAT loud. We ran outside and were greeted by a big, bright semi truck with lights and colors and music and people singing. It was shocking and AMAZING all at once. It was our first introduction to The Magical Christmas Caroling Truck.

Some may remember me mentioning it before this. It's no secret that I tend toward being a bit bah-humbuggy this time of year. I think that has a little to do with all of the pressure to be the opposite and I tend to be contrary. I'll admit it can be A wonderful time of year, but the MOST wonderful...give me a break. For me, it reminds me of things like financial constraints, family that I rarely see, and having a job that allows little to no time off. The commercial and religious aspects bug me. Granted, I am extremely grateful to have a job (especially right now), some family and many friends close by, a roof over my head, etc. I guess the point is that The Magical Christmas Caroling Truck is one of the few holiday traditions I hold near and dear and really look forward to. It's so much fun and everyone participating is clearly having a blast. It's awesome to see so many neighbors pour into the streets with their hot cocoa and spirits. It feels warm and fuzzy and dare I say...magical.

Our friends who live a few houses down from us have thrown a Christmas Eve bash for many years now. It's quite festive and usually a drunken good time. Last year, one of the regulars made various signs for us to hold up to cheer on and thank the carolers. Above is Rusty, who went to the party briefly, and me with our sign. The people with the truck got quite a kick out of our group's enthusiasm. I hope we do it again!

So yeah, I'm not done with shopping and my small, fake tree is not up, but the one think I am ready for is The Truck's visit to our neighborhood. If you aren't doing anything exciting next Wednesday evening, you can check out the map of the truck's route and come see if for yourself.