Did you ever have a year when the holiday spirit doesn’t seem to happen? When, despite the old standards on the radio, the tree trimmed beautifully, and the presents bought, the joy of the Christmas season just doesn’t click? That, sadly, was my experience this year. Christmas is my favorite holiday, yet this year, for no discernible reason, I was more likely to mutter “bah humbug!” than “Merry Christmas!”
Rather than become Ebenezer Scrooge, however, over the past few weeks my wife and I have had some really cool, holiday-themed experiences that have banished the humbugs and brought back the joy of the season.
Let’s begin:
Getting in the Holiday Spirit:
At the beginning of December we were invited by friends to attend “Christmas in Carol and Song,” at the historic Kirkpatrick Chapel of Rutgers University. The concert was a joint performance by the Rutgers University Glee Club and the Kirkpatrick Choir.The concert was absolutely amazing. Christmas songs in English, French, and Latin filled the chapel with heavenly sounds. Somewhere during Silent Night, my feelings of being the Grinch started to lessen.A week later, my wife and I had a date night in New Brunswick. We began with dinner at Esquina Latina, an excellent restaurant serving Cuban and Latin American food.We began our meal with the Cuban Guacamole appetizer. An order of simply heavenly guacamole served in an avocado skin, with plantain, sweet potato, malanga, and potato chips. Not long after snapping this photo, the entire plate was clean.My wife ordered the Pernil Oriental (slow-roasted marinated pork, served with moro and boiled yuca). My dish, though, may have been the star of the meal: chicken, shrimp, ham, and chorizo fried rice, served with maduros. Fueled up with a lovely dinner, we headed to our main event of the evening.We headed to the George Street Playhouse to watch Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big Jersey Christmas Show. A comedy based on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the play was a delight. Funny, charming, and enjoyable, the talented cast (five actors played multiple roles) kept us all entertained.After the play, we checked out a display of gingerbread houses from local schools in the playhouse lobby. The Nightmare Before Christmas-themed house made me smile.Even Mother Nature got in on the act with a recent weekend snowfall that made our neighborhood look like a snow globe.Yes, I suppose it IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas…Finally, my wife surprised me with an early morning trip to Asbury Park for a lovely breakfast at the shore.Merry Christmas to us! We sat down to breakfast at Toast City Diner, my favorite breakfast eatery at any Jersey shore town.My wife and I both ordered Will’s Gluten Free Waffle. We shared sides of fruit and bacon, all washed down with some delicious coffee. Such a lovely meal!After breakfast, we took a quick walk along the Asbury Park boardwalk. With temperatures in the mid 20’s and a wicked wind whipping off the waves, it was a shorter walk than usual.We decided to escape the wind with a quick stop in the Asbury Park Convention Hall.We made a beeline to Offshore Coffee Co., my favorite coffee shop at the Jersey shore.Yes, a yummy oat milk latte helped to warm me up from the inside.Much to my wife’s delight (ahem), one look at the Christmas tree and chair for Santa Claus led me to offering up my best imitation of Bruce Springsteen singing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” After a fun morning, it was time to head back home.First, we made a quick detour to the nearby town of Ocean Grove. Since the mid-19th century, Ocean Grove has been a summer retreat for members of the Methodist Church, and the Great Auditorium (built in 1894) is the center of worship.During the summer, these structures form the heart of the tent community, a residential neighborhood near the Great Auditorium. Our curiosity satisfied, it was time to head back home.So with the Christmas blahs banished and the holiday spirit back… Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and best wishes for a lovely New Year from our home to yours!
Garage Updates
Before closing, I wanted to share a few updates on our vehicles, and a reader’s high mileage achievement.
First, friend and longtime blog reader Kathryn reached out with an achievement on her 2010 Honda Accord sedan – she joined the Quarter Million Mile Club! Her car has been featured in this blog before – it is the four door version of my old Honda Accord coupe. Congrats, Kathryn, and keep those miles rolling!Speaking of rolling… my wife’s 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee was recently treated to some new tires. We went with a set of all-weather tires from Finland-based Nokian.We upgraded to the recently-released Nokian WR G5 Remedy tires. Unlike all-seasons, all-weather tires are designed to provide far better grip in winter conditions without needing to use a separate set of snow tires. I’ll report back after our first snow driving experience with them.Finally, I treated my TLX to a thorough cleaning after the recent snows. Free of road salt and slush stains, the car looks good once again.
Wrapping Up
From the staff of The Open Road Ahead… we hope you have a wonderful holiday season, filled with merriment, time with family and friends, peace, and joy.
And thanks for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.
The Open Road Ahead 