New York at Christmastime is a great place to be. All the streets are lit up and decorated, Christmas tree vendors are on every block, storefronts are all glittery and festive, and I swear that people are cheerier and more willing to forgive the occasional bump and tussle on the subways. Today, it finally got cold in the city, and Shannon and I stood and listened to the Manhattan Grace Tabernacle choir sing carols outside their church on Broadway; it was as nice as I could ever have hoped.

Of course, now I’m on a total Carol of the Bells kick, and actively searching for the definitive best version of it. (I’ve got to say that, so far, one of my favorites is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24, which is more rock-influenced than anything else.)