• Say what you will about social media, having your birthday acknowledged on Facebook is fantastic. It is the one advantage it has over Twitter and Google+. Birthdays are the perfect circumstance for people to connect even if they haven't talked all year. The sentiments are real independent of circumstance. 

• I prefer to spend my birthdays alone, not making much of a fuss out of them, and actually take the time to think about the previous year, the ways in which it surprised me, the things I learned and the things that I didn't yet get to accomplish. But people really don't understand why I do this. Everyone keeps asking me why, which makes it very obvious and clear that people really don't enjoy, don't know how to spend time alone, how to be by themselves. Being congratulated by lots of people on Facebook, via messages, etc., is great. Giving oneself time and silence to comtemplate is better.

• Adele live at the Royal Albert Hall is a brilliant concert. 

• After working a full holiday season, many years ago, with a ballet company and experiencing everything that goes into producing and marketing The Nutcraker I can honestly say I'm still sick of the music. Remix it, mash it up, rearrange it, do to it what you will, still sick of it. To the point it actually alters my mood during the holidays. 

• Whatever your most challenging day, someone you know is going through something worse.