And there you have it

So. 2008. S’up?

Been a wild one, huh? Ups. Downs. Really downs. Really *really* downs.

I got married. I changed jobs. I had a nice amount of money invested in some high upside stocks.

And then I had $1.75 and a bad mood.

We had a weird, wacky, wild run up to the election and lo and behold we got a new president-elect. Don’t make me regret voting for you, sir.

What lies ahead? A roller coaster economy, more businesses failing, maybe some recovery, and those wacky Democrats at the helm.

Put on your seatbelts. Arms inside the car at all times. 2009 promises to be a dark ride.

Cheers to you and yours.

Do Not Do As I Do

Today, in order to take the chill out of my bones on a cold winter evening, I decided to take a hot bath.

So there I was, in my all in all as the tub filled, and I made a critical decision.

I got on the scale.

This, just four days after Christmas.

It’s going to take a while to recover from the shock.

Perhaps time to consider resolutions…

I got you something!

Oh, I know I didn’t have to…I just wanted to.

Because you are something special to me.

Here it is!

Open it! I can’t stand the anticipation!

Great! Do you like it? Is it too much?

I got you:

A warm, safe and joyous holiday!

A 2009 filled with both hope and prosperity

Humility, gratitude and appreciation for all you’ve done for me this year.

And

Love. Lots and lots of love.

Use it well! It’s just your size!

Please have snow, and mistletoe

Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Ok, so yesterday and today I have been listening to big time holiday music.

This morning as I drove in to work, singing along, I sang about snow while noticing the raging rainstorm pelting my windshield.

You know what…given where and how I was raised, and even where I live now, most of these traditional holiday songs are truly meaningless to me.

Rarely was there snow on the ground at Christmas in Albuquerque. If there was (once, I think) it was melted before the day was out.

No where in the collection of holiday songs is the singer lamenting for Christmas of their youth were it was 65 and sunny.

Or having tamales to eat on Christmas Eve.

Or plucking a piƱon tannenbaum out of the pile for 15 bucks a piece at the flea market.

Or filling paper bags with sand.

No, the “east coast bias” that applies to sports seems to infiltrate the holiday as well.

Heck, in my new digs, Christmas is about rain. And crab (tis crab season, yum!).

Where’s the song for that?

Doesn’t exist!

I *could* feel bad that the east coasters get snow and fabulous Macy’s windows filled with displays and thus they get to understand the true meaning of the old standards.

But I don’t. I wouldn’t trade my own memories for all the Fa La La La La in the world.