It’s that time of year when the big man comes. The one who knows if you’ve been good or bad. Never been quite sure how the jolly old elf knew what happens behind closed doors, but I suspect our holiday Sith Lord would have no trouble figuring things out.
Bobbleheads are kind of taking over here this year, so don’t be suprised if a few more to run amock on the site between now and the big day.

Diego’s eating his normal dog food for the first time in a week.  I guess the fact that he isn’t expecting more ham, or roast beef, or quiche, or bacon, or some other buttery/greasy food to ‘accidentally’ fall in front of him shows his acceptance of a return to the status quo.

It was a great holiday season, incredibly busy this year, but I’m happy things have slowed back down.  I’ve got things I need to get done, and really need to take a look at the practice and make some changes for an economy that looks bleaker and bleaker by the day.  Too many projects became involuntary pro bono this year.  Sorry folks, but I decide where I volunteer my time, not you.

At least it will be a short work week as I ease back into some kind of a pattern.  Spinner goes back to work on the fifth, so I won’t get much done until then, except maybe a little mental health roadtrip.  And, weather permitting, our local little

The ghost of Christmas Present has me in my comfy robe blogging while the husband makes himself more presentable.  The ghost of  Christmas Future has us going out to fawn over decorations and finish up the shopping.  The ghost of Christmas Past has me feeling like an unrepentent glutton about to burst at the seams.  And now Tiny Diego’s going to find a big bag of treats in his stocking Thursday morning.

 This is my submission to a project of Chad Darnell, 12 of 12.  Twelve photographs from my life from the twelfth day of the month.  This is my second submission, having done this once before in July 2006.

It was a pretty boring day, except for a Christmas party with some of Randy’s coworkers. Didn’t take my camera in for that though, so you’re left with the drives before and after.

Glad I remembered to participate this month because it let me two kill birds with one stone, so to speak, and finally get some photos of some of the decorations people have been asking about,

Some ideas look good in the planning stage but utterly fail when the essential personalities become involved. Similarly, some things look good in the store, then never get worn again in the real world.

Cutting to the chase, puppies are puppies and reindeer are reindeer. We’ve learned our lesson and promise to never try this again.

Spent a big chunk of the afternoon watching Spinner and the rest of the San Diego Men’s Chorus perform some numbers from tomorrow’s Christmas concert. For the second year in a row they were combining the concert with an outreach effort for San Diego students interested in the performing arts. This year the event was at the Balboa Theater in the Gaslamp, as is Saturday’s concert.

While the school kids definitely seemed to be enjoying SDMC’s music, the big cheering was definitely for American Idol finalist Paris Bennett, who is guest starring with the Chorus this season. No, I don’t watch American Idol, and have to admit I couldn’t have picked her out of a crowd before today, but she definitely knew how to work the crowd and was a blast to watch. And yes, we met her after the show, and she and her Mom are just as wonderful in person. I just threw that last one in there for Micky, my favorite American Idol fan. There are benefits from being married to America’s favorite second tenor.

Curious reading about the Montgomery County, Maryland, ban on the early sale of Christmas trees. Not the reasons, but the drafting issues. The sale of “Christmas trees” before December 5 (or after December 25) is clearly not allowed under their Zoning Code. But reading their silly code, my first question is what is a Christmas tree? Everything from a scrawny little Charlie Brown tree to the ginormous tree down at the Mall that’s pine or near-pine? What about the little Christmas tree in my snow globe? What if I label my cut pine tree as commemorating Hannukah or Pearl Harbor Day? Can I try to market to a niche audience and offer to sell cut pine trees to people celebrating National Fritters Day on December 2, or would that be infringing on the sacred and probably trademarked tradition of using cut pine trees to commemorate the birth of the Savior?

I guess my point here is why is this any government’s business, period? Is there a growing season where they’re too small to be taken from the wilds, like trout? Do they emit a killer-pollen if cut in the warmer seasons? Or did someone just get pissy about early decorations and pass an irrational and poorly worded law?

Back to enjoying life now that the first of the month and the accompanying Business/bookkeeping obligations are complete for the month. I have twenty-something days to do what I like to do, with the added advantage of it being a holiday month. There’s a little trial up the coast at mid-month, hopefully with a little accompanying surf time. Christmas is looking good, as is New Years with the Penguin Plunge and maybe a mini roadtrip around the same time. I have an appointment with a personal trainer on Friday, and am thinking more and more about getting into some kind of organized swim program after the first of the year. Solo practice rocks, but I need to get out of the house more. Not just the sanity, but I need to be shaking hands if I want to stay in solo practice. As much as I grumble here sometimes, there are many less pleasant possibilities.

Every last scrap of holiday cheer has now been safely ensconsed in the storage unit.  No more clitter-clatter of reindeer feet.  No more swirling blizzards accompanied by tinny Christmas carols.  And no more jolly elves.  At least until next year.

Maybe I didn’t recycle all the wrapping paper we used this year.  I know I didn’t compost the egg shells from the cookies I baked.  I probably should have hunted down boxes that used recycled paper or used gift bags made from organically raised plants.  At the very least I could have sent cards printed with environmentally-friendly soy-based ink. 

But even as pathetically ungreen as I may be, I know better than to stick the fake Christmas tree (pre-lit!) in the special dumpster at the park for Christmas tree recycling.  Not so for one of our neighbors.  Sometimes you just have to wonder.