Holiday Cheer

What I'm thankful for

Happy Thanksgiving America! Everyone else, happy Thursday!

This year I'm thankful for:

The Red Sox winning the World Series, AL East, and tied for the best record in baseball.

My loving wife who does so much, you are appreciated very much.

My sweet daughter who astounds me with new things everyday. Daddy wishes he could be with you more.

My friends at Survivinggrady.com, I can't get through a workday without you. Also all my other friends throughout the world, the world is a better place with you in it.

Mike Lowell re-signing with the Red Sox, and Dustin Pedroia winning the Rookie of the Year award.

Good health - I haven't gained any weight in years and I haven't been sick since last winter.

My extended family who is always there for me and my family.

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Don't eat too much turkey, you'll gobble your way into a tryptophan coma! Stay safe you travelers.

photo from: Kansas City Library www.kckpl.lib.ks.us/YS/crafts/

Winter Wonderland

The snow Friday nearly melted as soon as it fell in my town, but Saturday we took a drive into the hills. Just one mile up the road from our home one can see the snow-capped majesty of Mount Mansfield, highest peak in the state.

Sledders already take advantage of the slippery powder.

It's snowing again this morning.

Snow or No Snow

I woke up a few minutes ago, hoping to see some snow on the ground. It's still dark outside, so I can't see that it's falling, but there's none on the ground. In a way I'm relieved; driving home near freezing on wet roads make me fear for black ice, that invisible slick icy spot on the road that sends me careening into a ditch.

The bulk of my 70-some mile round trip commute goes through some valleys and hills (at one point rising to 1100 feet of elevation where it has snowed while rain settled in the valley). One valley I drive through is a 15 mile stretch of 4-lane interstate which is essentially a gorge, with 2 of the tallest mountains in the state on either side; Bolton Mountain and Camel's Hump. This stretch is notorious for accidents in the winter. In the 3 winters that I've worked there, I've avoided disaster, sometimes on bald tires. Here's hoping for one more accident-free winter; supposedly next summer the company will move closer to my home, which will make my life so much easier.

Tomorrow Beowulf comes out!

I've never been this excited about a movie in a long time, I'm really looking forward to Beowulf. (As I'm writing this they are reviewing this on 6 Music.) I know I won't be able to see it until next week but hopefully I will be able to see this in a theatre as it was meant to be seen. We don't have an IMAX near us (nearest one is in Montreal, almost 2 hours from here), but I hear it's coming out on IMAX. My mind would be blown to bits if I could see it there, but ah well.

I've made my mind up, I'll go up to the PS3 when I get my tax refund next year. And the first game I want to check out after it comes out later this month is Assassin's Creed. It really contains the elements that interest me. Also there's a Beowulf game coming out, and that interests me also. The main thing I don't like about that type of game is getting stuck, and I don't like using cheats. I like playing the game honest, but yeah, there is a level of skill-learning that one must adapt to playing most games. Then FIFA, next year's baseball version, and the current Madden(08?).

We saw Shrek the Third last night, excellent film, as good as, or if not, better than the first and second Shreks. 3.5 stars out of 5.

Tonight we are to get the first snow in the valleys, 1 to 4 inches. Yippee!