End of Year

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Just makes me laugh.

The holidays are almost over. Jack made out like a bandit, and doesn't even realize it. All he knew on Holiday was that things were bright and shiny and that it was okay to shovel massive amounts of wrapping paper into his mouth.

He got loads of clothes and toys, and Jen and I got cash and gift cards. I cannot think of a better Christmas.

To all of you wondering where the hell the Christmas card or gift are, please remember that we are new parents and a little distracted, which means we are broke and tired and just didn't get around to it. We love you anyway. Do you really need a card to prove it? If so you are a shallow, shallow friend.

Non-demoninational Holiday

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Will sicken you with cuteness.
Don't say I didn't warn you.

So, the holidays are here. I suppose you could say they have been here since Turkish Day, and they we are in the thick of it.
I am excited for wee Jack to see his first Christmas. He doesn't know why, but he's really excited. The coming years will be even more fun, as he will learn about the mystical Amazon who will deliver packages for weeks leading up to Dec. 25th, and then again for a little while after that. "why doesn't The Amazon deliver all on one day like Santa?" he will ask. "Because The Amazon doesn't have a magic sleigh, and has to rely on UPS," I will tell him. "But The Amazon does have elves. Clad in dark brown shorts and named Malone, but elves nonetheless," If the creators of this holiday had envisioned what the mail-order industry would become, they would have tailored their story to include it, and it would have helped out parents the whole world over. And there wouldn't be the awkward few years where belief slips away. The Amazon will deliver forever. Perhaps we could all band together, and slowly change the tradition to include The Amazon. We could get the UPS elves' union to agree (for a fee) to hold all packages, and deliver them all on Christmas day. This could eliminate the kids finding their presents hidden away in the bottom of a closet, or as my mom did, in the trunk of her car. They would have to rely on their hacking skills and crack into Dad's email instead. It would also add the the fun of opening a shipping package and the wrapped present. Oh what fun!
Who's with me?

Lies! All Lies!

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Is Jackson with Santa. It is a weird thing to decide to lie to your kid for years on end. Setting yourself up for the eventual time when the kid figures it out, and then you have a bunch of backpedleing to do. I suppose that just like buying a pet that you know you will outlive (unless it is a turtle), the good times and fun will far out weigh the time spent at the funeral. In my case, there was never a big deal, it just sort of trailed off. I remember figuring it out when I realized that Santa had the exact same handwriting as my mother.

It did have ramifications involving my religious beliefs. After finding out about Santa and the Easter Bunny, God and Jesus didn't stand a chance. At least the other two stopped by once a year and gave me something.


Jack did seem to enjoy his outfit however.

Nuthin'!

We got nuthin' !
Sure it got cold, but the storm passed to the east of Stillwater, and for the most part we got very little snow. Sad, The residents here still have no idea how to deal, and the most dangerous part of driving is the other drivers, who should just stay home if they are going to act like that.

Random Thoughts:

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Is a random pic of the D. I like it, so I'm sharing it with you.

"You can catch more flies with honey..."

I have no idea how that ends.

As a child, for some reason, I always wanted a pet rabbit. I don't know why, and it was never a deep desire. I just thought it might be kind of cool. Then, in my mid 20s, some friends of mine had rabbits that they kept in a cute little pen in their back yard, and I decided to go check it out. I realized that they don't really 'play' and that they smell awful. Not ferret bad, but bad. That small desire left my system, and I got a fish instead.

Bundle-fly

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Is coming our way. It is to be the coldest air and the meanest storm Oklahoma has seen in over a decade.

amateurs!

Just as those up north are overly terrified of tornadoes, The southern states are scared of snow. Oklahoma gets both and can't deal with either. All competing weather systems seem to butt heads right over OK, allowing for really freaky storms that last about two minutes. When I moved here almost three years ago, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to enjoy the snow and cold that I love so much. Three weeks after we moved, a giant blizzard hit the state, shutting down half the infrastructure, closing schools and offices for three days. I was happy. It hasn't really snowed since. We'll see how this one turns out.

The first time I went to Austin to visit friends, it was in the last week of August. A wee bit warm for my tastes. Here is a conversation I had while watching the news one day:

Weatherman: The temperature is 101, but the heat index is 120!
Me: What the hell is the "heat index"
Beth: Well, because of the humidity, it feels hotter than it actually is.
Me: Oh, like the wind-chill factor.
Beth: The what?