Merry Christmas

I love you!

Friday Fives

1. It's Christmas Eve: What is the holiday tradition in your home? Big meal today or tomorrow? With family ? Go to church? Open presents or wait for Christmas day?

Christmas Eve is the biggie for us, especially since I moved away. That is the day we do all the parties and family stuff and big dinner and presents. We used to go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve, but we all gave up on religion quite some time ago.

2. I still remember many Christmas' as a kid. What was your favorite? Did involve a special present (toy) What was it?

A bicycle. Most of my childhood seemed to revolve around my bicycles. We called them dirt bikes. We had wheelie contests and jumping contests and races and all that. So I guess any Christmas involving a bike was a super extra good one.

3. What are some of your favorite winter/cold weather activities and/or sports?

Swimming. Obviously that is more of a Phoenix thing than a Denver thing. Growing up in Phoenix pretty much meant growing up in a swimming pool. Being in Colorado means being nowhere near a sunny day on a pool desk sipping lemonade, so those are my fine memories/sports.

4. What type of winter coat do you have? Is it your favorite or was there another? Gloves or mitten? Hat or ear muffs? Scarve or face mask?

I have pretty much always been loyal to Columbia jackets. I love the whole fleece system that locks into the jacket or works as a seperate jacket. Pretty much all the companies make that now, but Colombia started it (at least as far as I can tell, which is good enough for me). Favorite hat would be my 'Cat' hat, which is basically a thick and snug black tuke. Mittens? No way, dude... you nuts? I need finger articulation, brother. No scarves or face masks, those are for pussies! 5. Would you ever sleep in an igloo or one of those Canadian Ice Hotel thingies?

No, not if I can help it. That is why I bought a house. However, I have a really good North Face bag which would allow me to sleep in an igloo with no problem at all. I would want a good pillow though!

Ah, the power of the internet

See that silly post right below this? I was going to erase it, but thought you might enjoy the story behind it. Last night I was sitting with my brother in law having beers. Something came up about the shortage of tomatoes from the hurricanes in Florida this year. I said something like "I guess all the tomatoes come from Florida". My brother in law (we'll call him Larry) balked and said that was stupid. He then said that he just had some tomatoes that said 'Jersey' on them... and surely Jersey is not a place in Florida. I told him it may be, what did I know. He said 'prove it on the internet'. I laughed it off and said it wasn't worth the trouble and excused myself to use the restroom.

Instead, I came in here and typed up that little salvo below. I waited about an hour, until the conversation had changed, and said "Larry, why don't we take a look on that tomato thing. I bet I was right!" The key to the illusion was letting him drive the internet. He asked where he should look and I said "just type in I am correct into any search engine and pick whatever comes up first." So he did, and as you may know, this site will rank #1 on every search engine when those words are keyed in. There was my post, pointedly specific to our conversation. He said how did you do that, and I told him I was in the bathroom the whole time and don't know what he is talking about. Now that, my friends, is what the internet is for!

All Tomatoes come from Florida

Most of them, in fact, come from Jersey, FL. Though this is regarded as common knowledge to most... many dense hangers on of the 'I hear California makes tomatoes too' school of thought still exist in the Southwest.