Ho, ho, ho...

And the holidays are here! Christina's got the lights up, and we found a nice tree, which is decorated very nicely. Monkey picked out the tree, and I must say that it's a good one. It does lean a bit to one side, but otherwise, it's great!

There's been much turmoil around here lately, and it's unfortunate that I can't really get into it here. Suffice to say that my wife's former employer was not at all what he purported to be. He, and others in his employ, proved themselves to be petty, manipulative, underhanded, and mean, and they have caused my family a lot of sleepless nights, frustration, anger, and despair. And so we enter our holiday season shaking our heads, and wondering how some people can live with themselves. It's truly amazing.

So, on a brighter note, it's been great having my wife home all day. She's been super-busy while she's organizing the house and trying to sort through the clutter around here. I'm just trying to stay out of the way and help out where I can. We get to hang out together and watch shows that we enjoy, and just enjoy each others company. She'll most likely be working again in January, so I'm enjoying her while I can!

So now that we're recovering from things, we're able to look ahead to our trip up North. I always enjoy heading up there to see my parents, brother, and extended family, and this year is no exception. When we're there, we stay in Mom's lower level (she's got a three-level home plus a basement), so we can nap anytime we like, and I'm really looking forward to that! They used to have a parakeet down there that enjoyed squawking at us every chance it got, but I hear that he's moved on to a better place. I'm surprised to find that I'll miss him a bit, even though I'm almost certain that he'd have enjoyed trying to peck me to death, given half a chance. At least there's still Rico, my Dad's little dog. He's a silly little thing, and spoiled rotten.

So that's about all for now. I'm planning to rest on the couch while I review some technique videos before heading out to class. I hope I don't strain myself. ;-)