Happy New year

I am out of the office until next year...... I am having a pool party tomorrow night. You are all invited. Bring your own towel and six pack!!!

Max's Room

Max loves movies. He has turned into one of those movie freaks that can quote whole dialogues from different flicks. And he is disturbingly accurate. I think it is a disease or the result of acute malnurishment from a steady diet of pizza, Burger King and Molson ale.

So this Christmas I feed his addiction with some classic films that I loved when I was his age.

One was "Harold and Maude." Which blew his mind. (what little is left after a diet of pizza, Burger King&Beer). And also sent him out to get some early Cat Stevens. Which is currently being played non-stop in his car, his apartment...... and now in my head.

Miles from nowhere

Not a soul in sight

Oh yeah, but it's alright

I have my freedom

I can make my own rules

Oh yeah, the ones that I choose

Lord my body has been a good friend

But I won't need it when I reach the end

Miles from nowhere

Guess I'll take my time

Oh yeah, to reach there.

.... which sent me back in time..... to younger days and the folks I knew and the music and movies I loved then. To a girl I loved then.

In the quiet silent seconds

I turned off the light switch

And I came down to meet you in the half light the moon left

While a cluster of night jars sang some songs out of tune

A mantle of bright light shone down from a room

Come down in time I still hear her say

So clear in my ear like it was today

Come down in time was the message she gave

Come down in time and I'll meet you half way

Well I don't know if I should have heard her as yet

But a true love like hers is a hard love to get

And I've walked most all the way and I ain't heard her call

And I'm getting to thinking if she's coming at all

Come down in time I still hear her say

So clear in my ear like it was today

Come down in time was the message she gave

Come down in time and I'll meet you half way

There are women and women and some hold you tight

While some leave you counting the stars in the night

Nostalgia is good. In correct doses.

All in all, better than a diet of pizza, Burger King &Beer.

Well, the beer is still good.

I gotza snow for Christmas. And a buncha other days,too! The 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 26th then the temp rose to 40 on the 27th and rained, drizzled, sleeted, iced, glazed. On the 28th we received another 5 inches. Shit, this place sucks!! And the REALLY bad weather doesn't usually show up until after New Years. Slop, Slush, puddles.

So I had all of last week off for the holiday. Not really off. Max got his car stuck out in the country when he went snowshoeing. Monday morning pulling him out. I told him, last fall, that he really needed two new front tires, but the rear ones were practically new. His mother decided to get them for him, a Christmas present. But she ordered FOUR and the wrong size! Tuesday spent getting refund and ordering correct tires. Wednesday spent driving in near blizzard to visit my Mom and Sister's family. Two and a half hour drive took almost four hours. Thursday drive back ..... in another near blizzard. Friday spent three hours pulling Max's car out of ex-wife's driveway/yard. I am still not certain how he managed to do that. Cleared off Ex's drive and we had a nice cup of tea discussing the Children and their most assuredly bright and glorius future, and why Max only needed two tires. She said she would not charge me for the tea and I promised not to bill her for snow clearance. Civility is good at years end.

Saturday the temps hit 40, a far cry from the previous Saturday when the wind chills were -28, but it rained heavily and turned the city into a massive skating rink around sunset. Yesterday there was a fresh coat of 5 inches of snow ontop of the ice. Dude calls me up at 7am offering me two Packer tickets at $20 each. Funny guy. A total of $40 to drive an hour and a half to Green Bay and watch the Packers play the Lions? I have great friends..... they break me up.

But Christmas did have a good side. The kids gave me a bunch of old Paul Newman movies. Miriam gave me a real nice cactus for my collection. I think I will just 'sit-in' over the next weekend and watch old movies..... or just watch the cactus grow. More fun that shoveling snow!