Don't rush the holidays

I'm a firm believer in not rushing the holidays.  I do not want to see (and will not buy) Christmas decorations in stores in Sept.  Even more specifically, I don't put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving.  The day after Thanksgiving?  Fair game.

But yesterday I made a small exception... we put up our outdoor Christmas lights. 

It was sunny and in the low 50s so the weather was perfect for it.  Plus, the weekend after Thanksgiving I am scheduled to work both Sat & Sun.  Regardless of whether it rains or is cold in the coming days, we've already got our lights up and ready.  But we vowed NOT to turn them on until after Thanksgiving.

We will spend Thanksgiving and some of Fri in VA with our family, as usual.  When we get back home Fri afternoon or evening, I'll probably put the wreaths on the doors and start putting out our interior decorations.  Then (hopefully) on Sun after work I'll put up the Christmas tree and string the lights on it.  The following Sun we're having our annual Christmas tree trimming party where our friends help us hang all the ornaments, and in exchange we provide food and drinks.  Its always a good time and one of my favorite holidays traditions.

National Underwear Day

Yesterday was National Underwear Day. 

Its a made-up holiday created by Freshpair, a company that sells underwear.  No surprise there.

But the underwear industry has really grown in the last 40 years.  For men the choices used to be boxers or briefs.  Usually cotton.  Usually white for briefs, and solid or benign prints for boxers.

Nowadays there are literally hundreds of sellers of men's underwear, each with lots of varieties.  Boxers, briefs, boxer-briefs, bikinis, string bikinis, thongs, jocks.  In every color and color combination you could want.  Fashion underwear is a multi-billion dollar per year industry.

Then there's all the 'novelty' and fetish underwear.  Cotton, polyester, nylon, mesh, spandex, latex, lycra, and leather.

Things have certainly changed over the years, so maybe there's a real reason now to celebrate National Underwear Day.

How will YOU be celebrating?

Back on the wagon

I've written before about the great results I've experienced from following the principles of Fit for Life.  When followed I feel more energetic and I lose weight.  Back in the 90s I lost 40 lbs on it.  This time after following the plan for about 18 months I had lost 35 lbs.

But avoiding eating proteins and carbohydrates in the same meal can get tiresome after a long time.  Eating out is especially hard since most entrees include proteins and carbohydrates, like spaghetti and meatballs, chicken and rice, steak and baked potato, burger and french fries, and practically all sandwiches and most pizzas.  

So last spring, after 18 months on the plan, I gradually went back to 'traditional' eating habits.  It was fun to eat what I wanted all summer long without needing to make substitutions.  Then the holidays came and I ate lots of turkey with dressing at Thanksgiving, a myriad of sweets and goodies at Christmas, and drank champagne on New Years Eve.  Again, I enjoyed it all very much, but I knew I couldn't continue doing that.

After 6 or 7 months of eating what I wanted, my clothes reminded I couldn't continue doing that. So on Mon, Jan 2, I climbed back on the wagon and returned to Fit for Life.

Fruit and nothing but fruit until noon.  Any kind of fruit, as much as I want.

Veggies with protein OR veggies with carbs for lunch and for dinner.  But never protein and carbs in the same meal.  And the veggies should outweigh the protein or carbs in every meal.

Minimal processed foods and dairy.  

While this isn't the easiest plan to follow, to me its easier than counting calories, points, or eating 'fake' food from a diet company.  And from experience I know this plan works for me, so I'm back on the wagon.

Seasons Greetings

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Festivus, or nothing in particular, I hope you have a merry day!  And be nice to people today, even those who don't deserve it.

Holiday decorating

Cinco de Mayo

Today is Cinco de Mayo!

I've decided that Cinco de Mayo is my new favorite holiday.  There are no gifts to buy or wrap, no cards to send, and no travel required.  We just eat Mexican food and drink margaritas.  What could be easier and more fun?!?!

As usual, Spouse & I went to Dos Locos with Steven, Joe P, and Bob.  (Thad was at a spinning class.)  The food is always terrific and the atmosphere is lively and fun.  Spouse & I wore our Dos Locos Cinco de Mayo t-shirts, given to us by the owners (who are also our friends) on previous Cinco de Mayo visits.

Notice my T-shirt from Cinco de Mayo 2015.  I'm uncharacterically wearing my glasses; giving my eyes a break from long-term contact lens use.  I don't know why I posed for this photo sipping on a straw.  I never drink margaritas from a straw, since the rim of the glass is salted.

As usual, we had a great time.  Fortunately we arrived just before the crowd.  We were seated right away, but there were lots of folks waiting for tables when we were leaving.

For posts with photos of previous Cinco de Mayos, click the Cinco de Mayo label at the bottom of this post.

Back on the wagon

I've written several times about the Fit For Life eating program I've been on since Jan 2015.  Its helped me lose weight AND feel more energetic, but I decided to give myself permission to go off the plan between Thanksgiving and New Years so I could enjoy all the traditional holiday foods and treats.  And enjoy I did!

But its a new year so on Jan 4 I jumped back on the wagon.  It actually felt good to go back on my plan since I definitely notice a difference in my energy level.  I haven't stepped on the scale but I imagine I gained a few pounds.  I'm not worried though, as I know those extra pounds will gradually disappear with my adherence to my plan.

Holiday return address labels

This year I'm well ahead of schedule by ordering my holiday return address labels today.

Yep, that's right - its not even Halloween yet and I ordered my Christmas card labels today.  I love to write and send Christmas/Holiday cards to friends near and far and although I hand-write their names and mailing address for that personal touch, I do use return address labels.

But not just any old return address labels.  I order special ones for the holidays.  This year I ordered them from Personalization Mall.  Its a great resource for all things personalized, not just holiday stuff.  Here are my holiday 2012 selections:

They come in quantities of 64 so I ordered 1 quantity of each design above.  I think they're super cute!!  You may notice there aren't any Santa Claus or reindeer.  I tend not to favor those 'folksy' images of Christmas.  Instead I prefer themes that center more on ornaments, snowflakes and such.

Click here to read about my Christmas card writing/addressing ritual.

Battle of the bulge

As I mentioned in Monday's post, I am now on a weight loss plan.

The problem started sometime in Nov. As "the holidays" approached I began allowing myself to over-indulge in every kind of delicious and fattening recipe with the excuse that "its the holidays".

Apparently no one told my pants that holiday calories don't count, because my waistband is screaming!

I must say that I did enjoy over-indulging during the holidays. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast followed by several re-runs until the left-overs were gone. Then we had lots of yummy stuff in early Dec for our Christmas tree trimming party. Then there was all the food at my office! Several of my colleagues brought in cookies, several of our clients sent us boxes, baskets, and barrels of goodies, and even some of our vendors sent us platters of positively perfect confections. Then there were the multiple holiday parties, Spouse's mom's birthday party on Christmas eve, and the expected feast for Christmas dinner. Oh, and did I mention the decadent 4-cheese macaroni & cheese Spouse made for Steven & Thad's New Year's Eve party?

I've never met a mayonnaise-based dip I didn't like.
Needless to say, I ate a lot.

But now its time to "pay the piper", as they say, so Mon I started to diet. Not the old-fashioned fad diets like the grapefruit diet or South Beach diet. My form of dieting is really more of a sensible and healthy eating plan with inspirations from Weight Watchers and common sense.

To begin with, I'm cutting out snacking. Unlike Spouse I'm not much of a snacker to begin with, so this doesn't have a huge impact on me. But sometimes I'll come home from work and have a little something to eat because I'm not sure when we'll eat dinner. I'm not really "hungry" per se, its more of a preventative thing. No more.

Another successful technique is portion control. I serve myself the amount of food I imagine an elegant, 110 lb. woman would eat, and that's it. No seconds; no "Hungry-Man" portions.

If by chance I begin to feel full before I've finished my womanly portion, I stop eating immediately. Even if there are only 3 bites left on my plate, I stop eating as soon as I begin to feel full. I'm not a child so there is no need to strive to be in the 'clean plate club' anymore.

I also substitute some higher fat/higher calorie items with lower fat/lower calorie ones. For instance, I used to make sandwiches every day with Arnold Double Protein Multi Grain bread. The slices are large but the 'multi grain' aspect seemed like a healthy choice. That bread is 110 calories per slice. Now I eat Pepperidge Farm Light Style whole wheat bread at 45 calories per slice - less than 1/2 the calories!

But I still struggle with diet soda. I like all the different flavors and real hunger pangs can be temporarily quelled with a zero calorie diet soda! But some studies suggest that despite the absence of calories, diet soda can cause people to gain weight. Then there's the reality of diet soda being made up of chemicals rather than natural ingredients, which makes me think about alternatives. Obviously water is the best thing to drink, but I quickly get bored with the lack of flavor. So an alternative I like is to pour 1/2 a glass of 100% fruit juice (NOT a fruit-flavored drink) and fill the other 1/2 of the glass with water. At first it seems like watered down juice, which it is, but at least it enables me to drink 1/2 a glass of water with some flavor, and I eventually get used to to the taste.

So this is my plan to eat less, eat better, and lose weight. Stay tuned for updates.

Bad taste

You already know that I've written before about my dislike of rushing the holidays. You know, Christmas decorations in stores before Halloween, bathing suits in stores in January, that kind of thing. I just think we should decorate, dress, and enjoy 1 holiday at a time.

But as much as rushing the holidays annoys me, the opposite is just as offensive. Today I drove by a house that had a Christmas wreath on the door and a jack-o-lantern flag sticking up from the flower bed.
I had a rather strong reaction to this holiday tragedy and needed to pull over in order to collect myself.

I mean, wouldn't you think they would remove the Halloween flag when they put the Christmas wreath up? Don't most people store their holiday decorations in the same place? It just seems so logical to put away the Halloween flag at the same time you're getting out the Christmas wreath.

And what happened to Thanksgiving? Is there some reason why the Pilgrim, turkey, or cornucopia decorations were skipped altogether?

Sadly it appears there's just no accounting for taste these days.

Don't rush me

I've written before about my dislike for people and retailers who rush the seasons and the holidays.

Even here in this beach resort area, you can't find a bathing suit in any store in July because they've all been cleared out to make room for the winter coats... in July!!

I was in a store in September and was shocked to see Christmas decorations for sale!

Its also frustrating to see Valentines Day merchandise in stores between Christmas and New Years.

And although I don't shop at Nordstrom, I absolutely LOVE that they absolutely refuse to decorate their stores with Christmas decorations until the day after Thanksgiving. Why? Well, this sign in a Nordstrom window explains it rather simply:
I suggest we all vow to live and decorate 'in the moment' and resist rushing the seasons or the holidays. Who's with me?!?!

Christmas coffee

Spouse & I enjoy flavored coffees. In fact we drink flavored coffee (at home) more frequently than that plain coffee.

But if you're one of those folks who just wants flavored coffee occasionally, you may not want to keep a full pound of it around the house. Or maybe you're looking for a way to make the coffee extra special for your next dinner party.

So I thought I'd share some of my quick and easy tips for making tasty coffees during the holidays:

1. Add some ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to your coffee grounds, then brew as usual. The taste and aroma are spicy and delicious.
2. Add some ground cinnamon and ground ginger to your coffee grounds, then brew as usual. This combination gives you the added peppery flavor with the ginger.
3. Use eggnog instead of cream in your brewed coffee. This gives you the hint of sweetness and eggnog flavor in your coffee.

Give these a try and let me know how you like them!

Holiday eating tips

I endorse these 10 holiday eating tips whole-heartedly!!!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it.

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Pecan. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like Pumpkin, have two apples and one Pecan. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Crush du Jour: Vinicus Naval

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

I haven't started my holiday cards yet, but I received my 1st Christmas card/photo already. Its from Tiger Woods and his lovely wife!

Fellow blogger Gallus made a video to wish his readers "Hunky Holidays", and I thought you guys would like it, too. Check out his blog for lot of great photos (many are NSFW) and other fun stuff.

"Family Ties" mom and Lifetime movie actress Meredith Baxter has come out as a lesbian. After being married (to men) 3 times and having 5 kids, she's apparently got it right this time and has been in a relationship for 4 years now. She was recently spotted on a gay cruise. Her announcement to Matt Lauer is here.

Those hirsute hotties known as Bearforce1 are back with a Christmas medley you won't want to miss. Enjoy!

Not one, but TWO friends sent me this photo because they knew I'd get a kick out of it: I've also seen it on at least 3 blogs that I read regularly. Great minds think a like.

On Tues the City Counsel for Washington DC (not a state) voted to extend marriage to same sex couples! Its not quite a 'done deal' though, as this article explains, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Thanks to Bob for turning me onto this funny yet simultaneously annoying video of Oprah screaming the names of celebrities she's introduced to her audience over the last 25 years. Its crazy!

Here's wishing everyone a terrific weekend.

Crush du Jour: Brent Banes

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Pouncer is continuing to respond well to the antibiotic injection he received last week. His eating and activity level are back to normal and his wheezing is almost gone.

The Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival is just a month away, and the catalog of films arrived last weekend. Film titles and descriptions are also available online. I can hardly wait! If you'd like to read my synopsis of past RBIFF screenings, click the "RB Indie Film Festival" tag on the lower left side of this screen, then add a few to your Netflix queue.

I think this video is great! Oddly, it makes me laugh and feel aroused at the same time.

Our longtime friends from VA Ron & James and Mike & Clark arrive this evening for their annual weekend with us. We scheduled this weekend months ago when we thought our addition would be complete and our house would be all put back together. We provided them with 'fair disclosure' and they decided to come anyway. Although the forecast is for chilly, rainy, windy weather, it should be a wonderful weekend of talking, laughing, and catching up. The Autumn Jazz Festival is also going on this weekend, and we are planning to catch a Sunday Jazz Brunch.

My friend Dick sent me this article which I found very interesting. The judge keeps asking the defenders of the gay marriage ban to "explain how allowing gay couples to wed threatens conventional unions". This makes so much sense! I applaud this judge and hope others will follow this lead in these cases.

What is it with stores and people rushing the holidays? Large department stores take down the Christmas decorations and then dress the mannequins in swimsuits. Try to find a bathing suit on 4th of July and you'll find racks and racks of winter coats instead. And what about people who send around Christmas emails when Halloween hasn't arrived yet? Seriously, what's up with that? Can we please not rush the holidays?

Thurs evening we met Steven & Thad and The Bobs for group trivia. I was both optimistic and leary since we came in 1st place 2 weeks in a row. Could we do it again? Well, we did!! 1st place ($25. off our food/beverage tab) for the 3rd week in a row!!

Then I came across this video and can't get it outta my mind! Its been making the rounds on Facebook and I think I've watched it about 687 times. I love the lead guy.

Have a terrific weekend!

Crush du Jour: Alex Castro

Big and long

What's big and long and gets me excited?

Our upcoming weekend, that's what! Its 'big' in the sense that we have several fun things planned, and 'long' in the sense that Spouse & I both have Mon off for Presidents Day. (Get your minds out of the gutter, girls.)

Our good buddies Bugs & Roger will be visiting us for the long weekend. They're due to arrive Fri around lunch time, and will spend the afternoon shopping at the tax-free outlets. When Spouse gets home and I finish work, the 4 of us will have a nice snack before we're off to the movies.

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society (of which I am a member) is having a mini GLBT film series this weekend, called 'Another Take'. We're going to see "Ciao" (trailers here) Fri night at 7:00, and then have dinner afterward. This film has been favorably review in OUT and The Advocate. Spouse & I have seen several other good gay films as a part of the 'Another Take' film series, so I have high expectations.

Our other good buddies Mike & Clark will also be in our neck of the woods this weekend. Every year they come with their pals Maurice & David for Presidents Day weekend, and stay at a friend's cottage in Rehoboth. Mike & Clark have invited Bugs & Roger and us to join them for lunch on Sat (location TBD), followed by cocktails and dinner Sat night at their cottage. We met Bugs & Roger through Mike & Clark, and we always have a great time together.

Sat also happens to be Valentines day, so I have ordered a dozen orange roses to be delivered to Spouse at his office today.

He loves cut flowers, especially roses, but does not care much for red roses, the universal symbol of love and Valentines day. So often I just send bouquets of various cut flowers for his birthday or our anniversary. But for Valentines day I always send roses, but ask the florist if they have any unusual colored roses. This year its orange. In past years I've sent lavender roses, which were stunning.I always send them to his office so his straight co-workers will see that gay couples behave very much like straight couples. Plus its just fun get flowers at work.

Sun at 2:00 we're going back to the movies to see "Mulligans" (trailers here). It was written by and stars Charlie David, an out gay actor (and former Crush du Jour) whom I like.

Charlie currently hosts the gay travel show called "Bump!" on Logo, starred in "Dante's Cove" on Here!, and has also appeared in "A Four Letter Word" and "Kiss the Bride", both of which are films we saw in past 'Another Take' film series. (Add both to your Netflix queue.) Gotta love our out gay actors!

The rest of Sun and Mon are open. Knowing Bugs & Roger, that time will be casually filled with coffee, laughter, reading, laughter, cocktails, laughter, food, laughter, relaxing, and laughter. Oh, and did I mention laughter?

Wishing all of you something big and long this weekend!

Crush du Jour: Scotty Thomson

Big Ella was a big hit, and saying goodbye to Christmas

Spouse & I decided to take Big Ella out for some exercise on Sat. We figured we could run a few errands while enjoying a leisurely ride. Big Ella was a big hit!

Our first stop was the gas station. As I was filling up her tank and adding the lead additive (cars made before catalytic converters and unleaded fuel need to have a lead additive), the older gentlemen at the next pump asked me what year she was. When I responded 1959 he said he was guessing 1960, then said it was nice to see old cars like that again.

After exiting the gas station and waiting at the traffic light, I noticed a guy in a Ford Ranger pick-up leaning across his passenger seat. He pulled a camera out of the glove box, rolled down the window, and took 2 pictures of Big Ella - from the passenger side of his truck!

Our next stop was K-Mart. (Of course I parked out in the middle of the parking lot where there were no other cars.) Spouse was looking for an insulated coffee mug and we thought we might find one there. As we we were about to step inside the store, a 12-year old looking boy said "What kind of car?", to which I replied "Cadillac, Sedan de Ville". He then asked "What year?", to which I replied "1959". His important questions answered, he simply summarized "Cool."

Next we drove into downtown Rehoboth Beach, where a fellow driver tooted his horn to get my attention and then mouthed the words "LOVE your car!" I mouthed back "Thank you." We drove down the boulevard, and then into the state park so we could see the ocean for a few minutes.

Not having found his insulated mug at K-Mart, our next stop was Walmart. Spouse also likes to get his herbal supplements there because they are less expense than at the vitamin stores. Again I parked Big Ella way out, away from all other vehicles. No one spoke to us about Big Ella at Walmart, but we saw a car load of teens/early 20s drive by and point at her in obvious admiration.

Our last stop was Home Depot. We had some Christmas gift cards to use and wanted to pick out a new shower head. Again, I parked Big Ella at the perimeter of the parking lot. As we were walking toward the store we passed a male customer pushing a cart toward his car. It appears he had seen us walking from where we'd parked her, and he was either cruising us big time, or wanted to say something about Big Ella. He never spoke to us, but his stares spoke volumes!

Once inside, a 'greeter' welcomed us to Home Depot then followed up by saying "That's a beautiful car. I'd park it way out there, too, if it were mine."
Literally everywhere we went we received questions and/or comments about Big Ella. It was almost like her 'debut'.

On Sun we took down and packed up all the Christmas home decorations, cards, tree, and mantel decorations. It was a little bit sad to say goodbye to Christmas for another year, and when we were finished, the house looked a little 'bare'. As usual, after gently pulling the Christmas cards off the ribbons hanging in the foyer, I briefly looked at each one and smiled as I thought about the friends who'd taken the time to send them. I mean, it does take time to address cards and write personal message inside, and I felt a real sense of happiness over the friends who took the time to send us a holiday greeting.

I never throw away Christmas cards. Ever. I just can't. Even though the practical person inside me knows I will most likely never look at these cards again, I just can not throw them away. Instead, I place them in an envelope and write the year on it, and place the envelope in the attic with the others. I have every Christmas card I've received since I began celebrating Christmas in 1993. I rationalize that one day I will learn of some fantastic project or re-use for these cards, and I will already have my supply ready and waiting for me, in the attic.

Do you save Christmas cards? Do you know of any re-uses for them?

Crush du Jour: Jakub Stefano

Happy New Year!

Crush du Jour: Eric Christian Olsen

New Year's Eve

I neglected to mention that Sun was my 4 year blogiversary! Hard to believe, but its true. What kind of gift does one give for the 4th year? According to this website its flowers, fruit, and appliances. Any and all virtual gifts will be warmly received and appreciated!

Well, its New Year's Eve and I am tempted to make a few resolutions. Most people speak disparagingly about New Year's resolutions, since most are not resolutions at all, but rather, wishful intentions that are forgotten within a week.

Here are the top 10 most frequent New Year's resolutions:

1. Diet
2. Quit smoking
3. Exercise
4. Quit drinking
5. Quit procrastinating
6. Save money
7. Go to church
8. Wake up early
9. Quit cursing
10. Read the newspaper

I, on the other hand, like to make a few resolutions each year that I really work to achieve. I also make sure my resolutions are measurable so I will know for sure I have accomplished them. "Stop procrastinating" is not a good resolution, as there is no real way to measure whether or not you've done this.

One year my resolution was to entertain on a regular basis. Spouse & I picked a weekend in every month and invited friends over for dinner both Fri and Sat nights. We did it, too, and had a LOT of fun. The dinners were often simple, and we ate casually in the kitchen instead of the formal dining room. It also forced us to do a really good/deep housecleaning once a month.

Another year my resolution was to sort, throw away, organize and file several bags/boxes of paperwork (ie: bank statements, paystubs, real estate documents, insurance documents, etc.) we had accumulated over several years. We did this, too, and will never again let our paperwork get out of hand. It was so frustrating to KNOW we had our car titles and birth certificates SOMEWHERE, but not be able to find them when we needed them.

This year my resolution is to enrich other peoples' lives (and my own) by doing something unexpected and nice for them, at least once a month for the entire year. Such random acts of kindness could include sending a friend a funny e-card for no special reason, sending Spouse flowers to his office for no special occasion, making cookies or brownies for a neighbor, donating to a charity, you get the picture.

Tonight Spouse & I are going to a New Year's Eve party at a friend's house, but I think we will sneak out at 11:30. Why would we leave a New Year's Eve party before midnight? Well, a neighbor told me that a neighbor on a nearby street rigs up his very own 'dropping of the ball' at midnight, and I want to see it! Apparently neighbors gather shortly before midnight to watch and enjoy this miniature replica of the famous Times Square event.

Whatever your plans tonight, I wish you a SAFE and FUN New Year's Eve celebration, and a...

I leave you with this.

Crush du Jour: Anton Antipov

Home Sweet Home

Ah, home at last.

We had a great Christmas with the family, but I am quite happy to be back home. Details tomorrow.

Crush du Jour: Patrick Warburton