The Myth & The Majesty

There are very few years where I want to wish the past year a good riddance. However, this hasn't been like past years. The first three-quarters went pretty well. I mean, I spent time in Texas, China, and Colorado. I got to drive to the Hills for a week. I did some geocaching and some kayaking. There were only four weddings the whole year long. Then came September 30th. Now I sit at my parents' house, prepping for a party that may or may not happen thanks to iffy weather, bracing myself for a completely unexpected year. In some respects, I'm starting from rock bottom. Heck, in most respects. Clean slate. Nowhere to go but up. Just a matter of making up my mind and getting on with it. Normally at this stage, I have lyrics typed up and some kind of message to bow out on. This year? Nothing. Not a thing. Nothing inspirational or wry to say except that dang, I have a lot of work to do. Stay safe, all, and happy New Year.

Too much sleep. Shopping. Kimchi. Guitar Hero. Psych. Pictures. Raspberry truffles. Good day.

The last three days have been understandably interesting. For our first Christmas Eve, we did a little gingerbread house planning, the normal church stuff, and then invaded some relatives for a seafood boil. (Which may or may not have involved losing a fair amount of shrimp when my uncle tripped over something and spilled most of the soup pot on the garage floor.) Since Mia Sorella got home late Christmas night, we actually "did Christmas" yesterday instead. Saturday was spent in prep -- lots of cooking and the construction of a new gingerbread house. The last was the cathedral. Huge and time-consuming. This was a simple cottage ... We bucked family tradition and downsized, big-time. Hansel and Gretel, complete with a witch in a window. Which you can't see here because I have very few shots from other angles that aren't annoyingly blurry. Mia Sorella arrived on time and our second Christmas Eve was late but fun. Christmas Day 2 was appropriately action-packed. ...

Snowflakes on branches and streetlights and sidewalk Pedestrians who smile and cross in the crosswalk Old flannel shirts that are comfy and snug Gingerbread Coffeemate added to my mug... Dressing up for parties and wearing tall shoes Music that helps to shove off the blues Getting my shopping done well before spring These are a few of my favorite things When the car stalls When the flight's delayed When I'm road-raging mad I simply remember my favorite things And then I don't feel so bad... Candy we've made all by ourselves Stacks of presents put there by elves A gingerbread house built by us all Griswolds on TV singing "Deck The Halls"... Family meeting for the first time in a year Come hell or high water, we'll all be here Stories to tell late into the night As soon as Mia Sorella is done with her flight... So from here I say Enjoy your Christmas Day As we plan to do... And from all of us gathered at home A merry Christmas t...

This weekend was -- fantastic. Exhausting, as expected. It started on Friday with the trek to Wausau. Some time at Red Eye before a dance, then a couple more stops with the Admiral before crashing for the night. I woke up in a strange place on Saturday morning, narrowly avoiding a wake-up call from a highly energized ... Shi Tzu? I'm not actually sure what breed of dog it was. It was exuberant, though. Lunch at the Mint, one more pint at Red Eye, and then came an afternoon of dinner prep at the house of our hosts. A fabulous party followed. Crashed around 3AM, occasionally awaking to find a cat pawing at my (hidden-under-a-blanket) head. Sunday was brunch, some relaxing time, dinner with Emma Jean and her husband, and then the short trek to Minneapolis. And Monday was ... The Drive. Egads. What did I learn this weekend? I learned that Edgar, the family cat, seems to have tempered my allergic reactions to small furry animals a bit. I learned that the Admiral and ...

I'm in Wausau right now (for a couple more hours) and while I've had a fairly noteworthy and fun weekend ... My good buddy Andy and his wife Kajda (she's a friend, too -- I've just known Andy for a few years longer) recently moved to Seattle and shortly thereafter found out that Kajda was pregnant. (They also bought a house. It's been a big year.) Little Jonah was born this past week ... 15-1/2 weeks early. He is in the NICU in Tacoma, Washington, and if you're the praying type, it'd be great if you remember them from time to time. They could use all sorts of support.

Count Rugen: Are you coming down into the pit? Westley's got his strength back. I'm starting him on the machine tonight. Humperdinck: Tyrone, you know how much I love watching you work, but I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder and Guilder to frame for it; I'm swamped. Count Rugen: Get some rest. If you haven't got your health, then you haven't got anything. One of my favorite random Christmas things? The fact that major networks and cable channels alike start playing movies every evening instead of their usual programming.

Lassiter: I hate snow globes. Shawn: Huh. That's strange, because my psychic sense told me specifically that snow globes didn't give you nightmares of being trapped in a clear ball with snow that burned your skin off. Perhaps we didn't get the eighteen inches of snow that Minneapolis did (if you're either anti-Vikings or just pro-humans-failing-against-physics, check out the Metrodome roof video ), but yesterday's snowfall and accompanying wind was enough to close the interstate for a few hours and strand us at home for most of the day. Today, it looks a lot more like December. December in eastern South Dakota, that is: eight inches of snowfall = five foot drifts + large grassy spots. Lovely. The strandedness of yesterday wasn't such a bad thing, at least for me. I wasn't in much of a mood to move. At all. Let me tell you a story. On Friday morning, I woke up at Storm. Within a couple of hours, I was on the road, with a stop at the ranch to...

There is a firm, consistent truth in my life that says that when I come out here -- whether it's for a weekend or a week -- I will leave exhausted. Mentally, physically, emotionally exhausted. For that matter, I suppose the same was true for every summer I spent here and the entire four and a half years that I lived here. (I went back to my parents' house and slept 10-12 hour nights for the first week after graduation. It was weird.) This week looks like it will end in the exact same way. It's the hours (I stayed up talking to my former boss' wife until after two this morning), the tasks I came here to do (grad school apps), the mental switch from my last visit (high-and-mighty engineer) and this visit (doing the modern-day gypsy thing). The exhaustion isn't necessarily a bad thing. I've accomplished things I probably wouldn't have in Sioux Falls. I've regained some of my sanity in the process, gotten a few things sorted out in my head, and general...

... I've had way too much coffee this morning. This always happens when I come out here. Started with a couple cups with my grandparents over breakfast. Now I'm at Bully Blends. If I don't end up back here this afternoon, I'll still have another cup or two when I get out to Storm. Ridiculous, but I love the stuff. It's good to be back even if it's only for a few days. Somehow I'd forgotten how much I liked this town. [I feel like there should be a rant coming up regarding drivers in various places. No time now.] Okay. Must pack up. Gotta go meet my former boss for lunch and some grad school discussions. Somehow I doubt I'd be so nervous if I wasn't so hopped up on caffeine. Poor planning on my part.

Headed west for a few days. And boy, does it feel good.

[Does that title make anyone else think of "Fiddler on the Roof"? I blame the Admiral. Jerk.]  My alma mater is a school steeped in tradition. It's pretty small (2500ish students) and populated by people that just don't generally get worked up over most things. There are things that go on there that you just simply can't get away with most places. Freshmen get beanies at the beginning of the year. Seniors make them sing. (Well, "make" is putting it strongly. Usually if a freshman is singing it's mostly by choice, and that senior is a previous acquaintance. I could still sing you the song, too ... but I won't.) There's a homecoming picnic that involves sliding down a concrete "M," mud "volleyball," and consuming mildly covert beverages. And seniors wear these. This is my senior hat. Ain't it lovely? Okay. Let me explain the parts of a Hardrocker's senior hat. 1. The hat is constructed of leather (the brim...

Gus: New rule. From now on, any cover story or fake I.D. must be run past me and approved... Shawn: Approved. Gus: ...In writing, three days in advance. Shawn: Gus, you're kidding, right? Gus: No, Shawn; I need the proper amount of time to concoct my alter ego that best complements yours in a situation. Shawn: I don't know where I'm going to be living in three days. Gus: That's the deal, Shawn. Take it or leave it. . . . Shawn: [introducing Gus to a stranger] So, he is a pharmaceutical salesman who moonlights at his psychic detective agency. And once, at camp, he wet his pants. It's possible that my love of this show is bordering on obsession, but there you have it. I'm off to hang out with real live people for a few hours. Maybe that will help.

Shawn: Half a mile from the nearest road! Gus: No wonder it's in parentheses. Three months ago I lived six miles from work. Everywhere I went required no fewer than three stoplights. Now, I live six miles from ... everything. There are generally more than three stoplights to deal with, but not till I get through a couple miles of gravel first. Hey, my gas mileage has gone up considerably. So that's nice. All the same, what's been stranger than being home has been holding still for so long. Luckily, December holds a couple of road trips. One to Rapid City so that I can get some school stuff accomplished (oh, the paperwork...) and one to Wausau for fun -- a dance, a Christmas party, at least one Red Eye outing, and the less-fun part of a carload of stuff that needs to come back. Two carloads, really. Which just means another trip will be in order in a few more weeks. It's amazing how much more normal I can feel when I consider going on a road trip. I miss th...

It only seems natural that my attitude yesterday was followed with a headache most of this morning. And eyes that suddenly object to me being around a cat. (My allergies have been surprisingly calm for the last month.) Truth be told, I'm just going to be annoyed today. Although the countdown has begun, I feel decidedly Scrooge-y this week. There's plenty to look forward to, and I have more than enough to keep me busy all month long. I'm not bored, broke, or lacking in friends. I've finished half my Christmas shopping. I'm going to see my sister in a few short weeks for the first time in a year and a half. So ... what's up with today?