Happy New Year

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.



A health to you, a wealth to you, And the best that life can give to you.



May your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want.



May the best of this year be the worst of next.

May you never lie, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in each other's arms. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink with all of us because we love you.



Love to one, friendship to many, and good will to all.

Happy New Year, friends. May the New Year always be better than the old.

December 12 of 12

Time again for 12 of 12, five years in the running and created by Chad Darnell. You can find links to other 12 of 12 blogs from around the world at his site.


All good intentions I had of making this an interesting 12 of 12 entry have gone out the window due to the flu or something striking our house. Scott came down with it first, then like always I followed suit a few days later. Ibuprofren, DayQuil, NyQuil ... we now own them all. So even though 12 of 12 fell on a weekend this time, I was housebound. Oh well.


Let's get on with it, shall we?


These pictures were all taken on Sunday, December 12, 2010 in a very specific section of Seattle, Washington. Our house, to be exact.

Changed my desktop image to a lovely winterscene. Images later of the blizzards in the Midwest made me wonder if I made something happen ...

HUGE amounts of rain today in Seattle. Yes, we have a reputation to uphold, but honestly, it rains more in Atlanta and New York on average than in Seattle, we just have more days of drizzly, misty gloom. Monsoons like this are unusual. This shot is of water overflowing our gutters and dumping down outside the guest room window.

Yes - we're well aware.

Kali loves to get up in Scott's chair in the office when I'm in there. She doesn't quite fit, since she's about 105 pounds. This picture is funny because she's not at all fat - very muscley - but this pose looks like she's got a big gut.

Nice winter adult beverages. Bailey's isn't good when you've got a congested head, but I tried some Amaretto, thinking it might clear the sinuses a bit. Eh. Went back to tea for a while.

Stoli asleep on her bed upstairs. She's about 14 years old and doesn't like being outside in the rain, so she stayed inside with me.

Uh oh. Water is coming into the basement. Had to move some things around. Luckily it all kept draining and nothing got ruined.

The Christmas tree. It took us four days to get it decorated, with work and illness and all. Its not tilting as much as it looks, I think the trunk is a little crooked. But I think it does need a little adjustment.

Good night for comfort food. Meatloaf it is. Didn't have any bread, so had to use stale sourdough English muffins for a binder. Worked pretty well, actually.

The way my Mom always made meatloaf - line the pan with bacon first. When it's about done, turn it over and out of the pan, then broil it to crisp the bacon. I can't eat it any other way!

Silver reindeer candlholder in the living room. Cool.

Dinner's ready. Mmmmm - health food!!

That's it. Happy 12 of 12! Please exit through the gift shop to your left.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays of every kind to you all. Until next month ...