Wednesday, December 28, 2005
A Few Thoughts On Christmas
The season this year had extra spice for me due to an unusual scheduling situation. A little more than a year ago I was scheduled for two weeks of vacation in the fall. I was awarded training on the 737 for the same time period so my vacation got wiped out. They asked me if I wanted to get the money for the vacation or roll the vacation into the next year (2005). And, since I’m a rich airline pilot, I chose the latter. That gave me five weeks of vacation for this last year. Try as I might, I just couldn't get vacation over Thanksgiving or Xmas. I was able to get the week after T-giving and another week seven days after that. When my schedule for December was put together, they hadn’t scheduled me for anything in between the vacation periods and in fact I had a few days off on either end. The net result was that I was off from November 27 through December 22. I will never have it so good again!
At the beginning of December, we made our way to Cleveland for a visit. It was my Uncle Jack's 60th B-day. We also wanted to take advantage of the fact that my mom and Uncle Bill would be there. As it turned out, my sister was there as well. It was the first time Lorna got to meet my Grandma and Uncles. Of course My grandmother is 93 so she met Lorna Several times that evening:
"Who's that?"
"That's my wife,Lorna. You met her earlier, grandma."
"Oh...Who's baby is that?"
"That's my baby; your grandson."
"Oh...Who's the mother?"
"She is."
"Who is She?"
"She's my wife, Lorna."
"Oh...Who are you?"
She comes and she goes.
My dad popped down to Phoenix for a little roofing this month. Actually we finished the job that we started in the fall. I ground through the tips of three fingers on my work gloves and a pair of jeans. Those asphalt shingles are brutal. It was hard work but 1700 shingles and 6800 nails later it looks damn good and we learned a lot. To be honest, the whole project was just another ploy to give me a reason to buy a roofing nail gun. I think I’m going to start a collection. And, while it may be a bit of a stretch, I believe the second amendment allows me the right to own as many nail guns as I want.
On or about the 16th we got an early Xmas present. It’s a new Christmas book called "How the Grinch Stoll Lorna's Bank Card Number and PIN." It’s a very fast read. Our copy only cost $2000 or so. The net result is that Lorna's Xmas is postponed until the first of the year. On the bright side, some piece of trash living in southern California had a fine Christmas at such places as Peter’s Spirits and Fredrick’s of Hollywood. So if you’re ever in L.A. and you see some women dressed in lingerie and drunk out of her mind…well…uh…It must be a day that ends in “Y”. I was fortunate enough to get my Xmas present prior to the “L.A. ho-bag” got Lorna’s number. It’s a metal cutting band saw! That’s right. Another tool in the quest to jeopardize my physical well being. If I can’t weld it or nail it, I’ll cut it off entirely. I think I should have that put on a t-shirt!
Christmas was a bit miserable. I have been away from home for many a Xmas but not with a little one at home. I know that he is far too young to care but, I am not. The thought of what I was missing made that day pretty sad. I finally got a break in Vegas and despite her lack of patience; I was able to get Lorna to briefly fire up the webcam so I could see him. I know it sounds simple but, it made my day.
We wrapped up the holiday season with a trip to the Bay Area. We saw Darren, Rochelle, Cole and Ally on New Years Day. It was fun but the highlight was when Dexter threw up on Rochelle. He really soaked her. He had just filled up and she had him on her lap. It turned out he was getting the stomach flu. It was his first illness. Of course, during the evening he also managed to get Lorna and me as well. We then went to my parents’s house. (We needed more targets) Dex threw up a few more times and sadly my Mom and Dad came down with the same thing the day after we left. My brother Dave got it the next day. Nothing like spreading Holiday Cheer.
Merry Christmas.
The season this year had extra spice for me due to an unusual scheduling situation. A little more than a year ago I was scheduled for two weeks of vacation in the fall. I was awarded training on the 737 for the same time period so my vacation got wiped out. They asked me if I wanted to get the money for the vacation or roll the vacation into the next year (2005). And, since I’m a rich airline pilot, I chose the latter. That gave me five weeks of vacation for this last year. Try as I might, I just couldn't get vacation over Thanksgiving or Xmas. I was able to get the week after T-giving and another week seven days after that. When my schedule for December was put together, they hadn’t scheduled me for anything in between the vacation periods and in fact I had a few days off on either end. The net result was that I was off from November 27 through December 22. I will never have it so good again!
At the beginning of December, we made our way to Cleveland for a visit. It was my Uncle Jack's 60th B-day. We also wanted to take advantage of the fact that my mom and Uncle Bill would be there. As it turned out, my sister was there as well. It was the first time Lorna got to meet my Grandma and Uncles. Of course My grandmother is 93 so she met Lorna Several times that evening:
"Who's that?"
"That's my wife,Lorna. You met her earlier, grandma."
"Oh...Who's baby is that?"
"That's my baby; your grandson."
"Oh...Who's the mother?"
"She is."
"Who is She?"
"She's my wife, Lorna."
"Oh...Who are you?"
She comes and she goes.
My dad popped down to Phoenix for a little roofing this month. Actually we finished the job that we started in the fall. I ground through the tips of three fingers on my work gloves and a pair of jeans. Those asphalt shingles are brutal. It was hard work but 1700 shingles and 6800 nails later it looks damn good and we learned a lot. To be honest, the whole project was just another ploy to give me a reason to buy a roofing nail gun. I think I’m going to start a collection. And, while it may be a bit of a stretch, I believe the second amendment allows me the right to own as many nail guns as I want.
On or about the 16th we got an early Xmas present. It’s a new Christmas book called "How the Grinch Stoll Lorna's Bank Card Number and PIN." It’s a very fast read. Our copy only cost $2000 or so. The net result is that Lorna's Xmas is postponed until the first of the year. On the bright side, some piece of trash living in southern California had a fine Christmas at such places as Peter’s Spirits and Fredrick’s of Hollywood. So if you’re ever in L.A. and you see some women dressed in lingerie and drunk out of her mind…well…uh…It must be a day that ends in “Y”. I was fortunate enough to get my Xmas present prior to the “L.A. ho-bag” got Lorna’s number. It’s a metal cutting band saw! That’s right. Another tool in the quest to jeopardize my physical well being. If I can’t weld it or nail it, I’ll cut it off entirely. I think I should have that put on a t-shirt!
Christmas was a bit miserable. I have been away from home for many a Xmas but not with a little one at home. I know that he is far too young to care but, I am not. The thought of what I was missing made that day pretty sad. I finally got a break in Vegas and despite her lack of patience; I was able to get Lorna to briefly fire up the webcam so I could see him. I know it sounds simple but, it made my day.
We wrapped up the holiday season with a trip to the Bay Area. We saw Darren, Rochelle, Cole and Ally on New Years Day. It was fun but the highlight was when Dexter threw up on Rochelle. He really soaked her. He had just filled up and she had him on her lap. It turned out he was getting the stomach flu. It was his first illness. Of course, during the evening he also managed to get Lorna and me as well. We then went to my parents’s house. (We needed more targets) Dex threw up a few more times and sadly my Mom and Dad came down with the same thing the day after we left. My brother Dave got it the next day. Nothing like spreading Holiday Cheer.
Merry Christmas.
// posted by Chris @ Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Friday, December 02, 2005
A Picture Share!
A Picture Share!
