Refreshing young talent

I am absolutely in love with her work, and she's such a cool woman to have around the neighborhood.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Yesterday, Jeff's birthday came and went without any Celtic's tix or knit sweaters. We did have a great brunch with Solveig, after he slept in without worrying about the kid and the dog (the ultimate gift these days). He had a nice day, and Solveig and I cooked him a tasty piece of steak for dinner, a sure way to his heart. The big challenge was making sure he felt young, but that was simple - it snowed! I haven't blogged much lately, largely because I've been sort of busy, but mostly because sometimes my two cents just seem like, well, two cents. Very discouraged about healthcare (why don't we just concentrate on getting and keeping the costs down), the new-old war (seriously, 30, ooo more troops, just horrible), and the world's fascination with Tiger Woods and his affairs - who the heck cares, we're all adults here, right? So not anyone's business, let alone everyone's. But instead of ending this post on a negative note, I will share that my Christmas shopping, or should I say "clicking" is completely finished, tree is up, and Jimmy Smith's Christmas album is on continuous play most nights beginning at 5pm. Nothing keeps the spirit inspired like holiday music. I even like the pop cheesy stuff, in the same way that I like Budweiser, few and far between, but always welcome in a back to reality sort of way.