As promised

The three-day weekend was just as awesome as I had anticipated. Filled with good things happening for several people I love, including Sunshine getting a job (in case some of you hadn't heard about that yet). Hooray!

Got out skiing all three days. None of them were long jaunts, but that's okay, because three days in a row, y'know? Aside from Puck repeatedly trying to kill himself on Day One, it was all good fun.

I love wine tastings. So glad so many of you were able to attend this time around! Came away from it convinced that Meritage wines are universally yummy, which will probably bite me in the ass someday. Throw in some Dominion and Rock Band and that was a darn good Saturday.

Ended up at Jax for Dad's retirement supper. I'd had a late, copious lunch, so I had all these good intentions about just getting soup and a salad. Which I did, but...somehow I don't think a bowl of dark, rich french onion soup topped with about half a pound of gruyere and a large Caesar salad (complete with anchovies) quite counts. Many thanks to J for calling to remind me about Book Club, because that was really fun and I'd've hated to have missed it.

Monday I skied and relaxed and made vichyssoise. Because if potato and leek soup is good, potato and leek soup with cream is even better. Then Puck and I went to a Surdyk's wine class on Bordeaux. The presenter was a former math teacher who showed us pictures from his vacation to France. It was seriously awesome. :-)

Definitely racking up some karmic debt these days, determined to enjoy it while it lasts.

Can it be the weekend now?

Slow day at work = slow day at work.

Especially when I have a three-day weekend coming up, chock-full of awesome plans. Cross-country skiing (providing the snow holds up to these warmer temps), wine-tasting party (hope to see many of you there!), meal with the folks (Dad has actually, really, honestly, you'll-never-believe-this, RETIRED! Today is his last day! I suspect his Friday is going even slower than mine), and the chat for Book Club in which we get to talk about dead bodies. Is it any wonder I'm impatient for it to start?

Best headline ever

One of my editing groups just put this up. It's from three years ago, so maybe the rest of you have seen it, but gosh it makes me happy.

Skywalkers in Korea Cross Han Solo

Winter

I continue to be absolutely amazed at the difference it makes for me to have windows at work during the winter. I was never dangerously affected by SAD, but it did make a difference in my life. But now? Winter is just cold, and the time when I get to go cross-country skiing instead of gardening.

The skiing helps tremendously too. Being able to get out and appreciate how beautiful winter is makes for a powerful mood tonic. Yesterday Puck and I went out to the Coon Rapids Dam, and there was a cardinal sitting in a branch just a few feet up off the ground, all fluffed up for warmth. So gorgeous against the snow and dark branches of underbrush. Today we're going to Bunker. After I beat my outa-shape self into some semblance of endurance, we'll hit the Arboretum.

Meanwhile I'm wishing I'd managed to sleep later. Dear self: When you are up until 2 a.m., it is not necessary to get up at 7:30. It really, really isn't. (And yes, I can imagine all of the parents reading this rolling their eyes about whining over 5.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep....)

Blogging. Right. I have a blog.

So, sort of skipped the month of December. And most of November. Oops?

Updates since then. Let's see....

I didn't succeed at NaNo this year. I had an awesome first weekend, and a pretty good finish, but there was a while in the middle there where I pretty much just stared at the glowy box and did nothing. That and my unwillingness to give up Wednesdays this year was too many days lost to make up for. I'm not too bothered by it though. I make up my own measures of success, and this year's novel was fun more often than it was frustrating -- that's good enough for me.

Puck and I took a mid-December long weekend up to Grand Marais and attempted downhill skiing. It was cold and the conditions weren't great since it was all fake snow, but still very fun! I was hoping I'd be a little better at it this time since we've been doing cross-country and it's been less than ten years since the last time I attempted downhill, but I think I was about the same. We visited the Ben Franklin, and ate at the Coho Cafe and the Gunflint Tavern. Also stopped at Gooseberry on the way up and admired the frozen falls. Neat.

Went to Chicago for Christmas. Stayed with Puck's family, but dropped by to see my sister and the nieces for a couple hours. Just long enough for the girls to give me a cold, which is inevitable anytime I come in contact with children who aren't afraid to climb on me. Must work on instilling necessary fear. Welcome suggestions that will not cause family rift. Sadly, even though the cold was minor, it brought a lingering cough that kept me from being able to stay for Iron Bartender on New Year's Eve. Woe! Still, I did get to show up long enough to see everyone and enjoy the lovely spread J and The Sexy Blonde put up (as well as No-Nick's hot buttered rum. Mmmmmmm).

Greatly enjoyed our December guests: first The World's Coolest Mother-in-Law, and then our very own much-missed Temp.

Finally got out cross-country skiing this past weekend, despite the high temperature of 1°. Yay! Looking forward to doing more, hopefully with slightly warmer days and healthier lungs.

The most exciting bit is probably that we bought our plane tickets for the trip to China next October. Wheeee!!!!

No New Year's resolutions. I never keep them anyway.