I'm surprised but happy to find that instead of a post-Christmas let-down I'm feeling kind of jazzed. All went pretty well, and I'm glad it's over, but I'm satisfied that everyone is satisfied. The exception is B. I'm concerned - he's not improving near as rapidly as I thought he would. Today is day 13 of him being basically flat on his back. We go to the chiropractor today - this is 3 days in a row - and he will feel way better when he's done with therapy and adjustments, but then is in pain by the time we get home from riding in the car. No doubt he is improved from when it all happened, but not all that much.

Please keep him in your prayers. If you don't currently pray, please start!

I was really worried about Christmas. I was getting the feeling that it was very stressful for everybody and that all would be better off if we just called the whole thing off, had a pizza and enjoyed each other's company. I'm still not sure maybe that would be the best idea, but at least I'm getting closer to in the mood.

I put up outside lights and the whole time I was doing it (even though this was back when it was warm enough outside to work in a t-shirt) I was borderline PO'd about it. Nobody was making me do it, but I felt pressure about it, if you know what I mean. However, now that they are up I'm really getting a lot of pleasure out of them. Same with the tree. It was way messed up from last year (artificial tree, of course), and it was a giant hassle to get it back to where it was. One of those things where it seems exactly the same as last year but took me HOURS to get it there.

Also I have a wife that is a fifth grade teacher. She is a very lovely lady, and she has some really endearing attributes (maybe from being around 10 year ilds all the time), and is also excited about getting out of school for two weeks, plus she really loves Christmas and her family, etc. That is a big help. Plus she works her butt off at home, shopping, etc. I'm blessed.

But still, it is a strange year. My dad died this past June. Actually, since he was 96 and not doing so well anymore, it was a blessing. But I'm having episodes of that real strong, poignant, painful nostalgia ... not necessarily about dad ... but just lots of memories. Come to think of it, I always have that this time of year. So, either this year is not strange or ALL years are strange. Christmas songs on the radio are very powerful catalysts for this. Holy smokes, I can be just regular old normal, click on the radio and next minute be on the verge of tears, with a flood of memories that span five decades.

So what I hope will happen is that as I go through the motions being as genuine as possible and doing it all the best I can, I'll have a moment where I can for just one instant really connect with those that mean everything to me and that they will know with total clarity that there is one person on this earth who loves them so deeply, so completely, so unconditionally, that they will never be alone, never be without a safe place, never be without a support person to call.

But sometimes that magic moment is pretty elusive and I just have to trust that they know. I'm pretty sure they do.

Now if I feel that strongly and am capable of loving that much, and if God is way better at this than I am, well, then, I figure I'm gonna be ok in the end. And so will you. If the next 50 years go as fast as the last 50, I'll be checking out of here in about 20 minutes, so that is an important point. It's hard to imagine that while I was in a bad mood putting up the damn Christmas lights that I was IN REALITY being an instrument of God's love. But it is true.

Next blog I'll try to lighten up some. It being Christmas and all. Ho Ho Ho!

My car got broken into last night. More on that in a moment.

Susan and I went to the St. X - Trinity game last night. This is a high school football game, but it was for the state championship. If you aren't from Louisville you will think that is completely asinine, and you'd be right. It was her idea - but I was for it. All of our best friends are SO into this you wouldn't believe. People from New Albany, who act normally and sensibly about high school football games, would never understand. But this is not the point of the story.

Those of you in Texas may have forgotten what it is like to be cold. I must have forgotten as well. I wore zillions of layers of clothes, scarfs, ear-cover things, etc. I even took a sneaky little flask full of good old Jack Daniels along for the ride. I was actually cocky about it ... being ready for the cold, etc. I was an idiot. 1st quarter was fun, 2nd quarter tolerable. By halftime I was really cold and by the 4th quarter I was really, truly, miserable. I had this scarf wrapped around my face (actually Susan wrapped it for me, I was frozen in the "too cold to do anything but hug myself" pose) and everytime I breathed I would completely fog up my glasses. Anyway, the game ends, St. X loses (I was for St. X) ... but I am friggin ECSTATIC (because I am drunk) that after only 89 miles of hiking back to the car I can turn on the heat. This is one of those really fun little tricks God plays on us when we least expect it. Ha Ha!

When we got to the car we got THE SURPRISE .... someone had smashed my passenger side window in .... and stole Susan's purse! Yes, I am aware that we should have put it in the trunk. Yes, we USUALLY put it in the trunk. But not tonight.

To make a long story short, after many phone calls and conversations with Police officers who calmly explain that this MUST be reported ONLY by UofL campus police, we finally get the report filed. In the meantime we are calling the bank and credit card companies to discover that the thieves are not only GIANT ASSHOLES for doing this to us, they are MORONS as well. Are they buying plasma TV's and snappy new waredrobes? NO. They are out and about using our debit and credit cards at KRISPY CREME DONUTS. That's not all .... they've been to Speedway Gas Station FIVE TIMES and to Captain D's for some fried fish. And I thought I was an idiot!

Well, needless to say, I'm standing out in the cold through all of this, freezing my ass off. But, interestingly, I discover that I'm not really all that bugged about it. I realize that if something does not require a trip to the emergency room, with episodes of pain and vomiting, and subsequent long hospital stays, and even way longer recovery periods, that now, to me, it is merely INCONVENIENT.

Now, let me say that this is just as big a revelation to me as the idea about chores. Keep in mind that now I have to change all the locks on my house and Susan's car, get all new cards, get her a new driver's license, get my car window fixed, wrestle with the insurance company, etc., AND live with the paranoia that these shits are gonna show up at my house and try to steal my car and Christmas presents. (Of course none of that will happen since they are busy wiping Krispy Creme Donunt goo off their faces and then breaking into another car - but I can't take a chance.)

Now, in times past this would have been a very BIG DEAL. I'd have spend untold amounts of time feeling sorry for myself and crying the blues. But the truth is, it really is only inconvenient. Everyone please pause for a moment of enlightenment as the truth of this sinks deep into your innermost being.

Of course, I'm buying a gun and if those Krispy Creme eating M***** F*****s show up at my house, they'll get a dose of all the INCONVENIENCE me and Jack Daniels can stir up for them. Then THEY can try the old emergency room, et. al. experience for themselves, and know where I'm comin' from!

Ha Ha!