I'm Having Christmas at George Clooney's House

This is probably the most beautiful Christmas tree I've ever seen for sale. I truly wish I had one for a special corner in my room.



It's that beautiful time of year. Shame I've been stuffed up for most of it so far. Sucks that the weather change is taking all season to get here at the last moment, but I guess that's Texas for you.

I learned how to play Oh Christmas Tree, and Little Drummer Boy on guitar. I love learning to play carols on my guitar.. playing them slow, listening to them like half forgotten memories and beautiful briefly remembered dreams.

I've been celebrating with egg nogg, and hot chocolate, and I even made some wassail already this season, extra warm and soothing. A good hot happy beverage is always important when contemplating the mixed blessings of Christmas commercialism and the machine that somehow generates togetherness via large dollar amounts. That and they just make you feel warm inside on cold nights with a blanket and the only lights on in the house are the christmas tree lights while the cats hide in the branches.

Have You Been Half Asleep...

I didn't think I was going to be able to get a Christmas Tree this year, things have been pretty tight because of medical bills. Matt's brother was getting a new tree this year and so this one was available for me. It is a wonderful tree, and I am proud to have it. The ornaments came from Matt's family, they are glass ornaments that they bought while they were living in Germany. It is a good year, and it is a good life.

I've been spending some more time over at my dad's house. Enjoy the product of our labors:

Behold, the ribs are finished and we have begun planking the ship! One on each half so far, and more to follow till she has a beautiful wooden hull! Well.. a wooden hull! Well... a glue hull with some wood flecks in it! The ratio of glue to wood really remains to be seen. Guess we'll know after a few more planks are attached.

Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

Thank you Pandora for making holiday music for my living room easy.
Thank you Netflix for putting so many holiday specials in one place.

It's going to be a Merry Christmas.

Cranberry Sauce, It's not just for Thanksgiving Anymore

It's criminal.. I had never made home made cranberry sauce before. I had no idea how delicious it could be. Crazy and sweet and tangy and robust and just downright amazingly delicious. And easy.

12oz Cranberries
1 1/2c Sugar
1tsp Allspice
11oz Can of Mandarin Oranges
1c chopped pecans
1/4c Port wine

Mix all the ingredients except the port wine together in a sauce pan and cook at medium low heat till all the cranberries have burst in the sauce. More sugar can be added for a sweeter sauce, less for a tarter sauce, though 1 1/2c will be pretty tart, so more sugar is a little more likely. Once the berries have popped, remove from heat, stir in the Port, and chill till ready to serve.

It was one of the real highs of my thanksgiving. I really wanted to share it.



I hate people. Especially friends. Know what a friend is?

A friend is someone who puts a portal over an acid pit and then waits till you're standing still on a portalable surface to put the other portal under your feet and drop you to your death. That's what a friend is.

Fuck friends.