Catching Up. Aaah, the holidays! I actually have a few moments to breathe now. What's been going on in my life lately? Oh, a bit. Acting class has finished, the second level of improv class has ended, and I have started taking a bi-weekly stand-up class at Laff's comedy club. I also auditioned for (and unfortunately did not get) a spot on a student improv team. I know what I need to work on to improve at improv, and I am going to take the third class starting in January. I am also the chairman of the Board nominating committee at church, and we are putting a list of candidates together for the general meeting on January 9th. I'm also still acting as an usher coordinator, working hospitality, and working at my shop 6 days a week.
Had a nice quiet Christmas with Dad. We just spent time at home, watching movies, walking the dogs and eating lots of cookies chocolate and cold cuts. It was a nice break. Next Friday I'm having a New Years Eve party at my house and then Saturday it's time to take inventory at the shop.
Never really got into the wholesale holiday spirit, even though I overdosed on holiday entertainment, including "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "A Muppet Christmas Carol," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "A child's Christmas in Wales (a very nice play at Albuquerque Little Theatre,) and "Elf."
Actually had a real Christmas tree this year, and getting it was an adventure. Karen and I went into the Manzano mountains on the 12th and cut our own Christmas trees. This would be no big deal if we just drove up in a pick up or SUV and threw the trees in the back of the vehicle. Instead, we took Karen's little Hyundai! We had to stop and put cable chains on her tires, and we crept up the mountain, trying not to get crushed by all the trucks and SUVs speeding past us. It was cold, windy and there was a good amount of snow on the ground (about 6" to 12" off the road). We found two nice trees and proceeded to tie them to the roof of the Hyundai. About halfway through the tying, I noticed that we had also tied the car's front doors shut. So, we had to crawl in the car via the back seat, and literally slide into the front. We had to crawl back out to take the chains off! We had a great time, laughed a lot and it was really the highlight of the holiday season. My tree looks great in the house, and I definitely want to do it again next year.

You're a Good Show Charlie Brown! Went to the preview night of A Charlie Brown Christmas down at Gorilla Tango last night. It expands on the classic TV show by adding about 3 new musical numbers written by John Kallman. The new numbers are fantastic! I especially liked Pig Pen's very touching song, and "You're a blockhead, Charlie Brown," sung by Violet and Frida. The kids are all great, Pig Pen is a wonderful singer, and each kid is perfectly suited to their roles. It really is like the cartoon come to life. This will warm your heart and will put you in the holiday spirit. PLEASE go see this show. It's only 6 bucks and you'll love it!

Full Scrooge Ahead. Having a lot of trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year. Maybe it's because there's so many other things going on, at least from a mental and emotional perspective. Tonight is Holiday Stroll in Old Town, and of course, I've got to keep the store open, smile and be nice to people who spill hot chocolate on my books and floor! It's usually one of our best business days in December, so maybe that will help. I've bought both the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on DVD, thinking they'd get me in the spirit. I've watched both, but not so much, so far. I'm going over to Karen's tomorrow night to watch "Muppet Christmas Carol." We'll see if I can de-Scrooge!

Quick Random Thoughts: I bought myself a new bicycle on Tuesday, a hybrid Giant Cypress, and I got it cheap too! Way better than my old bike.
Watching a lot of old 60's spy movies lately, but not James Bond. The Coburn "Flint," films, "Modesty Blaise," and several more obscure euro titles like the gritty spaghetti western style thriller "Moving Target" starring Ty Hardin, Michael Rennie and Gordon Mitchell. A real gem! This new interest is thanks to a great book I picked up call "The Eurospy Guide" by Matt Blake and David Deal. Great book on a little talked about genre. Got to go to work. More later.