Life

New Year's Eve. A night I used to look forward to with great anticipation. Now I look forward to it for different reasons, having friends over for a nice meal and some cocktails. This year it's the neighbors coming over for a standing rib roast. I'm on the clock to make sure its not too well done.

My New Year's resolutions include the following:

• Having a healthy baby
• Losing weight and working out again
• Getting to Las Vegas and/or Key West

I'm drinking a Dark & Stormy right now and it always reminds me of Key West. It has Gosling Rum and Ginger Beer in it and I drank a few of them at the Schooner Wharf during my sailing class/vacation. I love Key West. Great restaurants, great bars and a great attitude. I suspect if Sarah wasn't due in February we would have gone down for a few days.

Well, Merry Christmas. Not any of this Happy Holiday stuff that is so prevalent nowadays. The Briggs family had a good one. We had both Sarah's family and my family in town and everyone had a good time. Henry of course is one spoiled little boy. I will post some photos of him but he made out pretty well. His favorite toy was a racetrack that Aunt Katie got him but I think his Buckeye helmet and Carson Palmer jersey were right behind.

Now its that "trap week" of work that happens every year, the period between the end of a legislative session and the beginning of a new one. In other words, its slow.

It doesn't look like I'll be going to watch the Buckeyes kick Florida's butt out in Arizona. I still have a flight but no tickets have landed on my desk. Oh well, I'll enjoy it a lot more probably watching it in my living room on the HDTV.

Honey-Baked Ham. These guys are printing money right now. We stopped by the one at Easton today and there was a line 30 deep outside the place. In the pouring rain. We ended up eating next door and Sarah got in line when it wasn't raining. Of course, Henry and I looked out and at one point it looked like it was coming down pretty hard. But she got the ham and everyone should be happy come Christmas Eve.

Today I attended my neighbor Shake's citizenship swearing-in. It was a nice ceremony and we have 51 new citizens as a result. It really is a great process and everyone should have to go see it sometime. It makes you proud that people are willing to renounce citizenship from the country they were born to become Americans.

I know Shake was happy and I am happy for him.

Here's my only complaint. When the ceremony was set to begin, some lady said "stop, my husband is not here". I understand that her husband would want to be there but the administrators held up the entire program so that she could go out and find her dumb ass husband who apparently didn't have the ability to show up on time. I'm sure he needed a cigarette or something but it always burns me up that they will delay a flight or something for one or two people, inconveniencing a lot for a few. I've missed connecting flights because of this. When the guy ended up coming in, it looked like he had just left a bar, tie undone, disheveled.

But I guess this is the American way. Accommodate the lowest denominator at the expense of those who found a way to be in the courtroom on time and ready for the show.

of hair. I miss hair in my eyes. Henry wants a Buckeye helmet for Christmas. I think he'll get one.

Santa made a surprise appearance at the neighbor's house last night. Look closely and you may recognize him. Okay, its pretty tough to tell but it sure looks like me. We bought a Santa suit last year after Christmas for a big discount and who knew it would come in so handy? I got the idea from my mom and dad, who used to dress up for their friends kids and it was fun. I don't think any of the kids knew, not even Henry.

Chicago is a windy city. I went there today and when I arrived it was rainy. I can't ever remember it being nice there during the winter time. It's either windy, rainy, snowy, cold whatever but this afternoon it actually got nice enough to walk around a bit on Michigan Avenue and buy some things at the Disney Store. I enjoy Chicago a lot but not so much when you go in and out in one day for a meeting. I like the restaurants, the people, the atmosphere. You just can't beat the Midwest for friendly people.

I've been deficient in blogging lately. I guess there just haven't been any great photos or anything exciting going on here. We are going to the circus in the morning so maybe I'll put some elephant pics up, no donkeys.