Popularity: 1% [?]

Well, shit.

Popularity: 1% [?]

i’m back from our newly-annual yuletide pilgrimage to michigan ready to settle down and hibernate in front of the tv for a few days before new years’ madness.

a tv season on dvd is a beautiful thing. i like to binge on huge episode chunks at a time. for christmas, melissa got me season one of “weeds” and i can’t wait to begin cramming the fat, meaty goodness down my throat.

i was not into the last season of “lost” as much as was into the first two, and i blame a lot of that on the fact that i watched each week and didn’t do the full season experience as i had the first two, on dvd. i am wondering if a purchase of season three and revisiting the show in a big block will get me more excited about the upcoming new season.

i have the current, abbreviated season of “heroes” waiting for me, DVRed, but for whatever reason, i seem to be dragging my feet in committing to watch it. ditto for “desperate housewives” – though it’s not really in the same league as “heroes”, methinks, when it comes to actual quality televised entertainment.

see you in the spring. or a couple days.

Popularity: 1% [?]

made an executive decision not to come home for christmas this year. after all, i’ve only been here for about four months; hardly enough time to settle in, really. i seem to be becoming rather absorbed in the day-to-day of living in Nankoku. a good sign, i think, on a whole.

most of the other gaijin gave buggered off, though. gone back to their respective countries, or taken random east asian holiday tours in an effort to compensate for the loss of a family christmas. the few that remained and i went up to a cabin in the mountains just north of kochi with some japanese friends. everybody made or brought good food, and a beautifully chill evening ensued.

the next morning we all drove out to the rock green cafe in aki. it’s owned by a friend of a friend, who was nice enough to let us have the whole place for christmas. live music, crazy cappucino drinks with designs drawn into the foam, and another table full of amazing food–mostly traditional stuff from all our respective countries. spiced sweet potatoes, red wine cranberry sauce, british christmas pudding, swedish glugg. we ate by candlelight and i spent the rest of the evening talking holiday traditions with my british and aussie colleagues, fielding and making phone calls to family and friends. magical.

so there it is. no tree, no presents (though to be fair, i did get a tartan pencil from craig, and i’m told the family will mail something out here eventually)–just some good food, good music, good conversation, and good company.

it’s more than enough.

Popularity: 1% [?]

christmas was grand and lovely. now, two days after, my family is starting to make me insane. i have not had a single moment until now by myself and i am going out of my freaking mind.

more later, once i am not ready to gnaw my own limbs off.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Rocking my daughter to sleep tonight, she gave me a wonderful present. Not the warm, stinky kind she gave me when she awoke this morning. No, this was really quite sweet. Rocking in the dark with her in my arms, she started making these little lip-popping and squeaking sounds—gentle, quiet, cute noises. I made a few sounds back to her and soon we were engaged in this lengthy conversation of just pops and squeaks in the pitch-black room.

It was beautiful.

At roughly thirty pounds, she’s starting to get a little big to lay in my arms and rock. Amy cleared out the dresser of little blankets and clothes too small. She’s just moved to a booster over the old, reliable highchair tray. I know all too well that soon all the remaining vestiges of babyhood will be gone as she grows up. But tonight she was my little baby girl, rocking in my arms.

Thank you, Rebekah, for that wonderful gift.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Christmas is upon us. I’ll be on the east coast soon, celebrating with family.

But this year things are hectic, family has become more critical than ever — the focus of the trip is not the presents or decorations or rituals. This year it is seeing and spending time with family.

It is easy to say that this is always the focus; the difference this year is that it is the only item on the table. My parents are stressed and busy; I’m unclear if there is even a tree. I suppose there might not be. And that’s ok with me. But all of this coupled with the weird feeling that the holiday snuck up on me this year and I wonder if I’ve just grown up a bit more, if I am a bit more worn from my day-to-day schedule to be able to enjoy the countdown to presents and vacation.

I don’t mind, but I’m not used to celebrating the season this way. I’m not clear on how to revel in it when I am so entrenched in work and life, when I can’t seem to make time slow down the way I could ten or twenty years ago, when Christmas presents sat out for a week or more, when anticipation drove me insane, when I spent all my free time shaking and feeling and sorting every present, delighted at the puzzle.

This year will be something different for my entire family. I’m very much looking forward to it — ultimately, it will be the best of all worlds. But it’s odd when the yearly routine disappears.

And because I can announce it, I have gotten my first present this year. From my manager, I am the proud owner of the 8bit tie now.

And that is not me modeling it. But you get the idea.

Popularity: 2% [?]