Yes, I'm still here. I spent a week in LA and I need to do an update. But not today. Watch this space.

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I experienced my first true snow storm in almost two years this past week. We got about 5 or 6 inches. No great shakes, but when the biggest accumulation you've seen in the last 22 months was actually a hailstorm, it can be adrenalising. I started up the old Airens and cleared the driveway and walks. The new apron is nice and wide, flat, and smooth. But it's also about 60% larger. The blower ran out of gas and, of course, the gas can was empty. Luckily, I was nearly done with the drive, so I had no trouble getting out. And I was smart enough to use earplugs. I forgot how loud that little motor can be. All in all it wasn't too bad, especially since it was about 35F out there. Probably spent 90 minutes to 2 hours, including getting more gas. And the quick cold-patch repairs I made to the drive and the town's new sidewalk made it easier than I remember. Once is almost enjoyable, but I think the thrills are about done for the year.

And the best way to avoid the snow is to fly off to sunny Southern California! I'm going to visit Maggi and Nari (that's Erick to you, John) for their 25th anniversary. Can you think of a better gift? And as for sunny So-Cal, it's been raining there for about 40 days and 40 nights. It's already breaking annual rainfall totals in some areas. And LA is getting 3 more inches today. I hear it's supposed to clear up on Thursday, but that's because a cold front is moving in. When I visited a few years ago the high temps were in the 50's and the surf was about 10 feet. I think I'll plan a trip to the Gobi this August.

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Yes, it has been a week or two. I'll not bore you with the rest of the trip. Except that when I left Dublin I made sure I checked all the drawers and closets only to realise I didn't check all the drawers and closets in Mullingar. My leather UConn baseball jacket is being sent to me via An Post (Irish Post). At least I'll eventually have it back.

My flight home was incredibly uneventful, and Maggi arrived shortly after I did at the airport. Christmas was relatively uneventful, and very relaxing. The usual mix of family and friends. But even more sedate than the past. It wasn't a letdown. I think I needed it. And Lynne's annual New Year's party last night was a great time. The Christmas crackers I brought were an apparent hit. I base that on about a dozen adults still wearing their paper crowns at least 2 hours after they won their prize! And the New Year's poppers were even more pop-ular (sorry).

I think it's fair to say that I have actually made one resolution for 2005: get a job. No, really. A job. Feel free to forward any openings to this address. And as soon as possible I'll post a link to a PDF of my CV at the top of the page. Feel free to distribute it to anyone you think can use it.


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