Been some chilly ass couple of weeks around here, it’s actually been freezing at night until the sun comes up--very wintery except with amazing tropical birds at the kitchen window and ripe oranges to pick in our backyard. This weather really gets me in the mood for Christ!mas in snowy Montana although I will need many, many more layers there. It’s weird that in the desert you can be freezing and wearing a coat and scarf but it’s never a question that it’s still totally comfortable to wear sandals or flip-flops. A scarf and flip-flops make up the best outfit ever and are somehow considered completely socially acceptable at work and in bars. I often feel like a hipster refugee and yet I fit right in.

We went to L.A. for turkey day to visit the sister & brother-in-law and their two babies, had fun, went to the beach, ate plenty and caught the deadly baby flu from hell. Just finally getting over it this weekend, thank somanygods. Between blowing my nose and wrapping gifts I’ve used a ridiculous amount of paper products and am certain that at this point if I didn’t use any toilet paper in 2006 I’d just barely break even.

In four damndays I’m taking seven glorious days off work to spend several not so glorious days with my family and I absolutely cannot wait. Sweets, scotch, snow and all creature comforts are exactly what I crave and even some Salt Lake City layover discomfort can’t discourage me.