expanding waistlines - expanding family

This is a feature on my pregnant daughters 

-(Devin and Kelly at 4.5 months)-

-- & Alyssa

-(Braden and Amanda at 8 months)-

-- & Griffin

birthday

I turned 53 the day after Christmas.  The mob went to dinner with me - and I selected Benihana for lunch, followed up at Muldoon's Irish Pub for a dessert of trifle (one of my very favorites). It may sound like a strange combo for a meal, but I'm not exactly "normal", so it's ok.

I know it's a motley looking crew...and it took some effort to eat more on the day AFTER Christmas, but they managed to make it happen.

how to sleep - pregnant

Kelly - 26 weeks pregnant - trying to catch 40 winks after Christmas dinner.

politically incorrect christmas

'Twas the night before Kwanza, and all through the slum,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a bum.

The children had braided their cornrows with care,

In the hope that Saint Malcom soon would be there.

The Crips and the Bloods made their holiday peace;

The protesters protested: "Fuck da po-lice!"

The Jews and Koreans hid unter their beds,

While visions of rioters danced in their heads.

In a crackhouse, some pipeheads were lighting a rock,

When all of a sudden there came a loud knock.

And what to their wondering eyes did appear,

But Orange County's finest in full riot gear!

Boards fell from the doorway and crashed to the floor,

And landed in front of a twelve year old whore.

The cops went to work with their nightsticks in hand,

Swinging their sticks as the Africans ran.

A beating ensued as they tried to escape,

But nobody got it on videotape. 

As they jumped over fences they heard the men say,

"Merry Christmas, you punks, from OCDA!"

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Ways and Means

I had a contract set up with Goldman Sachs to represent them in China when the market failed. I was set up to work in Germany with Leopard (the company that makes German main battle tanks) on a consulting basis and a few other things when the market crashed and all my little consulting jobs fell apart like a house of cards.

The work for Pirelli may be coming back. The VP/Chief Legal Officer told me they miss me and he also told another friend (an Italian) that they're trying to get me back. It would be welcome work both because I enjoyed working for and with Pirelli and because the income would be helpful.

With unemployment climbing and every business cutting back, consultants are the first (and easiest) people to be let go.

The Silly Season

My daughter, Amanda, had her baby shower on Saturday. The atmosphere was laced with estrogen, the games played du jour, the food - well the left overs tasted pretty good. Once the place was set up, I bobbed, weaved, avoided and left the house innocuously to await the departure of guests who hadn't arrived yet.

That event passed and we are ramping up for the Christmas event sans lights and outside displays, rotating Santas and creche scenes. Most of the other neighbors put up lights. I valiantly resist. The wind blows them down every year and the neighbors do damage control as best they can. I don't worry because there's nothing to control. The gardeners don't mow over power cables and the trees are barren of bulbs, wozzles and fizbins. 

Inside the house it's a different matter and the traditional stuff is carted from the garage where the boxes have become dusty from their positions on the highest shelves. The plastic Costco tree is faithfully assembled and draped with garlands, ornaments are hooked, and a variety of elves, gnomes and angels from years past are set on the branches to preside over Christmas.

Occasionally I envy Rip VanWinkle, who legend holds, slept through this (and other) season(s). Note that I don't envy Santa Clause one little bit.  The bright ray of hope is that next Christmas there will be two grandchildren to spoil. I'm sure that will put a different spin on the silly season.