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December 31, 2006

End of one year, beginning of a new one.

Well, it has been quite a year for me. I have had my ups and downs but overall I feel that it has been a good year for me. My new job, my church, Teresa, and my family have made it a good year. Although I had to give away Shakespeare, our new dog Max is working out well. I am really excited about the new year ahead. It will be one year closer to retirement, my trip to Alaska will be my best adventure yet, and I am in pretty good health both mentally and physically. Resolutions for the new year, how about being more committed to my church, joining the pool at Fort Monroe, losing weight ( I have already lost 8 pounds on my doctor ordered low cholesterol diet) and trying to make the most of what life throws at me. I think it will be important to maintain a good outlook on things and always treat each day as the gift that it really is. So with help from my family and friends, as well as God, 2007 should be a great year. I hope it will be a great year for all of you also. Happy New Year !

Posted by Michael at 6:24 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2006

Ho Ho Ho

As the song says, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." except for the weather. It has been in the 60's during the day here for the last week. I don't think there is much chance of snow but around here you never know. I am way behind on my shopping so today I hope to get a lot of that out of the way. About the only thing I have gotten so far is a really nice Lionel train set for Kirk. The set came in two boxes, one with the engine, cars, and scenery and the other with about 9 feet of track. I really can't wait to set all that up. My brothers and I had a fantastic train set when we were kids and we really loved it. Starting this coming Friday I will be off work until after the New Year, so I am really looking forward to that also. This Sunday we are having family over for a Christmas dinner and for Christmas day we will be at my brother Chris and his wife Gina's house. We have put up three (yes three) Christmas trees in the house. One is the traditional big tree (artificial) while another is a smaller green artificial tree and the other is a white artificial tree. We have also put up two wreathes outside. I think the only other decoration we wil be putting up is some lights in the front windows. Well, that is it for now. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Posted by Michael at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)

December 2, 2006

Christmas Approaches

Thanksgiving is over and now Christmas approaches. We had a nice Thanksgiving brunch but I could not go over to my brothers house that afternoon because my truck was running poorly. I had to take it to the garage and get a tuneup. I was able to kill two birds by getting the state inspection also. I have been asked to participate in the Christmas service at church this Sunday by hanging one of the wreaths during a brief ceremony. I have participated in many church sponsored charities and events but have never been asked before to perform an actual church function. Today we are going to drive down to North Carolina and look at a house for sale. We will probably not buy the house as it is under contract but I want to take a look at the area and see if there are any other houses for sale in the area. Currently we are looking at properties in New Mexico, Texas, and North Carolina for houses to buy for when I retire. I am still holding out for New Mexico but North Carolina has a lot of great houses and areas to consider. My son Jason has a birthday on the 6th of December and I am thinking of getting him a gift certificate to Best Buy. I asked him what he would like and as usual he was no help, so I think a gift certificate is a good idea. It is hard to believe he will be 31 years old. He still seems like a kid to me and probably always will.

Posted by Michael at 9:49 AM | Comments (0)