Oddity? Yes. I think oddity would be an appropriate term.

Most may say the appendix would fit under that category better but when you really think about it, the heart is a remarkably unusual thing *in its own right*

The heart makes us wonder.

Have you ever taken the time to seriously consider how versatile the heart is? It can feel so many different emotions.

Love. Fear. Sadness. Cheer. Jealousy. Envy. Desire. Weakness. Honor.

You name it, it’s likely in there.

I believe it was Shrek who said something along the lines of, “An ogre is like an onion, it has many layers.” The heart is the same way. It has many layers whether you are an ogre, an animal, or a human being.

Sarah Bareilles has some great lyrics:

All the colors
Of the rainbow
Hidden ‘neath my skin

Hearts have colors
Don’t we all know?
Red runs through our veins
Feel the fire burning up
Inspire me with blood
Of blue and green

I have hope
Inside is not a heart
But a kaleidoscope

The heart. Our emotions. How we feel. They always shift. Always change their colors.

Versatile. Keeping us on our toes. Though it may sometime be frustrating, it provides one heck of a ride.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39500047@N06/

This move isn’t because I believe my life is that exciting, nor do I have a lot to say or intend to share random intimate (or not-so-intimate) moments.

It will more-so be an outlet for some creative “projects” that are brewing within the electrical jolts firing within the brain.

However I do find myself stuck at one very important detail. A Twitter name. InsideTheNiceGuy is too long. TheNiceGuy is taken. I’ve like to avoid adding a random number at the end of it. One option still available is NiceGuyBlog.

Thoughts? Opinions? Any and all suggestions are welcome and uber-appreciated.

*EDIT – 2/22/2012: I can now be followed: @The_Nice_Guy_M

An additional treat, here’s the official music video for ‘I’m Not A Vampire’ by Falling In Reverse; the song that has inspired the next musical short I intend to begin writing.

Please go over to Simply Solo and check out Catherine’s brilliant idea of a Dear Valentine post. A very wise person even left a comment stating that this post serves as a purpose to “remind everyone that Valentine’s Day isn’t just a day for lovers but a general day of love…applied to any person, place, thing or idea that our heart desires.”

Now that I’ve said that…

Valentine’s Day is probably one of my least favorite holidays. At times I’ve gone as far as saying that I hate it. That is not true. Hate is a strong word.

People! We don’t need to be told by a day that we should let someone know you love them.

You can do that every. freaking. day.

I do.

I tell Velma that I love her every day. Whether it be by an action (getting coffee ready virtually every morning), vocally saying it, or giving the other a big hug and kiss after a long work day.

Get it?

Good!

But this isn’t going to be a post about Valentine’s Day really. Sure, I could tell a little story about how I once celebrated with some friends in the fashion of ‘Anti-Valentine’s Day’ by going to Applebee’s for dinner and then watched The Exorcist.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dark_/

No. This is a story about love. The power of love. *cue Huey Lewis and the News*

I believe in love.

I believe love is the strongest emotion out there. Love can conquer all. It can beat down any opponent.

Love could have sealed the Necronomicon, fought off the Dark Side, carried the ring to the Mordor and defeated Voldemort while piloting the Enterprise through Jurassic Park.

Love can roundhouse kick Chuck Norris.

This reminds me of an episode of one of my all-time favorite TV shows, Boy Meets World.

If I remember the situation correctly Topanga (Danielle Fishel) was breaking off her relationship with Cory (Ben Savage) due to the divorce of her parents. Her rationalization was that if love and marriage, as strong as she believe her parents shared, could dissolve and “die” then how could she believe in love?

Cory was heart-broken. It lead not only to a number of humorous escapades but some life lessons for both he and Topanga. But after the initial shock of the situation sunk in with Cory his attitude changed (within just a couple of episodes).

He wasn’t going to give up.

He believed in love. What he and Topanga shared was real. They were meant to be together and he believed that. He never gave up.

Eventually his devotion not just to her, or their relationship, but to love itself helped Topanga regain faith in the idea again. Love is what you make of it. If you love someone, and believe in it with all your heart then there isn’t anything you can’t do.

Yes. I just cited a television show for a lesson on love. When it comes to television relationship (platonic or romantic) this was most pure.

So call me a hopeless romantic. Call me crazy. Call me naive. I don’t care.

And though I could eventually have a weak moment or two in my life, and begin to have doubts, it won’t be long before my heart will remind me that the Beatles said it best…

“All you need is love.”

…and that is most certainly worth fighting for.

-begin-

Years…and years…and years of preparation have finally paid of.

Building a collection.

Creating a personal favorite amongst all others.

My time has finally come to see if I can directly make a difference in something I have loved since I was a small child.

The official character breakdown for the next installment in the Halloween series was released last night. A movie written and directed by Rob Zombie.

The agent who would have originally been in charge of this project is allowing me to take the helms in terms of doing the initial client submissions and pitches to the casting director.

I have spoken with the casting director, who is possibly just as excited about this project as I am. We are both awaiting the arrival of the script which I sadly doubt will available by the end of this work day so I’ll have to wait to read it next week. (the script was never released)

She recommended that I watch the original to refresh my memory on the movie. Humbly I told her she had nothing to worry about, “I watch the movie all the time. Minimum once a year. I own 4 copies of the original.” She responded, “You kill me. This is going to be fun.” Although, now that I think about it, I think I have 5 copies. 3 on VHS and 2 on DVD….all different. (this has since increased to 4 VHS, 3 DVD and 1 Blu-Ray)

I had passed on the opportunity when asked if I wanted to do my own breakdowns and projects earlier this year. I have no desire to be a talent agent and knew that pitching clients would be difficult for me. I’m not very judgemental. I’m not very bias. And I always believe that people are capable of things that we may not even be aware of; so how can you select one person for something and possibly miss out on someone else. It’s a complex matter in my head. (I have since realized that I would have made a pretty damn good agent, but I have no regrets)

I could not pass this up. My one chance to make a direct impact on my favorite series of horror movies, if not my favorite series of movies period.

I will be pushing hard to get as many of my clients in to auditions on this movie. I will rejoice louder than anyone if one of our people books this thing.

I hope the chances are endless. I want this to open other avenues for me in regards to this project.

One of my people will book this movie. I know it. Positive thinking.

I have had a lot of great things happen to me since I moved out here. {Los Angeles) I know that those events are not near done.

All I know, is that I’ve got chapters of great stories and experiences to share.

-end-

At the end of the submission process I had made actor suggestions for forty available roles. My submission letter was four pages long and consisted of nearly one hundred actors. Before auditions concluded the casting director had seen forty of my clients.

Days came and went without an official booking.

On February 2nd, 2007 the phone rang and was answered by the other office assistant, Tim, who informed me I had a call.

It was the casting director Monika.

She was calling to make an offer.

Most of the words that were exchanged after I pressed the phone receiver to my ear are unfortunately lost, but not all of them.

A flood of emotions came over me. Joy. Excitement. Accomplishment. Pride. Awe. Fulfillment. Shock. Happiness. Relief. Gratitude. I was humbled.

“Monika,” I said, “You have no idea how excellent your timing is. Today is my 26th birthday. You have just given me one of the best birthday presents to date.”

Twenty days later she called to make another offer.

But things don’t end there.

The client who was booked on my birthday is a wonderful man and human being named Mark Christopher Lawrence. He and I had formed a good relationship during my time was the agency so the two of arranged to have me visit the set the day he was working.

Fortunately for me I recognize once in a lifetime opportunities and decided to document some of that day on tape.

Reflecting on that day I wish I would have documented more but not knowing if there would be any restrictions for bringing a video camera to a movie set I felt it would be best not to “rock the boat” since I was acting as a Representative of the agency I worked for.

Both Mark, and the other client Gary Grossman, had their scene cut from the final film but you can find them in the deleted scenes on the DVD.

…

Occasionally I find myself feeling a bit down. Questioning what I’m doing with my life. What I’ve done with it since graduating college. Wondering what I’ve done that symbolizes that I’ve actually taken risks and lived life.

Within a few beats two things immediately spring to mind.

1.) Moving to LA six months after college with no job prospects and very little “life” experience.

2.) This story.

That starts the snowball rolling where various other occasions are added to this list, but those events are stories for another day.

Never figure up on your dreams. Don’t think anything is out of reach. But most of all, if you are passionate about something and put all of your heart and soul into something you’ll quickly see that it wasn’t luck that allowed you to succeed.

You did.

Ideas and writing topics have slowed to a crawl since the new year even though plenty of ideas and drafts were written towards the end of December.

Somehow those ideas lost the will to become anything other than an outline.

Perhaps in a short amount of time they will be nurses back to health.

However, my time has not been an absolute waste (in the creative sense) these last few weeks.

A new website has recently gone live (though still in Beta) called LemonVibe that I’ve become involved with. It’s really a wonderful idea for a dating/relationships advice forum and will hopefully become a high traffic web location for those looking for advice from non-bias individuals.

A couple of weeks ago I came across a video I shot during college (Fall 2002) but this particular edit was raw and without music; just the natural sound from the shoot. Viewing it I realized I rather liked it in this simplistic form than with a music track playing through the entire thing. So, edits possibly going to begin soon that will clean up some picture issues and general audio adjustments.

Here’s a little sample.

That’s just like me to add more random things to work on. I still have yet to do the final edits on this thing:

Perhaps all I need to do is light a candle and sit on it. That will get things moving.

Speaking of moving I have my first official race for 2012 this Sunday, a 10k in some underground caves in KC. Channeling that motivation I also registered for my 7th Half Marathon which will take place the third weekend in April. It’s probably a good thing I signed up for gym membership last night thus making it easier to keep up with “training” since I have about 3 months before I try to beat my personal best for that 13.1 distance. You’d think that training would have been easier since this is the most snow we’ve had all winter.

View from the office window 12/6/2011 *b&w added for that "classy" look.

I’m not particularly fond of running in the bitter cold. For that, I’ll suffer through the boring nature of running on a treadmill until it warms up a bit.

Velma and I are still kicking strong. Very much in love. Not sick of each other. She tolerates me. Me and my weird quirks. We actually had a date night last night which brought me back to the early days in our relationship thus further enforcing that I have met the love of my life.

Hmmmm….anything else? I’ll let you know.

Closing with something that actually has meaning and purpose I wanted to link to a touching piece written by a good blog friend whom I’ve been following for nearly a year now. Some of you are familiar with Grey Goose and for those of you who are not…well, you are simply missing out.

A perspective on life as seen by GG.

———————————-

Did you know rabbits can swing dance? They can, at least they can when they are actually Heather Graham, dancing with Jon Favreau in Doug Liman’s 1996 awesome flick ‘Swingers‘.

This is what I’ve been watching while wrapping presents this evening. Yes. I did not do a shred of wrapping until Christmas Eve; while everyone else has gone to bed. I figured if I was lucky enough to catch Santa on his stop here maybe there would be an elf, or two, who could help me out. However, by the time I finished and went to put the presents under the tree it looked like he had already come and gone.

Perhaps Santa is a ninja...

He’s one sneaky guy. I bet you he’s seen ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ many times.

This has been a different Christmas Eve than many of those from my past. Some things were the same; namely going to Barnes and Noble to do a little reading and enjoy a cup of coffee. While standing at the cafe’, trying to decide on a drink, I figured I’d ask the barista which she preferred: the Peppermint Mocha or the Gingerbread Latte’. Alas, my plans were foiled when she said she doesn’t drink coffee.

I don’t know about you, but when I first started working at Starbucks (back in LA), I wasn’t a coffee drinker but I still an idea about the options we offered. Plus, how hard is it just to give a little preference. Take the coffee out of the formula: do you like peppermint mocha or gingerbread more?

*If you care to know, I got the Gingerbread and it was pretty darned good*

So, I sat there. Enjoyed my drink. Listened to some music. Continued reading the current book of choice ‘Life’s That Way‘ by a client from my talent agency days in LA; Jim Beaver.

Be warned if you pick this book up *which I recommend you do* though Jim states he is not 100% honest with all of his feelings in his letters, the main composition of this memoir, it is still one of the most truthful and open pieces of non-fiction I have ever read. This is a book about a very personal time in Jim’s life when he, and his wife, discovered she had cancer (I believe Stage IV lung cancer).

I started this book a long while ago, and it’s just taken me what seems like even longer to push myself to read it. It is partially strange to read the inner thoughts of another individual about something so personal. It’s one thing with it being so personal, it’s another that this is a person I actually know. Someone I used to work with, occasionally talk to on the phone (usually business related) and would casually converse with when he visited the office.

Jim is a stand-up guy. I highly respect him, not only as an actor but as a person as well. This book has only further solidified this regard towards him.

All in all, I think a lot can be said that I was almost brought to tears reading some entries in this book while sitting in the middle of a Barnes and Noble. Public crying. What has become of me.

Did I just get majorly side-tracked? I did.

That was basically the only tradition that really held up this year. Reading at a book store. Due to some snow, and not-so-friendly roads, some church services were cancelled and we did not go to service this year.

A larger difference is that my grandfather (on my mother’s side) is not around this year. He passed away back in July. *July is becoming a not so pleasant month since my other grandfather passed away in July in 2003.* However, after my niece and nephew were put to bed I, along with my mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law, all had a glass of wine and toasted in honor of my grandpa.

But one other tradition is standing tall. I’m up late, Christmas Eve, in the basement because I no longer have a bed at my folks house.

I figure it’s 1:01am and I should probably get to sleep since we’ll probably be up no later than 7:00am. Since I won’t be able to go out for an Americano in the morning, I’m going to have to settle for regular home-brewed.

Merry Christmas all.

And to all you fellow insomniacs; I hope you find something good to watch on TV. (WarGames just started on G4).

Call me a softy but I’m a sucker for the basic movie theme where, at the end, the Christmas spirit conquers all.

A few weeks back I finally saw Elf for the first time. Something struck deep within my heart towards the end *spoiler alert* when the entire world began to sing to prove their belief in Santa Claus.

A world joined together where the only thing that mattered was the magic of Christmas.

It made me think back to the days when I was younger and had those wonderful innocent thoughts.

Times when my family would be dining at the grandparents on Christmas Eve and my folks would make the occasional phone call to confirm the current geographical location of Santa and his reindeer. My father’s work  provided a nice “benefit” where he could rely on his co-workers to provide a little glee within the imaginative minds of young children.

Times during high school when our show choir would perform carols downtown or visit hospitals and assisted living facilities to bring smiles to complete strangers.

A time when good things could happen purely due to a magic that was pure, innocent and mysterious.

As we get older we begin to lose this particular type of innocence. Though it’s not lost forever. There are ways to find it again; to bring the incredibly warm feeling to your chest without having to gulp down boiling hot cocoa.

These ashes of Christmas past can be born again and rise like a holiday phoenix.

Where we once found joy in the personal experience of Christmas magic we now play a very important part to make it just as mystical for the children in our lives. Having a niece and nephew has helped me clearly see this. The familiar feeling when they run down to the tree, in their footsie pajamas, and scream out of excitement upon the discovery of missing cookies and a half empty glass of milk.

Magic

That is better than any physical item wrapped under a tree. Giving the gift of magic. Of imagination. Of pure innocence and the belief that anything is possible if you just truly believe in it.

The desire to do good will towards our fellow-man is stronger around this time of year.

To me, the general population is happier, more pleasant and less selfish. There are more smiles seen while we go about our daily routines. Complete strangers are more conversational; such as when you’re standing in line with other customers or chatting with the employee at the register. Little acts of generosity are observed whether it’s someone giving up a seat in a waiting area, holding a door for someone else, donating to those in need, volunteering or generally any random act of kindness.

Everyone seems to be that much more willing to give.

Sure, there are Scrooges out there but all in all the weight of the world seems to be high on Christmas fumes (perhaps the chestnuts are burning over that open fire?)

Last week, while driving to work, a local dealership gave a car to a family in need. Letters had been written to a radio station to nominate someone worthy of this bit of holiday charity. The letter that won (from a random drawing of the most heart-warming stories) was incredibly moving. But the real tear-jerker was listening to the winner during the live phone call where one of the morning show personalities read the letter; followed by the dealership owner giving them the car.

The gratitude in their voice was real.

The tears in their eyes were real.

This person witnessed what they probably consider a miracle.

Magic.

Magic done by a regular person who took the time to realize that they could make a difference; even if it was to a single person.

The fact is, we all have the potential to make a miracle happen. We all have the ability to create magic.

We all have the potential of doing anything…if we only believe.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lewcrue/

You haven’t?

Well then. Grab a drink, your favorite snack, and go here.

This has been circulating around the Internet (so I’m told) and with this being *somewhat* a dating/relationship site I figured it couldn’t be overlooked without adding a comment here and there.

Whether or not this letter is real has yet to be determined. We are all aware of how things get started on the Internet and therefore the world-wide web is not often a credible source. For all we know someone drafted this up as a satire on a first date they have had, or as an exaggeration of a conversation they overheard. Perhaps this will eventually end up on Snopes.

For the sake of this article let’s pretend this letter is 100% real. It is also reasonable to understand that there are obviously multiple factors that we are unaware of; time frame between the date and the e-mail, how the actual date went, how they both were acting during the date (was she actually bitchy or was a complete ego-maniac), how long the date lasted, how they met, how long they had been speaking before the date and so on.

Anyone else think this is a prime example of how not to get a second date with a girl? This could seriously be printed in a dating book and broken down into various stages on precisely what not to do and not to say.

Would anyone like to share their opinion on Mike?

The personal opinion of this author? He’s pretty clueless. *And by only saying that I’m being extremely kind*

He makes some valid points *go with me on this for a second* but the method he uses to voice his opinions/concerns is absolutely ludicrous.

The only thing I could remotely agree with Mike on is the complete cold shoulder Lauren has given him by not returning any phone calls or e-mails. This is no excuse for his actions though as completely brushing someone off is kind of expected in the dating world; particularly after a single solitary date. Neither person is invested in the other so the odds of feelings being hurt are not very high for either party.

Too bad no one told Mike this. Credit does have to be given where it’s due and commend him on his optimistic attitude regarding the future they could share together. We’ve all heard of love at first sight and often couples will answer the question of, “How did you know you wanted to be with him/her?” and they simply reply, “You just know.”

If this is how Mike felt, he began his e-mail horrible to convey this. The first paragraph could only be more flawed if he threatened to kidnap her dog.

“I’m disappointed in you. I’m disappointed that I haven’t gotten a response to my voicemail and text messages.“

Really Mike? This is how you want to start off a message to a girl you see a future with, pointing a finger? She could have had a family emergency. She could have been in an accident and currently comatose at the ICU. She could be washing her hair.

“I’m not trying to be harsh, patronizing, or insulting in this email.“

If you have to say this you’re coming off as harsh, patronizing and/or insulting.

“By the way, I did a google search, so that’s how I came across your email.“

Congratulations! You’ve successfully been upgraded to stalker-like status!

http://screenrant.com/halloween-2-review-kofi-24138/

Dude, if she wanted you to have her e-mail (or any other information for that matter) she would have given it to you.

—-

*to be continued – Part Two: Inflating your ego and parenting your date.*

Many can probably relate to this feeling. The feeling of every day that passes is equal to that of a pressure cooker used on Iron Chef America to prepare a giant pork shoulder.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Velma and I decided on a single (reasonably priced) gift for the other. This agreement made shopping incredibly easy for my family as I was able share a multitude of gift ideas no longer appropriate on my shopping list. The reverse was not as kind in return, further complicating the search for that one. perfect. gift.

If you are in an early relationship, perhaps less than two years old, and/or this is your first Christmas together…well…consider the Thoughtfulness Meter bar set high.

Perhaps not this height (in comparison):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhys_baker

But definitely something not of this caliber: *I actually had all of these as a child*

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ursalaerdbeer

Should you find yourself stuck in a rut, here is a general list of gifts recommended that you stay AWAY from.

-Appliances: We all have an appreciation for appliances. We use them every day. Brewing the morning pot of coffee. Blending that post-exercise smoothie. Popping a lightly buttered movie night snack. Give her an appliance for the kitchen and you might as well be saying, “Woman, get in the kitchen and make me a pie!”

-Gift Cards: Your better alternative is to just give your significant cash if you decide to go this route. That way she has a choice where to go when trying to find someone new to date. Neither party is going to end up happy from this.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toyshoots

-A Gym Membership: Even if it is accompanied with a card that says, “Let’s get hot and sweaty together”, it will be interpreted as, “You’ve kind of let yourself go.” From there she may begin taking MMA classes (Mixed Martial Arts) and before you know it you come home to be welcomed with a round-house kick to the face.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blind_beholder/5330435181/

-Signing her up for Weight Watcher’s, Jenny or any other weight loss program: *see above – A Gym Membership* She may not learn a new fighting technique but odds are you’ll probably end up spending New Years Eve alone…and every other night thereafter.

-Any product from a late-night infomercial/HSN: *caution to the insomniac* The glow from the television screen can be incredibly alluring as it showcases items like The Magic Bullet, a food dehydrator, or an ancient Scottish broad sword. Try to remain rational or you may end up being subject to vivisection, dried to beef jerky proportions and then blended into a soup.

It be rather jerkish of me to abruptly stop there and leave you to your own devices. Sometimes all we need is a little push in the right direction.

Here are some ideas to get your gift-giving-juices flowing.

For Her:

-Jewelry: It has been said that woman can never have enough of this. Basically women are kind of like fish, they are drawn to shiny things.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35947195@N04

-Shoes/Hat: These are the better alternative of clothing items to get your girl, and it helps avoid the trap of a particular article being too small (“I’m getting fat”) or too big (“You think I’m fat?”)

-Any item she has specifically told you she wants: This could be something she has subtly hinted at while out-and-about. Her she could be like my mother who will circle the item in an ad/catalog, ear-mark the page and hand it directly to you.

-Show Tickets: (only if a-gift-we-can-share-together has been approved) Most women are not going to turn down the opportunity to get fancied up and catch a live performance. *pre/post dinner and/or drinks optional*

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethanc

For Him:

-Toys: This is actually a very broad category. Depending on your guy, his definition of “toys” could be any of the following: DVDs, Books, Collectible Action Figures/Statues, Comic Books, Video Games, Sports Tickets/Collectibles, etc. Virtually anything you call him “dork” over.

Taken with my camera phone during a trip to Toys R Us

-Shoes/Hat: If you are going to buy your man any clothes, that he hasn’t asked for, leave it to these items. Any other articles of clothing have probably already been purchased by his mom.

My first pair of 'Chucks'

-Appliances/Tools: Men enjoy working with their hands, often in the garage or the kitchen. Either case you end up with something new for the house or a homemade meal (just offer to help with the dishes).

-Show Tickets: He may not necessarily enjoy the theater, but he’s not going to turn down the opportunity to have a stunning display of femininity, to show off, at his side. *bonus points if you pack some candy to snack on in your purse*

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage_galwaygirl

Happy Shopping!

It was a Tuesday.

The alarm went off on the phone at 5:45am pulling me away from a pleasant slumber. While contemplating if I actually wanted to get up and work out, Velma awoke enough to tell me about her very messed up dream before turning and going back to sleep.

The morning routine continued as follows: Worked out. Made coffee. Showered and get dressed. Fried a couple of eggs. Cleaned the bathroom counter. Gathered a couple of pieces of fresh fruit for lunch. Poured coffee into travel mug mixing a combination of flavors for a make-shift peppermint mocha. Put on shoes.

On my way to the stairs I decided to glance outside.

Hmmm…it looks a little “whiter” than usual outside. A more focused look out the window confirmed what the subconscious already knew. It snowed. Not much, but enough to make the world look like one giant brownie dusted with powdered sugar.

View from the office window this morning *b&w added for that "classy" look.

Upstairs I gave Velma a kiss and told her about the first snow fall for this particular winter season. While wishing her a good day off she wrapped her arms around me, in the attempt to trap me on the queen-sized temper-pedic, and said I should call in sick.

She unfortunately knows my work ethic better than that. *Coincidentally, yesterday we briefly discussed sick days and the last time I called in sick to work was November 2007.*

The morning commute to work was significantly different this particular morning than other mornings when the roads are clear. Fellow Kansans were on high alert for slick road conditions. Some took their caution to unreasonable (and hazardous) extremes.

Growing up in the Midwest I’ve learned how to drive in bad weather. Give me rain, snow, ice, sleet, wind, or any combination of weather patterns, and I feel confident in my ability to safely operate my vehicle. I wish I could say the same for the majority of the drivers I share rush hour with.

That’s not really the point here. *stepping down from the soap box*

The ‘real’ feeling of the holidays has slowly been building up.

Thanksgiving ended and Christmas music is now heard in virtually every department store, shopping center and public venue. Salvation Army Bell Ringers have been deployed. Lights have been hung on houses in elaborate design. Temperatures have been steadily dropping.

And this morning we had our first snow fall.

I say had because it now looks like this a mere 8 hours later.

Alas there's no more class

Well, we almost had a winter wonderland.