I hope that everyone had a good Christmas. They say that this is the time of year we get together with friends and family. However, most of my friends out of state, getting together can be difficult.

I hope everyone had a good holiday. Unlike most years, Rachel and I actually dressed up and went out to celebrate. It is the first time since our wedding since she has worn a dress! She looked wonderful in it. She will probably post the pictures we took on her site.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas or whichever holiday your family celebrates. It has been a crazy past couple of weeks. Pizza Hut finally contacted me about our past dining experience. They sent me a couple of coupons for free pizzas. In addition, the regional manager contacted me and gave me a $25 credit for my next order. That is fine, just as long as their products improve. I am not going to eat a crummy pizza even if it is free.

Christmas was quiet this year. Rachel and I did not really feel like decorating. We only had a plastic toy soldier outside, and a couple of random ornaments inside. On Thursday, we went out to dinner with Rachel s mom Pam. On Friday, we went to Pam s house to celebrate with another family. On Christmas Eve, we had snacks with more in-laws. On Christmas morning, we went out to breakfast, opened gifts at Pam s house and back at home.

So, I am a fan a Blizzard’s Diablo series. I played Diablo 2 (with the expansion) for at least four or five years. I also played a bit of Blizzard’s Warcraft series. About three years ago, they came out with World of Warcraft (WoW). The game looked interesting, but I did not want to pay a monthly fee. Well, curiosity got the better of me and I downloaded the free trial last week. It only took a few days before the game hooked me. I called Rachel and told her to buy the full copy before she left work; it could be my Christmas present.

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. If nothing else, it is starting to look like winter. On Saturday, the snow started to stick to the ground. I did quite a bit of driving, but there was only one slick spot. On Sunday, the temperature jumped twenty degrees. Had the temperature stayed near freezing, there might have been enough snow to keep me from coming to work.

Even though I was on a business trip last week, with this week's holiday, it seems like I have been on vacation for weeks. It was nice going back to the office if a bit weird. I will have to re-train my body to get up earlier. Also, I will probably need to practice my driving. This morning, when I was backing out of the driveway, I knocked down eight out of ten lighted candy canes. At least Rachel will have fewer decorations to remove. The other drivers must have known I would be coming as many of them stayed home. It made for an easy commute.

Today is Christmas. Rachel and I spent a leisurely day at home. We talked to some relatives over the phone and spent the rest of the day watching movies and eating leftovers. Yesterday, we went to Rachel's mom house for dinner. So, this week so far has been a relaxing week. The previous week, on the other hand, was rather busy.

I hope that everyone had a better New Year's celebration than I did. Rachel and I spent New Year's Eve at my mother-in-law Pam's house. We spent the time watching movies and removing Christmas tree decorations. Well, that is what everyone else did. I spent most of the time in another room playing on a computer. I was not trying to be anti-social. I just had a sore throat and I did not want to infect anyone. Aside from trying to not cough, it was an enjoyable evening. After going home, Rachel and I stayed up until 5:00 AM watching television.

Hi, I hope that everyone had good Christmas or whatever holiday (or holidays) that you celebrate. This year's holiday season was dampened both by the recent loss of my father-in-law Ken and the theft of our Christmas decorations. Nevertheless, both Rachel and I had a good time.