As promised…more on this weeks festivities.

Today Becky and I literally drove over the river and through a small patch of woods to my parents house. We had lunch with them and my brother and his family. Ate, watched my brothers boys open their gifts and then the adults opened gifts. Dad got a nice power tool with a load of useful attachments that we all went in on. I think he was more excited than the kids. The rest of us did pretty well also. We got Mom a cooling pad for her Netbook and she lit up when she realized what it was. It’s good to give things people really want or can use. No ugly ties or sport socks this Christmas.

Tomorrow promises even more…Merry Christmas all…may you get that which you most desire. If not, be thankful you get anything at all.

As always…I must be off.

Christmas is upon us…in fact today we celebrated with Becky’s family. We had a slightly unorthodox meal before we tore into the wrapped boxes.

The meal consisted of beef tenderloin, salad wedges, baked potato, crescent rolls, broccoli casserole, sauteed mushrooms and homemade cheesecake for dessert. It’s many hours later and I’m still full…

The food and conversation around the table is what the season is all about. The box opening was just icing on the cake or cheesecake as it were.

The week is just starting and more get together’s are planned. They will be reported on as they happen.

As always…I must be off.

I really don’t know where to start…

I’ve had a facebook account for almost three years now. As of today my account is deactivated. I hope that means that I’m not visible on facebook but I’m not sure, given their recent penchant for keeping track of your every move.

The sad part is facebook had become a portal for old and new friends alike. We could stay in touch and/or catch up with one another. In the past I have had concerns about my information on facebook but this past week has been the dealbreaker. It’s one thing to knowingly put stuff out on the web…like this blog for example. It’s something else when what you may think is private is even less so.

It has been widely reported that facebook changed their “terms of service” in the past week. By clicking on ok it changes your privacy settings to public by default. Only after a huge outcry from the tech community did facebook offer an opt out. What kind of outfit does that to so many users?

Users of facebook join because it’s only your friends who can follow you and see your info. But by default facebook has changed that to public unless the user is knowledgable enough to double check their privacy settings.

Privacy on the Internet is a dubious notion at best. But people on facebook believe that their info is only shared with friends. It’s one thing to be naive it’s another thing to be lied to.

I will be abscent from facebook until they can be a bit more responsible with information.

As always…I must be off.

Believe it or not I wash my own clothes, sometimes washing sheets, bed spreads and even the occasional curtain as well. So a couple of days ago I noticed the colors drawer was running a bit low. Went to the hamper and began separating colors from whites…why does that process sound bigoted? Anyway, after separation, I looked around for other colors to make a full load. Finding a recently worn pair of jeans, I emptied the pockets and put them with the rest of the load.

Now when I say “emptied the pockets” I mean the front pockets because I rarely carry my wallet in a back pocket. There’s your first clue as to what transpired later.

Satisfied with the empty pockets and load size I put the clothes into the washer, poured soap, twisted the dial and walked away.

Later the washer beeped signifying a finished cycle. So, into the utility room I went, opened up the washer and drier for clothes transfer and peering into the washer I saw my drivers license.

I thought “how could this be, my wallet is on the table, I pointed”. But the table was minus a wallet…any wallet!

For the next several minutes I was busy separating clothes from wallet items.

Yes…pictures, credit cards, business cards, receipts and even cash. Very little cash but a bill or two nontheless. After getting the clothes into the drier, I began the process of laying out wallet contents to dry.

By the early evening all was dry and in good shape with a fresh spring smell to boot. Except for the wallet itself…

Fast forward to today…the heavy leather wallet is finally dry and cleanly housing it’s contents. The world is once again a better place to live and my credit cards never looked so clean or smelled so fresh.

As always…I must be off.