Christmas dinner at the Yonke house.
I’ve been on vacation for five days already, and I haven’t even taken the time to write a blog. Blame it on the holidays!
This hasn’t been your normal laid-back stay-cation.
Our home was brimming with family and friends for most of the week, and it was a real joy to have everyone together for the holidays. A little chaotic, but a pleasure. Not to play favorites, but having 6-week-old Graham here for his first Christmas was a special treat.
I got everything on my Christmas list, so although I find it hard to believe I guess Santa put me on the good-boy list for 2011.
One of my favorite gifts, thanks to Dana and Matt, is a National Geographic World Atlas. I’ve wanted one for many years, and although I’ve had other atlases they just don’t compare to Nat Geo’s. It’ll be helpful if (when?) Lisa and I are picked for the Amazing Race (we’re expecting a phone call from Phil early next month).
I’ve been working on my screenplay, trying to finish it in time to enter it in a year-end contest. That means I’ve got until midnight Saturday. I am close enough to see the finish line. It’s not easy to discipline myself to write this project, but the deadline is a real motivation.
I ran an errand yesterday for Lisa, before she left for Rockford, and it turned out to be a costly and inconvenient little trip. I pulled into the wrong strip-mall parking lot on busy Central Avenue. As I was cruising through the lot looking for an escape route to the adjacent strip mall, I struck a high curb in the lot, and the right front tire of my Saab went KA-BLAM! I never saw the curb. It really is poorly designed, just jutting out into the lot with no markings, no paint, no sign, and no apparent purpose — but I admit it was driver error.
I parked immediately and started to put on the spare tire, but it turned out the parking lot is on a slight incline and my car rolled back — and onto the jack. I couldn’t get it loose. I had to call for reinforcements — Janet brought my hydraulic jack from home. What a hassle. Fortunately I stayed to the side of the car and wasn’t hurt when the car slid off the jack. Meanwhile, anyone have an extra 195-60-15 tire for sale?
The whole family, including Graham, went to the movies on Monday, intending to see We Bought a Zoo (not my pick). The theater was jammed, however — fans are flocking despite the critics’ universal trashing of the movie — so we opted for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol instead (my preference but it wasn’t my choice, there was just nothing else convenient). The plot was about as dull as can be — a madman trying to launch nuclear missiles! — but it was still highly entertaining, with lots of nonstop action and exotic scenery. Movies like that are best seen on the big screen.
Well that’s enough rambling for now. I need to get back to my screenplay. At least I managed to squeeze in a blog.
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah and I wish everyone the best for 2012.
