Brand new year, coming up ahead...

With a little help from The Killers, wishing everyone the happiest of holidays, whatever you celebrate!

Boots

Happy New Year!

A new decade*, a new slate, a new year.

Kick it off with a snazzy mash-up of the pop year gone past!



Here's a toast to a happy, healthy and optimistic twenty-tens!

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!

*don't get technical with me, 1990 was never considered part of the 1980s...

Hapi Honika!

So contrary to what I said in the post immediately below, there are other ways to sing through my little ol' festival of lights than the standard schmaltzy folksy-fests.

It can even be electronica this Hanukkah.

Or something along those lines:



Happy Chanukah everyone!

Spin me a Christmas, Guadalupe.

Elevator music doesn't put me in any sort of high holiday spirits, so for that matter, schmaltzy Christmas music doesn't do much for me either.

Bah humbug, you say?

Aqua, though, get it. If there was more Danish-Europop jingle bells playing, maybe holiday shopping wouldn't be so, um, annoyingly snoozeworthy?



And before you think I'm down on everything else holiday, lets give The Killers some credit too. Oddly playful as always this time of year, they're out with their annual Christmas tune, supporting (Red)'s fight against AIDS worldwide -- a great cause for any holiday!



Now maybe someday I'll get something better than Adam Sandler or making dreidels out of clay for Hanukkah.

Bah humbug.

Frosty the Snowman

What better way to get into the holiday spirit than with an old tv classic?

Say, for example, Frosty the Snowman?

What is that you say? This isn't how your remember it exactly?



The best part is who made it. Finally, a network realizing you don't have to take everything so seriously, especially during the holidays.

Happy New Year!

I am fully aware of the unexpected lull in postings lately due to a hectic holiday season, but don't despair faithful readers, there is more to come in 2009. Just bear with me a little bit longer.



In the meantime let me wish you and your families a happy and healthy new year.

Even in these shaky times, there is much to be thankful for.

Hopefully you'll find reasons to smile or discover new things on here, in the year ahead.

Thank you all for your support!

Going Big Red

This city slicker ended up in Nebraska for the Fourth of July weekend, and in case it wasn't clear, it's a very different world out there in Big Red country.

That said, the family we hung out with was, as usual, fantastic to spend time with.

Special props to the younger cousins who humored me while I vaguely attempted to fish off of a pontoon. I did manage to hook a pair of bass. Maybe next time I'll actually dare touch one, let alone pry it off the hook with some pliers!

Coming from the land of eternal dryness, it's amazing to drive up into the Platte River valley along I-80 and suddenly be surrounded by lush farmlands as far as the eye can see. As yellowed as Eastern Colorado can be, Nebraska was blanketed in endless shades of corn husk green.

This abundant humidity also allows for an Independence Day with a little more firepower. Clearly fireworks are highly encouraged, and practically a full-contact neighborhood sport. We wandered over to a neighborhood by the Grand Island racetrack where we settled into some burgers and beers waiting for the 10 PM fireworks extravaganza. By 8 PM the neighborhood was exploding already in serious firecracker competition. Never in my life have I seen the thousands of full-force fireworks exploding from every house. Sure, they paused briefly for the big show, only to do their best to show it up afterwards with their biggest boomers (allegedly from Missouri, where everything is legal). They were still going strong when we escaped back to our hotel around midnight.

Stagnant economy? Tell that to the Midwestern fireworks vendors who made off like bandits this year!

Leave it to mother nature to trump the explosives, though.

As dusk settled in the next evening and the bonfire lit up the lakefront where we were hanging out, I saw a different display of natural light that was nothing short of breathtaking. On cue, the trees and grasses around the lake suddenly flickered with hundreds of fireflies dancing in the night.

It may have lacked the firepower of the night before, but their glow in the moonlight is something I will never forget. The city slicker was thoroughly charmed by the countryside.

The warm Nebraskan welcome we were given all weekend, reminded me yet again how lucky I am for having such an amazing, crazy family today.

Whether here at home, across the United States or around the world, I am very lucky to have all of you in my life.

I love you all very much.

And the rocket's red glare...

Hope you all have a great long weekend!

Happy Independence Day!