in the history of christmas miracles, my having a tree up in november has to rank with the grinch’s small heart growing three sizes in one day.

there is a lot of talk of dessert at our dinner table when there is still plenty of food on some little girl’s plate.

while busting her chops about it the other night, she explained (imagine exaggerated hand waving and exacerbated tone for the full effect)

“dad, i have two stomachs. one is for food and one is for dessert. my food stomach is full and my dessert stomach is empty.”

its arguably lame to post today’s progress since i only contributed to the clean up but its turning out so sweet i was certain you’d want to see it too.

(marc will be back in two weeks to complete the stonework so there will be a break in progress reports until then)

the footing is in, the wall is going up, and even ethan got in on the action…

two years ago i helped marc archambault of hammerhead stoneworks install a bench in our neighborhood.

marc is back, the project is more grandiose, and i get to help again.

i have gotten some static about the number of positions listed on my resume, but it hasn’t always been my fault – the following four business cards are all for the same job. the company changed names on me three times.

what’s most interesting to me is the email address on the first card – apparently when i was the guy in charge of the corporate internet i took the email address i liked most

apparently i should have been a bicycle mechanic…

judging from the local bike shop in town, an eagerness to deride customers with snarky comments is the single most important qualification in hiring – i quality i possess in spades.

we just returned from a long weekend visiting natalie’s family. on sunday, natalie finally cleaned out some of her old stuff from her childhood bedroom closet.

one of the discovered “treasures” was a porcelain sculpture of a cardinal sitting on a tree branch. it doubles as a music box and when you turn the key it plays the “godfather waltz”

i asked where she got it and she said it was a gift. as a gift, its much less imposing than your favorite pony’s head at the foot of your bed, but i’m not certain the sentiment behind it can be interpreted any differently…

in a crowded aisle at target:

logan: what’s that?

me: deodorant

logan: why do you need it?

me: so i won’t stink

logan: i need that for my butt!

isn’t the erkel tech guy stereotype a bit old?

or am i just crying about this because i’m a blue shirt, good tan and black glasses away from being this guy…

there are some who may claim to have known all along, but my secret of being the dark lord has been revealed…

and no, hermione and mad-eye moody are not taking pity on an occupy wallstreet protester, that’s professor trelawney

how about that world series!

the only thing worse than being down two runs and on your last strike (twice) – is listening to all the noise about how this at bat may be the last one for albert pujols in a cardinal uniform.

think i’m exaggerating? espn, couldn’t even control themselves seconds after the cardinals won the series (see the story in the lower right corner)