Thoughts over the past 2 weeks...

In spite of not being online much, I have been having thought. Imagine that! In no particular order:

• One of the downsides of being so busy over the past few weeks is that I've been missing all the standard Christmas specials on TV. I've seen "Elf", but only because it's been on a dozen times already. And I caught "White Christmas" last night because it was run back-to-back. But I have yet to see "Grinch" or "Charlie Brown", "Miracle on 34th Street", or "Frosty". I'm sure some of them will be on again in the next ten days, but it's really what gets me in the holiday mood.
• Also just as bad...I haven't seen an NFL game in two weeks! I couldn't tell you who played whom, who won, and what the playoff race looks like. Gotta catch up next weekend!
• Noticed that the Housekeeping Fairy didn't bother stopping by over the past three weeks. Gonna have to get to work on that...
  
• Speaking of next weekend, the Carroll College Fighting Saints play for the NAIA national championship. GO SAINTS!
  
• Did you know that it's less than two weeks until Christmas??
• I was going to make nasty comments about everyone complaining about their "snow", and "cold", then the roof at the Metrodome collapsed (have you seen the video of that??). Guess it really was bad out there!
  
• While the week of my dad's funeral was double digits below zero, I was able to load the equipment truck yesterday in balmy mid-40° weather. Fifty degrees warmer than the previous two years! I guess I can rub it in, can't I?
• Make whatever jokes you want about male ballet dancers--I am thoroughly amazed at the strength and muscles these guys have. Legs, arms, upper bodies...don't ever say that they aren't athletes!
• Got word that HyperSexualGirl had her Blogger blog deleted out from under her. No warning, and possible security problems. Would not be a bad idea to back up your blogs... Update from HSG: "Apparently the blogs will be restored, but it may take Blogger several days to repair. The problem is compounded by the fact that Blogger has incredibly cumbersome and inefficient customer 'service'."
• Saturday night's performance was less-than-perfect. Music was pretty good, and the dancing was spectacular, but the technical stuff had more glitches in that one performance than I think we've had in years combined. No one felt as badly about things as the tech director, and things went perfectly on Sunday, but it was a disappointing aspect of an otherwise great performance.
• Only a couple more days to get your donations in to Ashly Star for her Toys For Tots project.
• The best workers I have come from the homeless shelter. I only use them for about half an hour to move the horrendously heavy risers that the orchestra sits on from the church where we store them, onto the equipment truck. They show up on time, are eager to please, and have never been a problem. For their efforts, they're paid $10, which they promptly take to the store a block away to buy cigarettes and/or beer. Makes me happy to bring a smile to their faces during the Christmas season!
• Don't forget the Christmas Tree HNT theme this week! Click on the tab below my header up there to get details...
  

OK. I think that's about it for now. Should be back on track now!