Interesting

This is what I wake up to. Have every day since I moved into this apartment. Interesting blue "drapes" I guessed you would call them?

Thought some people might be curious.



Here is a lil' round guy.











And here is that guy with an orange...

Christmas Jeer

Great weather out here for Christmas...rainy the week before and since, but Christmas eve day and Christmas day were both 40-45 degrees with a mostly clear sky. Missed the mountain on Wednesday, but this weekend should be loaded with new snow!

A whole whole bunch of laziness and food created a bunch of laziness and more food. We did go see "No Country for Old Men". Wasn't too impressed by the story line....wouldn't recommend it unless you are obsessed with cinematography and don't care if there is not much music in a film. Good acting though.

Walter was more than comfortable under the entire pile of wrapping paper and Kate LOVES hammocks. That about sums up the gift exchanging.....

Anyway - played a solid game of scrabble, which I humbly admit to having won. Bryan was stiff competition and Kate and/or Faith may claim some amount of cheating on my part, but with no evidence, the claims were dismissed as a lame attempt to disturb my streak of big scoring words!

That is about it. Missed everyone back home but maybe that will mean everyone will come out this winter!?!?!? no? ok ok, this summer!!!!

no broken bones

while Bryan's snowboarding in an Olympic year may not be the wisest thing in the world, he was wearing a helmet, so that's nice....No big falls for me and pretty good, although very wet, snow. Another quite Sunday on the mountain though b/c of Christmas. Lots of room to cause problems up there, but visibility was not so good b/c it was snowing all day.

Great waking up to a 55 degree sunny day in Bellingham after a day of snowboarding....lets you remember why you live here. Miss the family for Christmas - it is kind of hard to get into any kind of Christmas spirit when you know you aren't going to be with your family. That is the most important part of this holiday season anyway - so its strange "celebrating" it without crashing at mom's or seeing the lil rascals...won't be missing Christmas next year!

Work and Food

I think I spend as much time eating as I do working as I do eating for work. Yup - I have split my time in fourths - with the fourth group being "relentless fun and nonsense". Walter likes bones and I just bought him one for the first time since I moved here. He is happy. I think Mardi Gras is calling for next year, just need to figure out if the timing works out.

Photos printed and waiting on frames. Word to the wise, those Sony printing "photo centers" don't print Matte B&W photos quite true....lil darker than they should be, but have a neat look to them because of that....

Christmas is soon. That means snow on the mountain en masse by the end of the weekend....more snow = more fun....and all for just $44!!!!!!!

More people should come out this winter to go snowboarding/shoeing

Big fall boarding

Bout busted myself in half, but fun and amazing day on the mountain. Lots of great views with the clear day and lots of new snow. Lots of action and planning going on with work. Trips planned for first half of 2008: LA, Singapore, Euro-tour(Netherlands, Belguim, Paris), Abu Dhabi...so far!

And Shanghai in photos

You can see the action. It almost never stops. You can keep walking, and in the city, you can't be alone. Time to sleep. Finally, no one to break your rythmn...

I can't imagine the communist lifestyle. I am VERY ignorant on this subject, but seems to me like most of the Chinese masses have been deprived of a real identity. I'd admit, many of the "identities" in other places, here in the US for example, are shady and/or irrelevant, but at least those folks have a chance - not to mention an understanding of - a personality to call their own.

I was told that "their is no chinese word or concept of the term 'empathy'". This seems fairly telling to me. The people are incredibly impatient, but not in a personal way. Nothing that happens in the hustle-bustle affects the individuals like it would in, say, Kansas City, MO.

Too many people, not enough space, to worry about things like that. If you wait, and spend the time concerning yourself with such things, you lost the chance I guess.

Apparently, they have guys named Tony and Johnny in Shanghai too, b/c these guys were just hangin' around doin' their thing - ain't no buggin' me....wait, you talkin' to me?

Shallow days......hollow nights....

Bout to start this whole thing. Can't do it manually, so might as well try to track myself electronically.

I was in China. Shanghai is crowded. People move a lot there. Everyone is moving, all the time. Things going on. People busy. Why can't I be not busy?