Blaze

This is the reason why this blog has become quieter:

his name is Blaze

and he's a Portuguese Water Dog

We brought him home Nov 6, 2009 when he was eight weeks old. So things have been different in this house. Which I'm so happy about -- I've wanted a dog for a long, long time.

no more

How wrong is it that I don't like Christmas songs? I own maybe a dozen, and by early Dec I walk out of the stores that are playing the songs realizing I've been grinding my teeth. I keep hoping that maybe one year they won't drive me nuts, but this year I'm owning my sense of guilt - my bahhumbug - and am deciding as of today I shan't be ashamed anymore.

Admittedly I don't really 'get into' a lot about the holidays. I mean, I like making goodies (I make some mean chocolates if I do say so myself) and I like getting gifts for family and friends. And I like winter and snow and little twinkling lights on fresh snow. But ALL the cutesy penguins and snowmen and lawn ornaments ... not so much. Is one person's cute another's tacky? I don't know. How else to explain all those damn blowup Santas...?

I think my problem with the music is I have an excruciatingly short span between liking a new song and feeling it's overplayed. I actually turn the radio off in the car if I've heard a new Coldplay song for instance more than once. Because I know that I'm going to buy the CD and don't want to wear the music out before I thoroughly enjoy it.

And let's face it, holiday music is so very well worn out.