Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Been a tough year. I am patient and comforted in my greater hope, but damn. Circumstances are much better than those of many less fortunates, and yet the challenges get to me.

I'm grateful for my job, grateful to be living in L.A., but the job has been very frustrating from the beginning. Nicole and I hadn't been married a month before this gig began in Fall 2006. Seems to take eigthy percent of my energy. Haven't managed to be creative when I'm off of work. Feel like I'm out of juice much of the time.

In addition, we're still contending with Nicole's health problems. Much improved, but she's still getting chest pains, dizziness, fluctuating heart rate, fatigue. Not life threatening stuff, but it brings her down, and that brings me down, affects quality of life. Been about six months. Say a prayer.

So, for about eighteen months I haven't been able to communicate with folk as much as I'd like. Excuses, excuses. Neither have I been able to keep up with movies or music, I don't know what's going on. Some improvement in 2008 would be nice.

But Thank God it's Christmastime, it's very cheering. I rarely drink coffee these days, but, for the next two weeks as I'm celebrating the holidays, I'm having coffee every day. This is going to be a major binge and I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to read a load of Anna Karenina and a lot of H.P. Lovecraft. I have a John Waters DVD from Netflix called "This Filthy World" and it looks like it's going to be pretty funny. I finally got some new shoes on Friday. They are black with steel toes and silver buckles and have tremendous tread. Nicole and I are going on many walks in cold weather.

I hope y'all are having a great Christmas season. Wish we could have communicated more this year but there's a good time coming! I know it! Eat the holiday food and watch the holiday moives and I'll see you in 2008!