Happy belated Christmas to all my imaginary readers.
Was a pretty good month, all in all. Took some time to relax, spread a little holiday joy, see some friends (new and old) and did I say relax?
So, what happened?
My annual company party came first. They tend to go all-out, and this year was no exception. The festivities were held once again at the Del Mar Country Club, a swanky little place in the heart of expensive real estate. There's nothing quite like seeing a hundred co-workers all boozed up and draped in fineries. Highlights included winning a basket of fine coffees in the raffle (not that I drink anything that caffeinated) and listening to my recently married ex-roommate Tiffany introduce me as her husband, John (she's not living that one down for a while). I've never really been one for big parties, but I have to say I had myself a good time.
Next up was a smaller scale party at my friend Alea's. Now that was fun. About twenty people showed (much more than I anticipated), all of them looking to just let loose. Not a kegger, mind you, just a nice night with some really great folk. Her boyfriend, Seth, is an absolute riot.
What else, what else?
Scored a nice little Christmas bonus from the office. Several hundred dollars in freshly minted Jacksons.
The holiday itself was pretty subdued. I don't have much in the way of family (only my sister, her husband and their baby within about a hundred miles), so I quickly tackled all the shopping. Amy and Gary tend to do the big family thing with his parents. While invited, it's a little too much holiday for my taste, so I ended up spending the holiday on the couch watching Kill Bill on Encore.
I ended up getting a couple of t-shirts out of the gift exchange. My sister's got me pegged pretty well, so I am now the proud owner of a Star Wars-esk shirt emblazoned with Joss Whedon is my Master Now. I'm a dork, I know, but at least I'm cognizant of the fact.
Also got the chance to see my friend John again, who flew out for the weekend. We don't get the chance to talk as much as I'd like, the majority of our communication now takes place with two or three line e-mails (usually with an amusing URL attached). It's been months since we actually had a lengthy conversation, but the time didn't dull the friendship one little bit. He's like a brother to me, and I'm happy to report that he's doing great.
