Saw this phrase on Gizmodo today.

I can’t wait to have a place to use that phrase.

It’s that time of year again. It’s time to sum up the last year in some sort of sentimental way.

I would fill out one of those Year-In-Review questionnaires, but somehow answering a survey and posting it on the blog seems like a hollow cop-out to me.

The truth is that last year was filled with a lot of difficulties and triumphs. There were moments sublime and moments that filled me with horror.

The passing year reminded me of seeing a fireworks display. There aren’t many surprises found for me in the explosive shells lobbed into the night sky. Yet, each time I see a fireworks display something captures me. Some explosion in the sky burns itself into my retina for seconds and I feel so happy to be alive and to experience the short lived beauty of the fire in the sky. Then the show ends, there is nothing left but smoke and some ashes floating down, and I pick up my blanket and head for the car and a traffic jam.

That is what the end of this year is like. This year was nothing special — just like the rest, but it was filled with heart stopping beauty — just like the rest. I’m left feeling so thankful to be alive and to experience all that life has graciously handed to me.

P.S. I decided to strikeout everything that was boring, non-specific, or slightly untrue.

There is nothing like being smitten by your daughter.

Monica wrote beautifully about a Christmas tradition involving a wafer called Oplatek.

Reading this essay really moved me. While I enjoy giving and receiving gifts during Christmas, the most rewarding bit of Christmas for me this year was showing my appreciation to a person who is in some ways at the periphery of my life. I stopped this person and told them how much their simple acts of service and kindness meant to me and wished them a great holiday.

Once the two of us had hugged and gone back to our busy day I realized that having that short interaction was the most important thing I had accomplished that day. I only wish I had a tradition like Monica’s to wrap around the event.

I think my family is going to adopt this tradition for next year.

Here are some more references to this tradition.

• Polish Christmas Traditions: Oplatek
• Polish News
• Catholic Culture
• Poland by Mail
• Krakow Info

I went to the movies today hoping to see “The Life Aquatic“, but was told that my theater didn’t have the reel due to cold weather. Cold weather, how could cold weather keep a movie from getting from point A to point B? I don’t live in the sticks, but I digress. Instead of seeing the long awaited “Life Aquatic” I saw the movie playing next, “Meet the Fockers“.

The movie had quite a few funny moments. It was low brow humor to be sure, but it made me laugh out loud several times. I suspect if you liked the first movie, odds are pretty good that you’ll like this one. I think I enjoyed the movie a bit more than usual because it was a matinee and because the woman seated next to me, who appeared to be in her sixties, laughed uproariously at even the most shocking bits of humor.

It’s Christmas Day. After lunch today the presents had all been opened, the children were running around in their holiday vests and the wrapping paper and boxes had finally all been cleaned up. Usually by that time of day we are rushing to someone’s house or having guests. Today we are not entertaining anyone nor are we going somewhere to be entertained.

It was really fun to watch the paroxysms of joy of the kids face when they opened their presents today. As an adult, and a cynical adult at that, it’s hard to remember what it felt like to open a gift and have those same emotions coursing through my body.

I did really enjoy my presents, although I didn’t feel the kind of joy that makes one wiggle and dance. I don’t think that relates to the quality of my presents, but rather my inability to realize the joy that exists in my life.

In my mind, I sometimes reflect at the end of a day and realize how everything and everyone in my daily life is a gift to me. For some reason, it’s hard to think that way during the day, when everyone and everything is in motion around me. A little gratitude would do wonders for me no doubt, but I don’t know if it will put the wiggle and dance back into my life.

So, by the way, since I am bringing up the idea of gratitude, thanks for reading. The fact that people actually keep reading, and occasionally commenting, makes this whole thing worthwhile.

Where can I get Festivus cards?

Is it time for the airing of grievances yet?

Here is a smattering of interesting things I have read recently All of them are longer pieces which take a little more time to read, but I think are worthwhile.

Apartment Therapy on Books

Man and the Machines

Quitting the Paint Factory

The Abolition of Work

Happy Solstice

It’s the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. In Minnesota, where I live, the sun won’t rise until 7:49 A.M. and will set at 4:33. Its cloudy today, on top of it being an already short day.

I miss the sun.

I miss the feeling of the sun on my bare skin, the nauseating brilliance of the glare when you’ve been sailing all day and the cool you feel when the sun goes behind a cloud.

I should celebrate the Solstice, perhaps I already do.

Friday night I saw “Flight of the Phoenix”. I am not referring to the original version from 1965. For some reason I cannot determine, Hollywood remade the movie. For reasons I don’t wish to divulge, I then saw the movie. I guess the there are no more good ideas left so we have to simply recycle the old ones. I don’t think it was an awful movie, but there really was nothing that makes me say, “you have to go see it” either. It’s a movie, it’s better than some TV shows, but not all. The seatss in the theater were comfortable and the ambience was suitably dark. Maybe if you see it as a matinee it won’t disappoint as much. I do want to see the original version again. I remembered it as being better story wise, but less sophisticated cinematography/special effects wise.