Thursday, December 31, 2009

Another one in the Books

Random Thoughts and Impressions from 2009, minus about 31,893 words.































































Tramp..This picture always makes us laugh.



This one always makes us cry.




2009.

We wouldn't trade it, but we don't really want it back, neither.

See you next year.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Happy Christmahaunakwanzaakah, again.

The Yule Season crept up on us this year, only to leap out of the bushes a few days ago to shout "Surprise!" at our startled countenance.

Happy Holidays? In 2 days? Really? C'mon, man...thanksgiving was like, what...a week ago?

Sure enough, it is Christmahaunakwanzaakah again, and like most arbitrary days of celebration based on highly improbable acts (see also: Easter) and only recently co-opted and corrupted by commercial interests and the materialist mentality, we could care less.

Truth be told, we don't cotton much to the gift gettin' n givin' process- if we need it, we go get it, and if we just "want" it, odds are that it is a pretty specific (or obscure) item. Shopping for others is another layer of stress altogether, but we bottled up our inner grinch long enough to get some nice presents for the Wife, if only so she sticks around for another year.

The one good thing about the holiday season is the gatherings, and if some folks need it as an excuse to loosen up a little, neck back some 'nog, and give the old lady a christmas goose, then we're okay with that.

As it turns out, we don't need too many excuses to celebrate life, family, and friends.







If you just have to free your inner elf, send all your offerings and tidings of joy to 58°19'59"N 134°29'49"W ...Ho ho ho, dammit.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Take II

More from the C:/user/photos/fall file.

December is the annual and traditional "mental vacation" month here at the Neil Creek Estate. Not much goes on in the darkest month, and not much is asked of us, so we generally just shuffle around the mansion in our underwear, clutching a cup of coffee and absently rubbing our stubble-covered phiz...by the way, that last word? It doesn't mean what you think it means.

We're sure there are folks that view us as a lazy, shiftless, no-good-for-nothin' because we get up at the crack of 9:30, lounge around all day on various couches, then drink beer all evening as if we have accomplished something worthwhile.

Our reply to those folks is, "Well, someone has to do it."

So far, the vacation has been going swimmingly. We come out of it every now an then to read emails, make ramen, and bathe, but other than that, we're pretty content with the way things have been progressing.

2010 is shaping up to be a busy one. With dates in DEN, SFO, SEA, PDX, OAK, LGB, and KOA, the Neil Creek RoadShow has a full dance card for the rest of the winter. Appropriate plans will be made withe the appropriate folks for rendez-vous during the peregrinations, but right now we're too busy relaxing to think about all of that.

Only 25 more days of staycation...coffee, anyone?








Thursday, December 3, 2009

Scenes from Fall, take I

With the onset of winter, a fella can't help but reminisce a little about the past year. The freshets and fish of fall have been replaced by the snow and grumbling of "the longest season", the endless pub crawl, the days of 361 channels and nothing to watch. When you can't possibly tie another fly, or fiddle with gear any more, and the next trip is months away, sometimes solace can be found in the land of C:/user/photos.

Some randomness from Fall, salve for the wound, balm for the soul.











T minus 762:37:19 'til RoadTrip '10 v1.0, kids.

Can't wait.