Like a lot of people, I’ve been offline and out of touch for the past week, away from work and enjoying a much-needed vacation! Jenn and I had a nice couple of days last weekend to relax together, then flew out to Buffalo (via Burbank and JFK) to spend Christmas with my family in Fredonia. Since last year’s travel plans fell apart spectacularly (bite me, Southwest!), we were worried about the winter storms on the Atlantic seaboard, but the weather cooperated perfectly for us. All of our flights left on time and arrived early. (Had we left a day earlier, we probably would have been screwed.) Plus, no LAX (always a bonus)! Of course, the tickets were bloody expensive, but overall it was a pretty good travel experience.
Christmas in Fredonia (my first in three years) was quiet and relaxing, with unusually dull weather: some snow on the ground but no precipitation during the trip except rain and a brief flurry. We stayed holed up at home most of the time, playing games and spending time with the family. (Hey fellow Fredonians, sorry I missed you if you were in town!)
The trip was full of fantastic eating, including some East Family classics: sesame noodles, lasagna, great desserts, and our traditional Christmas grub: cinnamon rolls, Yorkshire pudding, and prime rib. And I think I drank more coffee last week than I usually do, which is really saying something. As for Christmas loot, I got some great stuff: new spy novels, DVDs, some nice shirts, and more.
I also managed to finish a new tune over the break; Jenn challenged me to write a Christmas song, but my attempt failed profoundly and morphed into a funky-Latin TV theme, “High Security,” about an elderly security guard who’s secretly a crime-fighting bad-ass. The “holiday bells” percussion loop that inspired the song ultimately landed on the cutting room floor.
Our plane left at Godawful O’Clock in the Morning a couple days ago and we stayed up most of the night streaming shows so we wouldn’t miss our plane. It made for an exhausting couple of days, but we made it home fine and it feels good to be back, with a little time to relax and readjust before getting back to work.
Here are a few Christmas photos to send off the season. Hope everyone’s had a great holiday-of-their-choice!
Jenn & I at Lake Erie
White Christmas
Buzzy!
