How Do You Mend A Broken Heart?

It finally happened...my "little girl" has suffered her first real break-up. It actually happened while I was talking to her on the telephone and Cecil (aka the jerk that broke my baby's heart) actually broke up with her by texting Victoria on her cell phone! I mean, c'mon guy, at least have the nerve to tell her to her face, or at least let her hear it with your own voice! A sign of the times perhaps, but still a bit cold and unfeeling I think. So, here is the girl who it only seems like yesterday that I was brushing her hair before school and trying to get her to decide whether it was to be a pony tail, pig tails, or braids (which I never did fully master) today, often all three, one after the other, as she changed her mind, with Daddy dutifully obliging; now 18 years old and crying because some guy dumps her because he "doesn't feel the same about her any more." About the only advice that I could give her was to go ahead and get her crying done, have a good old-fashioned pity party, complete with chocolate and ice cream, get what sleep she could, get up tomorrow and go to school, walking tall and proud and letting everyone see who the REAL loser was! I mean, after all, she IS the most beautiful, intelligent and charming girl that God has put on this earth, so who is she to back down from anyone who treats her as anything less. Anyway, she seemed to feel a bit better after we commiserated and schemed a bit, even had a laugh or to before we had to end the call. Of course, I am certain that she will bounce back quickly and be on to future loves and heartbreaks...WAIT, what the hell am I saying, this is still Daddy's little angel;-) Ahh, to return to the simpler times of our lives, and wonderful ones at that. But then, that might make life too easy and what would be the challenge in that, eh?...vertu svalur og glaður allan tímann líka

By The Light of the Silvery Moon...or is it?

I hope that y'all had the chance to view the slim crescent moon as it set in the clear early-evening sky tonight, though you had to look quick, as it set about an hour after sunset. If not, then you might have another chance tomorrow, assuming that the skies stay clear. If they do, then look to the southwest about 6:00 pm tomorrow and you might be treated to a glimpse of one of my favorite sky-watching phenomena. The moon should still appear to the casual observer to be a slim, silvery crescent in the darkening sky. However, if you look closely at the so-called "dark" portion of the moon, you will see that it is actually very dimly lit. This soft, almost eerie, glow is very aptly named "earthshine" and results from sunlight reflecting off of the earth, back to the moon, and then back yet again to our planet, and your eyes. While most of the time I successfully ignore the science of the heavens and just enjoy the splendor that nature puts before me for its own intrinsic beauty, in this case I find that the science actually lends a bit of mystique and intrigue to the event and is therefore allowed to intrude upon the moment. In fact, next to a brilliant full moon on a sultry summer's night, I find the silvery crescent moon and its ghostly aura to be one of the more beautiful and romantic sights in the evening sky; see it with someone you love!

Dancing The Night Away

Last night we had our company "Employee Dinner" or "Holiday Celebration" or what EVER we are calling it this year. Though I rale against all of the political correctness that seems to be pervading our agency of late and resulting in stupidity such as that prevents us from having a CHRISTMAS PARTY, it WAS fun. We had a DJ this year, but our group seem to be quite a bit more laid back and prefers to watch folks singing karaoke instead of dancing. Of course, I could not let this travesty of partydom continue for long and ended up having to dance while others were singing to get the real party started. We ended up dancing the last half of the evening, at least the young and the females amongst us...oh, that includes me too;-) It was a blast, though the crowd thinned out pretty quick, but I noticed that attendance was way down and hope that getting the word out that the entertainment is a bit more lively now will help get more folks to show up next year. Who knows, with a larger crowd, perhaps certain others will get up and dance, I mean is it too much to ask to have just one dance together?...okay, maybe two;-) Now I have to work on reversing the PC trend and get our CHRISTMAS PARTY back! Oh well, I do so love a challenge.

[Listening to: Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams (04:22)]

What goes up, must...

Snowshoeing...Way Cool!!!

We went up to Snoqualamie Pass today for a REI snowshoeing clinic. They had representatives there from all of the major snowshoe companies set up in tents. Once you signed in you could make the rounds of the tents and try out any or all of the different models available on the mountain. The Mountaineers Lodge is an old ski lodge and had some nice slopes and great trails through the pine trees. I tried out all of the available snowshoes and spent the day having a blast running up and down the mountain, weaving through the trees, and learning the pitfalls of jumping creeks with snowshoes on (something that DEFINITELY requires some practice;-), and climbing out of creeks after you miss the jump. It was great fun and something that I have been wanting to do for some time. After all, it extends the hiking season into the winter months and with all of the trips that I make through the mountains, I will be carrying a set of snowshoes with me from now on, O já!

[Listening to: Precious (U.S. Radio Version) - Depeche Mode - Precious (04:08)]

Gleðilegt Nýár

I can only hope that the new year is kinder and more gentle than the old,
That all men, everywhere, look to each other as brothers,
And to all women as their equals.
That hunger, poverty and war are as foreign to us as is the Dodo,
And that tsunamis, genocide and sexual predators are just a bad dream.
I hope that the new year finds my distant friends a bit closer to me in the heart,
That all who know me always think fondly of me,
And that no one, anywhere, considers life to be so hopeless as to end it prematurely.
I hope that everyone, everywhere, always find the time to stop and smell the roses,
That they take the time to tell their loved ones "I love you",
And to hug their children and tell them that they are the reason that God smiles!
I can only hope that y'all have the opportunity to love life as much as it deserves to be,
That life is as kind to you as you deserve it to be,
And that you pass the love along to all those who deserve it.
Happy New Year and all my best wishes and love go out to y'all,
For life would not be worth the living if it were it not for the love!

[Listening to: Where Does the Good Go - Tegan and Sara - So Jealous (03:37)]