The blackness closes in!

First of all, thanks a bunch to all the wonderful people who helped us move into our condo. We're finally getting fully settled in, and things are going quite well. There aren't really any urgent problems with the place, but we still wish we had a couple thousand dollars to just make it our own. I guess we'll have to do it slowly.

Anyway, I have a funny story about getting used to a new place. Any of you who have used the bathroom at night know that you really don't want to turn on the lights because it burns and causes more problems than it's worth (I think I'm more likely to tip over if I turn on the lights at 3:00 in the morning than if I just do everything blindly). At our apartment, the sink and the toilet were in the same room (surprised?), so things we had plugged in to charge usually had that friendly LED glow going on. Here our sink is separated from the toilet and bathtub, so no light carries into the bathroom. Needless to say, I've been trying to get used to pitch darkness for those late night bathroom trips, because there isn't even a single plug in the toilet/shower room. I'm always a bit disoriented, which probably contributed to my funny experience.

I decided a long time ago that if I wake up and need to go to the bathroom, it will take less of my sleep time to just go take care of it than it will to roll over and fight the need to get up. So it was at about 2:30 AM Saturday morning. I rolled out of bed and turned into the dark hallway when suddenly I ran into a pile of clothes. Not surprising since we just moved in, but we had kept the hallway pretty clear all along, so I was a little confused. I reached out my hands instinctively, because now I was confused why I was in pitch blackness before reaching the bathroom. There is usually at least a little light until I get to my final destination. As I reached out my hands, I realized that the entire hallway was blocked by a wall of clothes. When did all of that get there? I will say that I figured my situation out very quickly considering the time and situation because it only took me a few painful seconds of thinking before I walked out of Michelle's closet and down to the next door that leads to the real hallway.

In my defense, I'm used to a much smaller bedroom than the one we now have. Anyway, when I told Michelle of my experience the next morning, we decided that you all might enjoy that story. Good luck everyone in your late-night bathroom excursions.

Isn't he cute?

This is a profile shot of our baby's head. You can see his nose, forehead, and little lips. Isn't he cute? Oh, that brings us to the big news...we're having a BOY! We keep thinking about all the cute little boys we've met over the years, hoping that our little one will be as cute. The doctor checked everything (vital organs, brain, bones, etc.) and said little one looks very healthy. We are so grateful and blessed.

I'm Mister Green Christmas

Imagine a world where you don't have to worry about the big trucks sliding all over the place because they're driving 70 MPH on sheer ice. This is also a world where there aren't people driving 15 MPH on the same road. Imagine a world where you don't have to take your summer clothes with you to change into once you go inside because people think they need to turn the thermostat up to 80 degrees when it's 25 outside. Imagine a world where, if you get roller blades for Christmas, you can play with them OUTSIDE instead of in the kitchen or garage.
Okay, I admit I'm not the biggest fan of snow. "Well, move!" I can hear some of you saying, but the fact is, I have things to do here right now, and I don't feel like commuting that far every single day (and, to be quite honest, I'm not that bent out of shape about it; I just prefer warm weather). I used to like snow. I used to like to go play in it even when I didn't have snow pants and my jeans would freeze to my legs. But I have to tell you, I don't like it anymore. Skiing is more expensive than my willingness to pay, the roads get nasty, and I'm always either too hot or too cold depending on who's in charge of the thermostat. I don't want to offend anyone. You're certainly entitled to love snow, but I think the only Christmas song that gets it right about snow is the one that says "Since we've no place to go, let it snow!..." That's the only time I think it's acceptable, if I can stay inside with Michelle, cuddle up, and watch a movie.
As I drove through a blizzard on Saturday, I realized why we have Christmas in December. Since it's the most miserable time of the year, people needed the biggest holidays of the year just to feel happy. It's a raging success, because people have even become convinced that snow is a good thing. Just listen to most of the Christmas music out there.
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Christmas. I think it's the greatest holiday. People are kinder to others and more generous. Even in a world that is increasingly bad, heroes emerge during this time of year (and I guess the snow and cold gives them more opportunities to serve). I love Christmas music, and I love being with family. I really feel that the spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Christ, and that's why we love this time of year so much, despite the blizzards and such.
Having said all that, who's really the bad guy in this clip?