What did I do? Traditional Christmas barbecue. Doesn’t everyone? We almost went to the beach, but figured it would be too crowded–I’m totally serious.

Your Christmas does sound like fun. I have enough family still up north (PA & NY) that I can get my winter fix in. When the kids are a little older and can appreciate it, I will introduce them to the wonders of snow on Christmas Day, with none of the hassle of having to live with the stuff for several months. Snow in NYC is disgusting. It looks so pretty coming down, but once traffic, people, and dogs have had their way with it, it’s just a gross slushy wet mess.

You better spike Gator’s ice coffee with something interesting.

(.\/.)

/stomps off to fridge to console self with sealblubbersicle

/sips on ice latte and adjusts sunglasses

As in: “b00bz”

Carry on.

Y’gotta do the drive, the walks all ’round the house (its a big house, too) and the neighbours on both sides (they are elderly). Then, when you’re done that, head across the street and get the walks of the house with the handicapped parking sign out front. Clean the snow blower with the compressed air hose before you put it away. Then, grab your shovel and clean off the deck. When you are finished that, you may have that heart attack you’ve been working on.

I was born and raised in Nueva York and I know exactly what I’m not missing. Too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, and too many damn people, many of them Yankee fans. I do miss Central Park in the fall, but I can always visit. As for what I do here? Year round, I enjoy some beaches with the finest white sand and the clearest of blue water (Clearwater, get it?). The only problem is that sometimes, I take all this natural beauty for granted. It’s a terrible problem, but somehow, I carry on.

(Just an FYI, the Tampa Bay region, which includes Clearwater, has been hit with exactly zero hurricanes in the past 80 years. I wish I could say the same for my old hometown. I wouldn’t wish a hurricane on anyone.)

Uh-oh – my pitcher of frozen banana colada daiquiri is empty again. Better refill it before I tan too much more….aww, shit, another frog just jumped into the pool. Everyone wants to cool off.