v32.0: Zug Zug

Good morning folks,

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First off, I'd like to apologize to everyone.  It has been quite awhile since I last posted and while my intention has been to post more often, I rarely find the "right time" these days.  The Christmas holidays are fast approaching, the feeling of Christmas is in the air and the malls are a mess with people running around picking up gifts for friends and loved ones.  I want to hate Christmas, but there is something about it that makes it "magical".

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This year we drew names for Christmas gifts.  This is a tradition that goes back as far as I can remember.  Everyone puts their name into a hat and the hat is passed around from person to person to pick out a name.  The rules are simple, you can't pick your own name (obviously) and you can't pick the same name you picked last year.  This year, I got my mother!

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Think of it like a "Secret Santa" without the Secret part.  It is a great way to give gifts and it does save money since buying for everyone can get quite expensive, especially if you have a large family.  This way we only need to focus on one person and we have a "limit" to spend on that one person.  The limit isn't strictly enforced, it is more of a guideline so one person doesn't buy a huge expensive gift for someone and the other person buys a pair of socks for another.  This year I exceeded the limit for my mother's gift, by a little bit :)

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As I already mentioned, there is something magical about Christmas time.  I haven't been able to put my finger on it but there is definitely something about this time of year.  Fresh fallen snow, lots of lights, people mingling and visiting friends you have hardly seen all year.  It is a time for family and friends to come together and share the holiday season.  It is also the ending of one year and the beginning of a new year.  We are on the verge of 2010, hard to believe.  Back in the early 80s we were told we would be driving flying cars by now.

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Well folks, my time is up here and I must get back to work.  I'm in the process of putting some finishing touches on the first chapter of my novel which I plan on posting here for you all to critique for me.  I appreciate all comments and feedback, good or bad.  I am going to make a go at this writing thing to see if I have what it takes to make a good writer.  Musings over Coffee has really helped to develop and hone my skills and I am always finding better ways to convey meaning and articulate thoughts through this medium.  Some day I would like to take all my posts here, touch up some of the obvious spelling and grammatical errors and create a book out of it; some day.

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Well folks, the coffee is gone (went down way too easy today) and work beckons like Death himself.  Remember to watch for falling ice this holiday season and don't bring ice into a store and ask for a watch; that's not what the sign means :)

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Cheers,

Al