Today, as I drove up the driveway, I noticed two windows to the front of the house never got beribboned wreaths on them. Normally that kind of assymetry would not have been tolerated on my part. Very odd. Maybe OCD is loosening its Kung Fu grip on me...

Matthew's favorite word these days: dumbass. Evidently, he was in the car with Dad at an unusually frustrating moment--for Dad. Interestingly enough, my three year old is well skilled at inserting this word contextually into conversation to the great of delight of siblings and hismale co-creator. This means one thing. Next time we need milk, to return library books or hit a park day, said male co-creator is soooooo handling that with this particular offspring in tow.

Key to a pleasant visit at the inlaws house full of even more inlaws: have something socially acceptable to do that requires little participation in the general conversation...I made candy for jarheads and Spartans and avoided all manner of political and or social interjection. Of course a couple of rum and cokes never hurt.

Books/magazines/CDs on my desk: The Fountainhead, the Bible, the Economist and Texas Farm and Ranch, Tracy Chapman's Fast Cars, the new Eagles CD, Snow Patrol, GooGoo Dolls and some funk stuff whose band name I can't pronounce with lyrics which include: "paranoia will destroy ya" circa 1997.

Recent debates: men vs women, gluttony, why eating marshmallows out of your pants has a downside, best John Wayne movie of all time.

What's been going on with everyone else?