Baby, I'm Back.......

Ya miss me? -grin-

First of all, a very belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you out there in Blog land. I spent the holidays at the Randall's (my adopted family) in the northern neck of Virginia and just didn't bother to do much of anything computer wise.

Christmas has never been a big holiday for me. My family is a bit scattered and dysfunctional so I never spent a Christmas without watching at least a small fistfight breaking out at the dinner table. (One of the best ones I ever saw was between two uncles debating as to whether or not Davy Crockett had Indian blood in him. It was settled in the back yard. And no, I don't remember who won -grin-) When I got older and married the good wife, we were never able to have kids so I would always end up working on Christmas eve and Christmas so the people on my squad with kids could spend the days off with their little ones. I did like to cook so I would do a holiday meal for my troops as well as the staff of the ED and other officers in neighboring police departments.

This year the good wife took her sister and mother on a cruise around New Zealand and Australia thus leaving me to my own devices. (I was offered a chance to go with them, but the three of them together would have driven me right out of my mind. Good wife's mother and sister are what you might call "high maintenance" -grin-) The Randall clan asked if I would like to spend some time with them, so on Christmas day morning, up the road I went. Of course, the very best part of the trip is Miss Susan, who sometimes seems to be a thirty year old woman in a three year old body. Damn that kid is smart. In comparison I would hate to think what I was like at three. Either still hanging from tree branches or painting things on cave walls.

I forgot how much fun Christmas can be if you look at it through the eyes of a three year old. I had a absolute ball. I guess over the years I got a bit jaded about the holiday but spending the time I did with these good folks and that little cutie made me feel a lot better as well as more positive about the whole season. It is amazing what changes the littlest things can bring to your mindset when you least expect them.

Another thing that I would like to mention is that the 25th was the one year anniversary of Doin' The Time Warp. I first started this blog as a chance to practice my writing skills as well as having a chance to spout off about things that interested me. It has taken a life of it's own and I have had a really good time with it. I have learned a heck of a lot from other bloggers, made some friends, a few enemies, and got to spout off. What more could I ask for? -grin-

I would like to thank all those who take the time to read these words. I hope that I have not made people think that I felt a overwhelming need to blow my own horn for my self gratification. I also hope that I have shared a few odds and ends with folks to make them think a bit and maybe helped them learn something they didn't know. That's the closet teacher in me. But most importantly, I hope that once in a while I caused you to smile, even if you really didn't want to. I learned a LOOONG time ago not to take either life or myself too seriously and I try to share that belief with everyone I meet. Life is much too short to pass through without smiles and laughter.

So dear readers and friends, once again, thank you for your most kind attention and I hope you will stick with me in 2009. It should be a very interesting year.