It is that time of year once more – a time when slightly cool winds and a dusting of snowflakes move through the Midwest for the winter…the time of year when Jennifer begins to look more affectionately at our space heater than at me…and the period of time where we seek out cheap airfares to warmer climates as we curse the heavens for delivering upon us the one inch of ice attached to our car. We enter this time period however feeling slightly more prepared than last year – and figure that if we are able to move through the winter without a car accident or a flooded apartment – then it will be a pleasant one. One thing I am yet to understand, is how to make this winter weather as romantic as Dean Martin when he alerts his lady friend to the fact that Its cold outside’…I have tried many times to make such information romantic…but it inspires nothing more than a barrage of profanity or a retreat under the covers from Jennifer… We are now in LA for the Christmas break after a marathon 15 hour travel day from South Bend to Orange County. We did however receive our first Christmas gift when our final flight was overbooked and they asked for volunteers to wait three hours for the next one. Given we had already spent 12 hours in airports or on planes, we didn’t see much of an issue with an extra few hours, and thus volunteered. In return we received two wonderful round trip tickets to anywhere in the USA – the equivalent of $400 each for our regular trips to the West Coast. A day’s traveling to warmer weather, and a profit – not bad at all.
Finally – a quick piece of golden American advertising which recently arrived in the mail from Neptune Society: America’s Cremation Specialists. Following their self-proclaimed motto of being “Simple, Economical and Dignified”, Neptune was kind enough to offer the chance to win a pre-paid cremation! Now if that doesn’t get you in the holiday spirit…nothing will!
Pictured: Notre Dame after the first snow fall
