The Day After

We're all still recovering from a great Christmas Day. The kids really had a blast, as the picture above should show.

The day started at about 6 a.m. for the kids, though I told them we weren't going downstairs to open presents until 8 a.m. So, about 7 a.m., I got up and stayed with the girls until 8. Then, we let them loose. ...

I think the highlights of their gifts were the Gameboy units, especially for Elspeth, and the My Little Pony castle for Alyssa.

Throughout the day, Jayne and I alternated naps. Jayne's mom wasn't feeling well early on, but did make it out to open some more gifts later in the day.

For me, the gifts are secondary (you can tell I'm not a kid). I just liked being home with the family and seeing the kids content.

I could have done without gashing my finger with scissors as I tried to open the Littlest Pet Shop box.

A diversion

I must share my Christmas Eve event.

I had to work and, I'll say, the shift was a challenge because my co-workers were, well, a challenge. Yes, that's what I'll say for the sake of decorum. Let's just say the holiday spirit was about the only thing keeping me from freaking out, bit I digress.

The event happened earlier in the day.

I was on my way in about 9:30 a.m. (early deadline) Sunday and crested the I-196 overpass before the airport tunnel. I saw the police officer, but felt I was safe because I was in the process of slowing down and was the middle car of three going into the tunnel.

Well, the officer pulled me over for speeding (and yes, I was), but let the other two vehicles go. We werer all going the same speed! It didn't take me long to figure out why.

The car in front of me was a newer, shiny black model with a middle-aged looking white woman driving. The car behind me was a newer gold-colored Cadillac with an old, white-haired white woman driving. Then there was me: A scuffy, long-haired male with a ripped up Carhart jacket and a Bills cap driving a decade-old rusting Corsica. Also, I was singing at the top of my lungs one of teh tracks from the album "Help!"

I bet that officer thought he was going to make a drug bust or an arrest for OUIL.

You see, call me paranoid, but I'm the one whose car gets pulled over and searched at the Canadian border. I'm also the one who gets pulled out of lines at airports and searched. I got so good at the latter that I already had my shoes off before I was pulled over to be X-rayed even more.

Anyway, I got away with a warning. I had to go up to Holland today and have them run my driving record. I passed.

Thought: I better not be on the road on New Year's.