Bob's Christmas Goose is Really Cooked Now...

Ah, Christmas time! Icy roads, icy fingers, icy windshields, icy parking lots, icy power lines, the dog is a pupcicle...you get the idea!

Speaking of ice, I saw a Wisconsin phenomenon last night. On my way home from picking up Shan from school, a semi tractor was on the side of Route 12, headlights facing North, and tail lights facing North! There were also four other vehicles in the ditch within about fifty yards of each other...the roads were just a touch icy.

Tonight I'm sitting here snug in my warm little house, staring at my Christmas frog Pete as he burrows into the warm, moist moss in his glass house. I'm worried about my friends traveling to Arkansas tonight. Steve, Dawn, Bree and Julie-please be safe and we'll see you all on Sunday. Merry Christmas my friends!

Speaking of Christmas, I love to buy presents for my family and friends-but like many folks, my gift ideas far outweigh the contents of my pocketbook. I get by however, and manage to stay mostly within my means. I plan, I make lists, I observe people all year long and note things they really want but pass on for one reason or another, I watch for sales, I compare brands and prices, I collect online coupons, I stand on my head and light my hair on fire....(whew!) and it brings me great joy to watch as each person opens the special gift I spent so much time planning and choosing.

Bob on the other hand, admits that he is not the world's best gift buyer-that is, he dashes out Christmas Eve and as he stares at the endless bombardment of advertising, stresses about what to buy and grabs whatever he can reach within twenty feet of the entrance of the store.

Come Christmas Day, he spends half the day apologizing and the other half telling me what a bad gift buyer he is. I've tried hinting, I've left very conspicuous Christmas lists, I've tried prodding, poking, in July I even pointed out something and yelled, "CHRISTMAS!" Alas, nothing seems to work.

So Christmas rolls around once again and I look forward to it with both joy and dread. After the presents are opened, I usually just watch football and begin thinking about next year.

This year I had a great idea. I decided to just tell Bob exactly what I wanted. I found the perfect gift. I saw it advertised in the local paper two weeks in a row and knew it was an omen! It was far beyond our pocketbook, but I had to have it and knew Bob would be so happy he didn't have to shop he couldn't say no.

I had a great lead in planned; I had my ducks in a row, and came right out and asked Bob if I could buy a Newfoundland puppy. Without batting an eyelash he said (make that shrieked) NO! No more dogs!

I was stunned. I tried to point out that I hadn't had a Newfie in many years... the answer was still no. I reasoned that Wesley the Newfoundland was a main character in Totally Buzzed, and wouldn't it be cool if I had a Newfie when the book came out 2010...the answer was an emphatic NO.

So as I sit here gazing at Pete the frog-now mostly buried in his moss bed, I am already thinking about next year. This past Sunday Bob and I were at an all-animal swap in Chcago....

I am now the proud owner of two dwarf hampsters....

Merry Christmas everyone!