Gingerbread House Contest

One of the highlights of the holidays was the gingerbread house contest. The team of Anne and Mary barely nosed out the team of Justin, Jenna and Grace with their Hawaiian theme. Team Justin had a more traditional manger scene. 

Marley and Me

JoAne and Ralph went to see Marley and Me on Saturday. Despite the fact that it didn't get great reviews, they thoroughly enjoyed it.

And to All a Good Year . . .

Christmas 2008 is winding down, but it is doing so gradually and with continuous activity.  Jenna and Doris left NC on the 26th and Anne and Justin are on their way back to Kansas today.  Grace dropped them off at the airport as she picks Jamie up.  Mary will be returning to New York tomorrow, and Grace and Jamie are going back to Ohio in time for New Year's Eve.  Last night we invited all the young pros from the club over for chili, anxious for them to meet our kids.  We had a great time, but are definitely going to need a vacation from all the food and wine!!  Celebrated in true Grinter style, for sure.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Christmas on New Year's

The Dallas contingent was spread to the winds for Christmas this year. Alison is in Denver with Mike's family, Chris is in Midland with Amy's family, Kelly and Preston are in San Angelo with Kelly's family, and Wes is in Houston with Jenny's. Rick and Wendy (and Wally and Bob Dog) drove down to Houston to have Christmas with Wes, but only stayed for about 24 hours. Time for some fancy dinner, The Night Before Christmas, and morning presents, but little else.

Our big celebration will be on New Year's Day when all the prodigal children (with the exception of Wes) will be home. All are pleased that this year's diaspora means that next year will be a BIG family Christmas in Dallas.

Santa & Elf

Santa and his Elf ready to go visiting at the Health Center. Last Thursday, they visited the Elementary School.

It's snowing in the city!! Not exactly a white winter wonderland (more like gray with ice traps) but beautiful nonetheless. I have pretty much wrapped up my Christmas shopping unusually early this year and have been getting pumped up for North Carolina!

Our new offices have walls, and the painting will start on Monday, flooring shortly thereafter, and we will start moving in when I get back after Christmas--very exciting! We took some fun holiday pictures to send out as e-cards to our clients and editors and with Mom's creative genius and Anne's technical savviness they ended up looking great and we have been getting the nicest feedback!!!

Hope everyone is staying warm and dry!

Like New Again

As many of you know, on the first day of our recent 15 day trip, someone rammed the front of our car in a parking garage as we were eating dinner with Ann Pearce. Naturally, they left no note. So the Avalon spent all last week in the body shop[ where it got a new fender, a new headlight assembly and a new front bumper. The Finegolds were kind enough to loan us one of their cars for the duration. This marks the second time in about two months we've been hit while in a parking lot. 

It's Time

OK, so maybe it's time for another Grinter Winter Olympics.  Complete with gong, saltines, rules, uniforms and alcohol.  It has to be in Southern Pines because that is where the torch is.  Our teams will be larger next year and the more the merrier!  Remember, Ali and Mike weren't even there in 2001(?), and  Ali and Mike will be three in 2009!  Justin was not even a twinkle in Anne's eye way back when, and who knows about the rest of the kids.  Just throwing it out, well in advance.  Christmas 2009 anyone?

Where the Vampires Roam

Last Sunday, immediately following the departure of the folks from our Thanksgiving holiday, I began to feel a bit under the weather. Mind you, I have not missed a day of work due to illness in more than five years, so i figured that I would just rest on Sunday and be ready for work on Monday. Most of the day Sunday was spent sleeping, driving the porcelain bus, and drinking vast quantities of water. I finally heaved the last of my stomach contents at about 4pm and went to sleep for the night. Unfortunately my sleep was interrupted at about 6am with a bout of dry heaves. Wendy decided I was not going to work. I didn't decide anything, I just slept.

Wendy returned home for lunch and, despite my protestation, took me into the ER. Surprisingly the let me right in. I was immediately plugged into drips, poked with stickers and needles, and generally abused. The doctor said my body had sustained a major insult -- so what else is new. They moved me into an ICU room and began the week long process of waking me back up.

As a bit of back story here, my insulin pump apparently sustained damage while I was running back an interception during our Thanksgiving day football game. For several days, unbeknownst to me, insulin had been delivered into my pants but not my body. By the time I caught on, my blood sugar was in the stratosphere and the insults began.

But that is not the story. This story is about the vampires who roam the corridors of the ICU late at night. These creatures in their flowing white lab coats and porcelain faces keep a close eye on anyone in ICU lest they miss an opportunity to feed. They will float into your room with their tool kit at their side to extract a morsel every two to three hours. After a couple of days you barely awaken as they take their little snack. "Big stick" some will say before they jab you with their equipment. The kinder ones will attempt to use an existing hole from previous feedings. I returned from the ICU on Thursday last with the telltale bite marks and bruises that evidence a short stay.

Thanksgiving Pictures

Climb Aboard

I know I have been MIA for awhile but as you can see from the picture it is because I decided to launch out and start my own business. It is still a single person, single bus operation, but I plan on taking NYC by the ground, air, and sea.

But in between my route, I have been very busy with other things too! There have been a ton of events going on with work, we are moving our office into a huge new loft one floor up, spending time with my girlfriends and all that good stuff. NYC is crazy with tourists and shoppers, the Christmas tree is being lit tonight, and the ice skating rink in Bryant Park is open!

Brooklyn is a breath of fresh air at the end of the day, I love my apartment! One question for all you cat owners--Peekay is scratching the side of my couch and I don't know what to do to keep her from tearing it up. I already have to fight tooth and nail against being perceived as a cat lady, and the number one tell tale sign of a cat lady is a ripped couch. Any suggestions?? I cut her nails all the time so it's not like she is clawing because they are too long. heelllpp!!!!

Weymouth Christmas Tour

My friend Tracy and I unwittingly found ourselves in charge of decorating the "children's tree" for  Southern Pines Annual "Christmas at Weymouth" charity event.  The entire home is decorated by local garden clubs and we participated on behalf of National Golf Club.  (They don't know me well enough to appreciate my embarrassing lack of "green" knowledge).  Anyway, the tree is adorable and we are just keeping our fingers crossed that the cranberries don't attract local mice!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Tho we missed our "girls plus one" desperately, we had a great time with the Atlanta bunch!  Norman and I were thoroughly entertained at Carol and Jim's by two unforgettable little ones.  Jackson and Emmie are as charming as they are smart and adorable.  Then, at Barb and Denis's, they were blown away by how their four had grown and matured.  We are so proud to claim them all!

We finished off the weekend in Charlotte witnessing the Celtics beat a great Bobcats team, spending the night in a downtown hotel and shopping at the South Park Mall before heading back to Buttonwood.  Now, we turn our attention to Christmas and 12Twelve deadlines.