2010, Good Riddance!

While all the news outlets proclaim the top stories of the past year and notable personalities we lost, I will instead wish a hearty heave-ho to the second millennium's first decade, and wish for you, as myself, a healthy and prosperous 2011!

• The House of Donald was blessed to have the kids this Christmas.  Actually, we spent the night at my folks' house, and oldest son had to report to work at 6:00 a.m. Christmas morning.  Luckily, his workplace was not busy, and he was able to leave mid-morning to rejoin us.
• Attended our first Dallas Cowboys game at the new stadium the week before Christmas.  There is nothing subtle about that place.  I probably enjoyed the trip as much for seeing the engineering accomplishment (oldest son and I toured with an ASME group in 2007 when it was under construction) as the game.  The whole experience is a spectacle.  I wonder how many people go there and pay no attention to the contest on the field?  Anyway, I am most grateful to best friend Mark and his wife Claire, who passed the tickets on to us when her Dad presented them with Giants-Eagles tickets (a game that resulted in a massive meltdown for the NYG).

Two Donalds and a non-Donald (who nonetheless has 'don' in his name) - photo credit: The Donald

• My sons have both been in Scouting.  Daughter has not.  Even so, she is every bit as rugged as any Scout I ever met.  The first night of Christmas vacation, she asked if we could sleep outdoors on the deck.  "Honey, it's going to be too cold", I said.  She just grinned.  "You're crazy."  More grinning.  "We'll have to put plenty of comforters over the sleeping bags, then."  Giggling.
• That first night, it got down to 30° or 31°.   She pointed out Orion's belt, Polaris, the Big Dipper, as well as a shooting star.  I woke up several times to check to see if she was warm enough.  Yep. 
• We slept outside all eight days she spent over here (only retreating indoors in the middle of the night that it rained).  Two other nights were 23° and 27°.  If she were a Scout, she'd have earned three Polar Bear badges.  Middle son joined us one of the non-freezing nights.
• I enjoy sleeping outdoors, but mainly enjoy looking up at the sky and talking until one or the other of us falls asleep.  An experience worth more than money or gold.
• Odd street sign:

• Of course, I thought maybe I was in Santa Fe:

• Then again, I had to worry about the attack of the killer Jackalope:

• They're vicious, I'm told.
• I didn't get caught up in the commercial Christmas vs. spiritual Christmas discussion this year.  Oh, sure, I fall into the latter camp.  But as friend Todd the Blogger points out, why split hairs over why, or how, someone is celebrating Christ's birth.  I wasn't out spending large sums, but, to the extent those who opened their wallets large this season helped the economy - I thank them.
• We attended the middle Christmas Eve service at our Church.  It was awesome.
• Am trying to access Obi's blog - using the sign on to the link, without success.
• Got some inexpensive Western DVDs at the outlet mall - the kind where you get two movies on a disc, a couple of discs for $3.
• If you ask most people about their favorite Western actor, you'll hear John Wayne, Eastwood, James Stewart, Fonda. Good choices all. And I would add another: Terence Hill (who co-starred with Fonda in 1973's My Name is Nobody, a classic).
• At least one, so far, was a winner:
• Lucky Luke: Ghost Train.  Starring Terence Hill (née Mario Girotti), this European TV series movie from 1991 co-stars Nancy Morgan (married to actor John Ritter from 1977-1996), Jack Elam,  David Huddleston (Olson Johnson from Blazing Saddles), and Abe Vigoda.  The trailer also credits Madeline Kahn, though she was actually in other episodes of Lucky Luke, but not this one.  The theme song is sung by Roger Miller.  Featuring a talking horse, this show is pure, slapstick Western fun.

• I got a new Cabela's spotting scope for Christmas - looking forward to using it.
• The latest issue of Shooting has an article about Smith & Wesson adding a .41 Remington Magnum offering to its 357 Night Guard line of snubbie revolvers.  Glad to see the .41 get the recognition it deserves, especially from the company that developed the original handguns for the round.

• Interestingly, the article made no mention of the cartridge's proponents: Elmer Keith and Bill Jordan. Edit: ...and Skeeter Skelton, too.
• Heresy!
• So I will.

Have a wonderful, happy, safe, and prosperous New Year!