Only 364 More Shopping Days!

Hooray! We've survived another Christmas.

Because really, that time between Thanksgiving and New Year's is an endurance test...too much food, money, and joyeauxness. The reward is some excellent food, cool new loot, and, if you're really naughty, festive holiday sex.

Santa brought Lori a nifty new camera, and we took it out for a spin. This is the floodwall outside of Cairo, IL. It's always fascinated me. If the Mississippi and/or Ohio River severely jump their banks, this gate will drop down and seal Cairo off from the rest of Southern Illinois. I appreciate this, but it sort of creeps me out for the citizens of Cairo, who will ostensibly be trapped on the wrong side of this 50 foot tall metal gate in 50 feet of river water.

Talk about suckage!

However, inside of the city of Cairo are a lot of gorgeous old antebellum homes, including Magnolia Manor, shown left.

Cairo was where the money was in Illinois in the 19th century. So much so, in fact, that when Chicago came down looking for a loan to raise the city up and cut down on the swampiness and malaria, Cairo decided that Chicago wasn't ever going to amount to anything and turned them down. Ooops.

So our reward for successfully surviving Christmas was a day of driving around taking pictures and being together.

I love my new Sirius radio and piles of new books, but I love quiet days in the car with Lori even more.

Oh...but Carrie, the new Isabel Allende is fantastic. I'll pass it on to you if you'd like.

Everyone pat yourself on the back. We successfully navigated another holiday season. Yay for us!