ushering in the new year

I hope 2010 is off to a galloping start for everyone. 2009 was rough on a lot of folks I know; let's hope we've put such nonsense behind us.

K. and I just got back from 10 days on the wrong side of the Continental Divide, seeing family and reminding ourselves that no matter how catastrophic the state's budget and leadership crisis is, we'll always have the weather. (Feel free to rub my nose in this sentence come August.)

The cat weathered our absence just fine, thanks to wonderful neighbors who attended to his physical and emotional needs. That didn't stop him from waking me up every 90 minutes last night, nuzzling my face and purring, as if he were a newborn baby. Not that those purr, in my (limited) experience.

My to-do list is predictably enormous, and I'm calling for advice on one item. I generally buy my xmas cards right after xmas and put them away until December. Does anyone have suggestions for stores with spiffy cards on deep markdown?

The best xmas card we got this year (or perhaps any year) was a picture of a friend posed next to light-pole graffiti that read "Pretty boy looking for strap-on girl to make me her bitch" -- with the inside message of "May all your wishes come true!" So, as an alternative to cool cards on sale, suggestions of appropriate local graffiti are also welcome.

In addition to stacks of xmas cards (and I mailed mine from the east coast), we came home to a big packet from Pomona Heritage: It seems they are revising their bylaws and have sent them out to the membership for review. I haven't looked over them yet, but it certainly seems like a good idea. As the president's cover letter said, no more notification of board members via telegraph has got to be a win. Three cheers for all the folks who slaved over the revisions -- and God bless us every one.