nothing that dramatic

Life continues.

Thanksgiving came and went, much like the waves upon the seashore, but with pie. Kids were with their mom this year, so I went to Texas, where it was every bit as cold and rainy as Seattle.

My mom & dad are on a cruise in Mexico, spending our inheritance, which I heartily approve of. People rant on about high "death taxes", but if there is one tax I can get behind, it's that one. People should be able to leave their kids a little something, sure, but AFAIC it should be up to each generation to make their own way in life. Knowing you have a big inheritance coming is a sure way to make people lazy. Of all the kinds of money I don't have a problem seeing escheat to the state, money that used to belong to people who are now dead is first on my list.

Camila turned 37. She looks about 27 and I look my age, which is too bad. A waitress once asked if she was my daughter. Oh well. I cry about that sometimes. (Not.) *

Which reminds me: you know how sometimes you'll see a guy in his 50's (or more) with a sweet young thang on his arm, and people (okay, mostly women) wrinkle up their noses and say sniffily "She's young enough to be his daughter!" ?
That's what I aspire to.

Planning a fambly get-together at Xmas. Hannah has generously let me have most of the kids' Xmas break this year, which I appreciate. She has been very flexible with our custody scheduling, which allows me to see the kids and still travel to make money consulting. Which nobody cares about, but now that I typed it and you read it, well, it's too late to remedy.

I've been making myself laugh a lot lately, but nobody else really thinks my witticisms are that. Perhaps the first step on the road to insanity; if so, it's kind of fun.

A person I don't even know but have a (very remote) connection to is dying this week. 39 yrs old, seemed in perfect health, worked out, felt great, diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer 3 months ago. Good reminder about how life is a crapshoot and we ought to be thankful for every day.

I have more work than I know what to do with lately; still trying to get caught up and maintain balance of work, time with kids, and a little time for myself (hockey game tonight!).

David turns 15 Monday. Sam is 17 going on 11 going on 30. She's weathering the hard teenage years pretty well, actually. I get pretty frustrated with her sometimes, but then she turns around and does something really sweet or demonstrates some new level of maturity that impresses me. They're my kids and I love them.

That will be all at this time. Back to your regularly-scheduled (and less boring) life.

*And it's not why I'm with Camila, anyway -- it's not irrelevant, but it's not even in the top 10.
As she says, La belleza se acaba -- Beauty doesn't last. There better be something more going on, or you're doomed.