White Christmas 2009

Here’s who woke up to a White Christmas:

Guaranteed White Christmas

Thanx to the internets!  There is a Christmas Blizzard brewing right now pretty much over Lubbock, Texas’ head.  The storm started as rain in California, but brought snow to some areas south of Tucson.  The storm sank further southward than originally expected and the forecast for Lubbock changed from rain and some snow to some rain and more snow!  Right now the Hub City is covered with about 6″ and it’s coming down sideways.  The 7am observation at LBB is:  “Snow, Freezing Fog, Blowing Snow and Windy, 26.”  I’m jealous, especially since I should have been there had I had a few extra $$s.  Thankfully, there is the internets.

This gathering storm is now plowing east.  The kids and grandkids north of Dallas are under a Winter Storm Warning and they could see rain changing to snow by this afternoon and maybe an inch or three just in time for Christmas!

Add this snow to what is already on the ground and a large chuck of the U.S. is fixin’ ta have a White Christmas.  If you aren’t, then just surf some web cams, put on some Bing Crosby and dare to dream!

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

As in right here in my apartment.   It’s a bit odd that I don’t feel that bad about it.   I DO miss my kids and grandkids in Texas, but there is just no way I can swing a Christmas trip this year.  Other than missing them, I am good with laying low this year.

I have friends locally that are going to ask, “What are you doing for Christmas?”  and they might invite me by ’cause they feel sorry for me.  I appreciate it!  But honestly, I am good with some alone time.

It’s not usual, I guess, but I do very well in a crowd, one on one, and by myself.  When I first took the Myers-Briggs personality test when I was a teenager, I was right down the middle extrovert/introvert.  This surprises people I know, because when I am with people, the extrovert comes out.  However, I really need my alone time or I go a little crazy.  Of course, I need my hangin’ with the peeps time too or I go a little crazy.

I am looking forward to the two or three Christmas gatherings I have yet to attend in the next couple of weeks, but I am also looking forward to watching a little football Christmas Day and making some phone calls.  I’ll be home for Christmas.  Celebrating with my Savior on His Birthday observed :-)

What Christmas is All About

Merry Christmas from Tucson!

He’s Got the The Whole World

Wow. It was really unexpected. Mom sent me a big ol’ box for Christmas, but it was what was inside that was the surprise. It was the Whole World! A Globe! I’ve wanted one, but it’s something I probably never would have bought myself. Afterall, there is Google Earth :-)

This globe is really special. First of all, Mom got it for me. Also, each country is a gem stone! The oceans too. It’s really cool, valuable and practical.

Thanx Mom!

John 3:16-17
¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Favorite Christmas’ – 2007 in Roswell

Yes, it’s true. This year was another favorite Christmas!!! I was invited to hang out with the family and extended ex in-law family in Roswell again. I have to be honest. They treat me better then I deserve and I appreciate it!

The drive from Tucson is about 575 miles. I left Sunday morning, December 23rd and arrived by late afternoon. I would have been there a bit sooner, but a few miles after I left the apartment there was a guy trying to push his car up a slight hill to the gas station. I stopped and helped and found out how out of shape I am!

Anyway, the 575 mile drive took a little over 6 1/2 hours. I checked into my hotel and shortly after Michael called and said they were at the house (his grandparents house) and to come by. I was amazed at how much Roswell had changed and grown! A lot of hotels and a lot of new restaurants. Part of it is the alien tourism. Most is probably from the oil boom. Another big part from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center being based there. It all adds up to little Roswell, New Mexico growing!

The weekend was filled with a lot of family fun. Amber and her husband Michael were there with my granddaughters. They are SO CUTE! My son Michael stayed with me at the hotel because the house was packed.

We did a lot of fun stuff. Most of it just hanging out at the house and enjoying each others company. I am so grateful that I am accepted as family. It really is amazing.

Christmas Day was awesome. The tree was lost in a sea of presents! The kids slept in until after 8am! I’m not sure how that works, because we were always up before the Sun. Anyway, opening all those presents took quite a while :-) Josh got a Wii, so I spent a lot of the rest of the day bowling along with Michael, Natalea, Josh, Lauren and others. I have now decided. I want a Wii!

Dinner was turkey and ham and all the fixin’s. The deviled eggs were just as awesome as I always remembered! Turns out Jodina made ‘em this year. They turned out just as good as when her Mom makes ‘em. Then it was time to bowl for real!

Gene, Michael’s Grandpa, owns the bowling alley in town. Every year they host Christmas in Roswell, we all go bowling. The bowling center was closed on Christmas, but we know who has the key :-) This year was particularly interesting. Turns out Michael’s friend from college also has grandparents in Roswell! They were instant messaging and found out they were both in town, even though neither one knew the other had family in Roswell! So, Michael invited Rachel to bowl with us. I am not a good bowler. If I hit the 1-teens I’m doing good. I did have one game of 137! The rest in the high 90′s. Funny. On the Wii I was bowling in the high 100′s and had two games over 200, but I digress :-) Mostly the bowling was about hangin’ out and having fun! Rachel is really nice and it was nice to meet one of Michael’s smart college friends.

So, about a half hour before we leave, it starts to snow! By the time we left, it was sideways snow coming down hard!!! It was awesome! We drove back to the house with wet roads, but grassy areas turning white. We ended up with a quick inch of snow just in time to make it an official white Christmas!

I drove back the next day and the roads were clear even though there was still some melting snow to enjoy on the side of the road.

There were a lot of highlights to this Christmas. Mainly the time spent with my son Michael, my daughter Amber, my grandkids, and with the ex in-laws who always make me feel welcome.

Thanx for another great Christmas!

Favorite Christmas’ – Skiing

I’m not positive of the year. Most likely 1992. I lived in Roswell, New Mexico and the kids lived across town. Christmas morning was clear and cold! I was up early and loaded the car with presents for the kids and drove to their house. I stayed maybe an hour or two and got to watch them play with their new toys, etc. I then left so they could get on with their visiting other family, and I made the short drive to Ski Apache.

I was a Weatherman on KBIM TV at the time and Ski New Mexico provided all the weather folks in the state with free skiing! I had been a few times and was getting decent. It was way fun! That’s for sure. So, by 10am I was on the slopes and pretty much skied all day! I was by myself, so I didn’t really talk to too many people. I just enjoyed the skiing and the snow. Did I mention I LOVE SNOW?! The slopes close at 4:00. I skied pretty much until then, turned in my rentals, and drove home. Stopping at the Sonic in Ruidoso first, of course. I was tuckered out, but Christmas wasn’t done yet.

I got home a little after dark. I was invited to the Simmons’ for Christmas Dinner! I lived just a few blocks from them, so I changed and walked to their house using the Spring River Trail and then up the hill on Pennsylvania. The meal was delicious, as always, and I got to spend more time with the kids and also my ex-in laws.

For variety, fun, and family, it’s hard to beat this Christmas memory!

Favorite Christmas’ – Miracle Snow!

I was a reporter/photographer at KBIM TV in Roswell, New Mexico. One man bands they (we) are called. Reporters who shoot their own stuff. It was probably the first Christmas after my divorce and the first since moving back to Roswell from Canby. That would make it the Christmas of 1991.I was the low man on the totem pole. That means I was the only reporter. AND the only only photographer scheduled to work that day. I had gone to Gaye Drive the night before (Christmas Eve) to shoot video of Christmas light’s in that famous for Christmas Lights neighborhood! At least famous in Roswell. I’ll probably even check it out this Christmas Eve while I am there!I admit it. I was feeling sorry for myself. I was working on Christmas. I was a little sad and a little lonely. Separated from family and all. I was working on my Christmas lights feature. The idea was to take my video and do an AB Roll. Basically, fading back and forth between shots. The whole thing set to music. Vic McCarty, our sports guy and good friend, gave me some Christmas music from the Kingston Trio. So, I finished that and it turned out pretty good actually :-) I do remember being sad and lonely while I put it together though :-(

The forecast was for cold and fog and low clouds. No precipitation, just cold and cloudy. Well it started to snow! It was probably 34 degrees, but it was snowing! And it snowed and snowed some more!

It was still snowing and I had to cover a story at the Catholic Church. They were feeding homeless and poor folk Christmas Dinner. As you can imagine, the story was very very touching! I had a great time covering it! And the whole time it was snowing!!! I remember getting my shoes wet going back to my car because of the slush. But who cares! It was SNOWING!

If you know me at all, you know I love snow! I got some video of the snow to send to Albuquerque. Put my story together. It was all good :-)

My video aired in Albuquerque. My Christmas lights aired on KBIM (I wish I had a copy) and so did my story. I did my job on Christmas, and God gave me a miracle snow to enjoy!!!

Favorie Christmas’ – Comet

It was in the ’70′s, I know that. It was a really cold Christmas morning. We lived on Seven Oaks Lane, about four miles outside of Canby. I’m not sure of the year, but I do remember that they were building more houses and extending the street. I was probably in 5th or 6th grade since I was really interested in astronomy by then.

I’m think I might have got a telescope that Christmas. What I do remember most was the neat time I spent with Dad.

There was a comet that was supposed to be visible in the west. I don’t remember the name, but if you hang on a second, I’ll Google it. Hang on…

I can’t find it. I remember it started with a K. It was some long Russian word, I think. Hang on. I’m gonna Google some more…

I found it! Comet Kohoutek. Visible Christmas of 1973. That would make this story the second year we lived on Seven Oaks Lane. (That puts me in 5th grade) Glad we got that settled! What did we do before the Internets?!

So, Dad and I went outside Christmas morning before the Sun came up to see if we can see this comet. (we never did) We were on the west side of what would later be Edna’s house. We were on the west side to see if we could spot the comet, plus there was a bitter east wind blowing! It was cold :-)

But the best thing about the whole thing? Was spending the time with Dad. I don’t remember what we were talking about. Astronomy maybe. I just remember hanging out with him on the west side of a house under construction on a cold Christmas morning. It was the best! Thanx Dad!

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