[][1]Fred with Bear in Montgomery, MI I learned that Colombian tradition places a lot of emphasis on Christmas Eve. Last night, after eating tamales and playing Wii at Michael’s, Yeni’s family and I returned to the house, ate more tamales with friends, and then opened presents. I received some excellent presents this year, including Spider-man trinkets and a new Harley outfit for the bear. We crashed very late and woke up to find much of Ann Arbor closed....
So this is Christmas And what have you done Another year over And a new one just begun And so this is Christmas I hope you have fun The near and the dear ones The old and the young So in Colombian tradition (as I’m learning), Christmas is all about Christmas Eve. So today we are bringing Yeni’s family over to Michael’s for some great times with family, friends, and loved ones....
[][1]Happy Birthday Yeni! Today is Yeni’s birthday… so Happy Birthday Sweetheart! So drop her a line, send her a tweet, or just think special thoughts. Today she is 25 years old (per her choice). I love you sweetheart! Today we are planning food, coconut shrimp, food, and maybe even shopping!!!! Feliz Cumpleaños! Again… we are selecting 25 for this year’s birthday. Next year: also 25. In 2025, Yeni will turn 26....
Yesterday, we woke up at 5am and headed through the snow to take me to the airport. Even after spending 5 hours on the tarmac (and being de-iced from a de-icer named Fred), I still have to say I love American Airlines. Don’t get me wrong, I do not like flying. I hate almost everything about it… From taking off your shoes to the airline reps behind the counter (has anyone ever had a positive experience with a gate agent?...
No much to report on a very busy mid-week. We received a big snowfall last night, which found myself prepping Yeni’s car for work this morning. Can’t say I’m enjoying the though of repeating that action for the next several months. It was c-o-l-d, cold. Oh, and snowy. Last time I was near that much snow, Mom made me a cup of cocoa with little marshmallows — of course they were real marshmallows added to the cup… not the pre-mixed yucky ones....
[][1]Yeni's Family Post-Buffet It’s Monday morning and the smell of coffee surrounds the home — courtesy of Yeni, who made a fresh pot on her way to work this morning. Her family has arrived in Ann Arbor and will be staying with us for a few weeks to celebrate the Holidays and a few birthdays. Yesterday was Yeni’s father’s birthday which was celebrated with a “Day of Buffet.” First, we enjoyed the Bob’s Big Boy Brunch Buffet followed by joining Mike, Becky, Tina, and the kids for the dinner buffet (at the local Buffet house)....
[][1]No Carbon Monoxide! Yeni and I just came back from Lowe’s… where we not only purchased a new Carbon Monoxide detector — we purchased a new Carbon Monoxide detector on sale. That’s right, our local Lowe’s price beat Amazon dot com. Go gators. The new detector is fancy schmancy. It not only had ac power with battery backup, it also displays the carbon monoxide levels within the area monitored. This means that we can monitor even low level exposure....
Recently, Yeni and I completed an amazing 3200 mile round-trip “Expedition” from Ann Arbor to Fort Lauderdale. We drove through such landmarks as the Florida Everglades, the Appalachian Mountains, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and more. We experienced a range of weather and traffic — exactly what you would expect when traveling around Thanksgiving — but the scariest part, was waking up to the carbon monoxide alarm after returning home. Like most “budget conscious” couples, Yeni and I try to save money when possible....
[][1]Fred enjoying Dunkin' Donuts Yeni and I started early — very early — Saturday morning. After loading the truck and topping off the tank, we hit I-94 somewhere around 4 am. It was BEYOND cold with the truck showing outside temperatures ranging from 10 – 15 degrees. Normally, I make as few stops as humanly possible; combing fuel stops with rest breaks (and yes, “rest breaks” means exactly what it sounds like)....
[][1]Yeni and our new winter placemats. ANN ARBOR — Can you believe it’s snowed already? I mean… come on! It’s not even Thanksgiving yet. Well, luckily, Yeni and I literally just bought a coat for me before the snow fell. When I say just bought, I mean… like maybe 2 hours before the snow started coming down. Yeni was so excited and I was… well… let’s just say… We’re not in Florida anymore, Toto....