Off the market...

Guess who's getting married!?!?!?!?




Que alegre al vida!!!

Abrazos,

CRCP

Minnesooota 2008!!!

So my first visit to Minnesota was a success! I got there on Saturday July 12th around 5PM, with Britt meeting me at the airport. Our first stop, gas station convenience store to pick up some Vitamin Water and a Red Bull, as I was beyond tired (I had gotten up at 5AM that day). Afterwards, we stopped by the grocery store to buy a few of my essential needs: lactose free milk, cookies, chips, salsas, and other junk food (Britt’s family is super healthy, so they wouldn’t have any of these products).

Anyways, after an hour at the grocery store, we finally headed to her parent’s home… and met her parents + younger brother! We got there just in time for cocktail hour (ale beers, yeah!) and then dinner… after the meet & greet and answering a whole bunch on questions from the parents, that night we headed over to a bar to meet some of Britt’s friends and ended the night around 2AM. The entire week was spent doing errands, a little shopping (visited the Mall of America, where jeans, caps, and CDs where purchased), having dinner with her family, and meeting her extended family (they were around starting on Wed thru Sat night). On Thursday, we got to party in Wisconsin (woohoo!), for it was Britt’s brother’s bday… sad to report, this was my only experience in Wisconsin.

I also got to hang around with Jud on Sunday, as we went to a Twins game (they were playing the Texas Rangers). At the Metrodome, they were at least two Central American people: the Rangers starting pitcher from Nicaragua (Vicente Padilla), and your host! Central America represent! Overall, the trip was extremely positive and I really like Britt’s family… now, her parents are planning on coming down around Oct/Nov08… we’ll see how that goes.

Britt and I chilling at Lake Harriet in MN... so many freaking lakes... everybody is outside jogging, biking, rollerblading, walking, etc...

Carlos, Britt, Megwen, Tara, and Keely (Britt's college friends)

Carlos, Molly, Britt, and Mark (Britt's younger bday). I bought him a number of shots in the hope of getting him drunk, but alas, it was not to be...

At the MetroDump... Go Twinkies!!!

Britt's family... Starting of the left: Nick (Britt's older brother), Marlo (Nick's gf), Mark (Britt's younger brother), Drew (Nick's friend), Bob (Britt's dad), your host (Britt's bf), Mary (Britt's mom), and Britt (que chula!).

View of downton Minneapolis from Jud's office... Stillwater (where Britt's family lives) was about 30 mins away... kinda of a rural area (saw plenty of cornfields).

On other fronts, it’s raining like crazy down here now in Guatemala… they have been lots of mudslides and roads sometimes get completely covered in water, making evening rush-hour more chaotic than usual. I just had to invest in new tires for my car, after a little incident in which one of my tires exploded after going into a huge pothole (more like a crater).

My mom is heading to the UK for the entire month of September, to visit my sister and her grandkids… I haven’t seen Marnix and Noah since Xmas last year and probably won’t see them this year, as their going to Haiti this time for the holidays… que lastima!

That’s it for now… until the next inning… later!

Abrazos,
CRCP

P.S. - I might try and run a 5K or 8K cross country in August… we’ll keep you posted.
P.S. II - Another Late Show Top Ten…

Late Show’s Top Ten Signs Barack Obama is Overconfident
10. Unlike Al Gore, he's decided to get fat before the election
9. Offered Bush 20 bucks for the "Mission Accomplished" banner
8. Asked guy at Staples, "Which chair will work best in an oval-shaped office?"
7. The affair with Barbara Walters
6. Having head measured for Mount Rushmore
5. Visiting White House this weekend to learn how to use Bat-Signal
4. He's voting for Nader
3. Offered McCain a job in gift shop at Obama Presidential Library
2. Announced his running mate will be Andy Dick
1. Been cruising for chicks with John Edwards

Things to come...

As you may or may not know, Britt and I have been together for 9 months now, woohoo! Her family has invited over to her home state on Minnesota for a family reunion that will be happening over the summer. I’ll go from not knowing anybody in her family, to knowing even her cousin cousin’s cousin… I fly out to MN this Saturday July 12th , coming back on Monday July 21st. Hopefully things will go smoothly, as I consider myself quite the charmer (my dimples really help in that department)… and if thinks start going sour, I’ll pretend not to speak any English and start doing the garden or cleaning the cars or something… I have only seen Britt mingle with people here in Guatemala, and I really look forward to see how she interacts around her family and more familiar surroundings…

This should be a really fun trip, as I’ll be meeting the family and trying to impress them / doing a little bonding, some shopping, and catching a Twins game at the Metrodump with Jud… Also in the plan, an outing to P.F. Chang’s and a lot of ale beers… oh yeah! By the way, already ordered some stuff through Amazon: Darjeeling Limited CD, new Gavin Degraw CD, and Charlie Wilson's War DVD...

Besides that, work is beyond busy, as I just finished organizing a regional workshop, with attendees form all over Central America… all the logistics & small details that go in organizing one of these events is quite time consuming and somewhat frustrating (time changes, crazy requests, etc…). Good thing was it was in Antigua, so I didn’t have to commute to the city everyday…

Saludos a todos…

Abrazos,
CRCP

P.S. Speaking of summer and the beach, another Late Show Top Ten…
Late Show's Top Ten Things You Don't Want To Hear At The Beach

10. "You're going to have to put on a top - oh, sorry, sir"
9. "Forget about sharks, I thought I saw a tomato in the water"
8. "Due to the mortgage crisis, we're foreclosing your sandcastle" (could happen)
7. "We're out of mayo; use the Coppertone"
6. "Wow, that lifeguard can really put away the gin"
5. "The water? It's about eleven miles that way"
4. "I know you're not drowning, but would you like mouth-to-mouth anyway?"
3. "Giant squid! Run for your lives!"
2. "Are you here for the Al Qaeda summer picnic?"
1. "Now where did I bury Grandpa?"

Democratic Nominee...

Late Show’s Top Ten Things Overheard At Hillary Clinton Campaign Headquarters

10. "I can't believe the campaign's over already"
9. "Hillary's changing into her concession pantsuit"
8. "This is more depressing than a Mets game" - He did not say that!
7. "So they're nominating the guy with the most delegates, superdelegates, and states won? Outrageous!"
6. "The senator said she'll be campaigning all weekend in Margaritaville"
5. "Good news, we're three points ahead in East Virginia!"
4. "Ask Obama if he'll go double-or-nothing on the Canadian provinces"
3. "There's a guy here to repossess the watercooler"
2. "It's not the end - you can always get fat and make a global warming documentary"
1. "Is Obama still hiring?"

Extras…
"We're hoping to win enough delegates by 2010"
"There goes my dream of being the first female president since Gerald Ford"
"We can't pay any of you again this week, but feel free to take home as much campaign stationary as you'd like"

Abrazos,
CRCP

More April, More Fun...

April has been another great month thankfully. I’m getting more settle in my little apartment in Antigua, and have had a number of people over for drinks and just stopping by. Most people think the apartment is very cozy (another work for small, which it is) and that the location is prime. I really feel very comfortable in my little nest; though I wished the place was bit cheaper (don’t we all wish that about rent or mortgage payments).

On another front, I’ll be leaving my current work, as the year with the Foundation (did one last trip to Honduras and El Salvador this month) is up and I’ll be starting a new job with the CDC on May 7th (based in Guatemala City). Now, I’m very happy to have landed this job as I’ll the working in the HIV & TB area and will have coworkers again (I was working from home for a year, not the most social thing to do); the only problem is that the job is in the city and the commute in the morning and evening should be quite hectic (around 1 ½ hour… not sure yet). I’m thinking of maybe staying with my mom and brother a couple of nights per week, to save on gas money and so that I can sleep in a little longer…

On more exciting news, my dad was in Guatemala for work, we celebrated a number of birthdays, visited my usual bars, and went to Manuel’s wedding… pictures below.

We celebrated Vivi's bday at Estudio 35... quite a bit of wine and beer were had. Jorge, Britt, Carlos, Marcia, Vivi.


Zach, Carlos, Britt, Jorge, and Marcia @ Monoloco... Zach doesn't look that happy, but we tried to cheer him up.

My brother celebrated his 27th bday, so my dad took us out to Tanooshi for some great sushi and Japanese beer. It was really nice to see my dad again; I hadn't seen him since Xmas.

Britt and I for the wedding (don't I look very James Bondish?). One of my best high school friends, Manuel, got married on April 12th. Manuel and Josely know each other from HS, but didn't start dating till about 2 years ago. I was honored when they asked me to be one of the groomsmen.

High School friends! Here we have: Chino, Carlos, Manuel (groom), Estuardo, Juan Fernando.

As it's customary at Guatemalan weddings, plastic hats and leis were handed out to liven the atmosphere. Juanfer, Julie, Estuardo, Britt, and your host. I wanted to stay later, but we had our Flag Football playoff game the next morning (we lost, but we at least had a major improvement over last year).

Sports wise, Bosox are doing very well, leading the AL East as always. Celtics are in the playoffs, and Arsenal unfortunately got eliminated from the Champions league.

Hope everybody is doing well... abrazos pa' todos.
CRCP

Top Ten Ways George W. Bush Can Improve His Approval Rating
10. Fewer embarrassing gaffes, more humiliating blunders
9. Replace "Hail To The Chief" with Black Sabbath's "Iron Man"
8. Send FEMA to rebuild Knicks
7. Change name to Barack W. Obusha
6. Show America you're not some stiff workaholic by blowing off work sometimes
5. Only allow himself to be seen in pajamas like Hef
4. Release detailed program outlining how he'll do better in his third term
3. Erase deficit by going on "Deal or No Deal," finding briefcase containing 311 billion dollars
2. Ask father for tips on how he achieved his 31% approval rating
1. Hide Cheney's medication

April, April, April...

March is done! Wow, this month really flew bye, and you can tell I’ve been busier than usual due to my lack of posts, sorry for that! March was chaotic with birthdays, Easter, vacation time, March Madness, and barhopping… some pics to describe the events.

So Britt celebrated her quarter century on March 11th, Felicidades babe!!! We went to the city for a Japanese lunch (she adores sushi), came back to Antigua to have cakes (yes cakes), and ended the night at Monoloco. Here we have: Sam, Britt, Pamela, Lourdes, Carlos, and Charlie.

So for Easter I had plans tentative plans to go to Dominican Republic (with my sister and her family) or maybe Coban (with Bob and friends). In the end, due to work and lack of motivation, I decided to stay in Antigua for Easter and have small day trips.

Went up to Earthlodge and stayed overnight in a tree house. It had an amazing view, but at night, I barely got any sleep as I thought the tree house was gonna blow over (the wind was extremely strong). Britt admiring the view…


We did a small hike (25 min) from Earthlodge to this viewpoint… yeah!


Britt, Carlos, Karyn, and William. Easter Thursday we went to Nokiate with Karyn! She’s here visiting from the US for about 4 weeks… good luck with school in NYC Ms. Singer!

Easter is huge here in Guatemala, as there are processions all over the country. The most popular processions are in Guatemala City and in Antigua. With Antigua being so small, all the processions really make this small city chaotic. Each day reflects different bible events of Easter…

Here we have a view of an “alfombra” with the Agua volcano in the background.

The cucuruchos carrying the procession. This particular procession is of JC carrying the cross before his crucifixion.

Procession even happen at night (around midnight)… My car almost got towed one morning because I was parked in a “procession zone”.

Finally, at the end of March our friend Tom was leaving to go back to the US, so we had a little barhopping outing. We ended up going to 8 bars in Antigua, which is a good number, but we had originally planned to go to 12.

Here we have Adam, las primas, Carlos, and Lourdes @ Monoloco.

Charlie, Britt, Carlos, and Bob @ Ricky’s.

The bar hopping peeps @ Reds.

Everybody at Kafka… our last stop! I did invite people over for a last drink at my place… yeah!

Work is moving along, as I’ve been with the Foundation for a year now. The original thought was that it was going to last a year, so we’ll see what happens. Friends and family are doing extremely well, with us attending a bunch of events for Manuel and Josely who are getting married on April 12th.

Play ball! Another season of baseball has started, which is quite exciting. Boys of summer are here and I can’t wait to see how the Bosox do this year. As far as other things, my March Madness picks didn’t go that well, as I had UCLA winning the whole enchilada. Arsenal was doing well in the EPL and Champions League, but both seem to be out of reach now.

Abrazos para todos,
CRCP

P.S. - Feliz cumple Chofo! My younger bro celebrated his bday on the 9th...
P.S. II - My dad is here visiting! Some CDs he brought and other that I’ve bought lately: Kanye West’s Graduation, Matchbox 20 Greatest Hits, Kenna, Grammys 08, Britt Awards 08, and the new Jack Johnson.

Say goodbye to love....

What’s going on people? Hope everybody had a great month of February, with Valentine’s Day, leap day, and everything in between. I have a lot of pics this time, thanks to Charlie bringing his camera to various events, so here’s what’s been going on in my life.

One of the amazing things about living in Antigua... All the stunning church ruins.

Britt and your host for Valentine’s Day: We went to this place called La Matilde for dinner, where we had high Guatemalan cuisine, some rum & champagne, and some amazing dessert (no pun intended). Afterwards, met some friends for a quick drink at Monoloco before calling it a night…

At Reds, enjoying a few drinks… Pamelita, Charlie, CRCP, Britt, and Derek.

The usual suspects at Monoloco… I think I look pretty sexy in this pic!

So we’ve been talking of climbing Ipala, a volcano in Jutiapa, for the longest time. The cool thing about this volcano, besides the fact that the hike up is not that bad (Altitud: 1,650 mts or 5415 ft) and takes about 40 minutes, is that the crater has a lake inside of it… no kidding! Some pics from our little day trip...

Here we are… man, was it freaking hot on the way up!

We all made it to the top... here we are at a look out point (lake Ipala in the background). Carlos, Charlie, Britt, Lourdes and Bob. Man, was I getting a beating from the sun that day (I had a Flag Football game before this, so I had already been exposed to the sunrays for about 2 hours before the volcano hike).

Cooling off in the lake after the long day... yeah baby, another volcano! By the way, the water was a lot colder than what we had anticipated... Carlos, Charlie, Britt, and Bobby.


I guess we were not the only ones feeling a bit hot... come on in everybody!


At Ricky's, taking it easy on a Friday evening...

We organized a little BBQ at Florencia... Played ultimate frisbee, a bit of soccer, played catch (of course) and enjoyed some carne asada, hot dogs, and beer. Bob is wearing my undershirt by the way...

So now that I have CBS again, I'm able to enjoy one of my favorite shows: The Late Show with David Letterman. Part of the reason I love watching the Late Show, is that I get to listen to really good new music every once in awhile. Here's a clip of the show from last week, when Kenna performed "Say Goodbye to Love", great song!!! Hopefully getting the CD next month...



Hasta la proxima y abrazos,
CRCP

P.S. We are curently 3 - 1 in our Flag Football league, as we lost our last game by one point and in the last play of the game (we couldn’t convert the point extra… fudge!) One more win and we're in the playoffs baby!
P.S. II - Finally saw the Bourne Ultimatum and Trade, both high quality flicks.

Welcome to La Antigua…

Amigos! Sorry for the lack of new postings, but two issues related to blogging have occurred. One, my digital camera is not working properly, as I think it got knocked around too much during the holidays, and I need to try to get it fixed or buy a new one if this one has quit on me. So no pics this time…

The second thing, I’m officially living in Antigua Guatemala! Woohoo! The move to Antigua Guatemala (link) happened during Super Bowl weekend, and I must say I’m pretty excited about this new living environment (a UNESCO World Heritage site). Because of this, I’ve been busy with moving related stuff… bringing in clothes, rearranging furniture, getting to know the town better, trying out new restaurants, and spending time with my new neighboring friends. I’m extremely excited about the move, as I’ve gained my independence again and have finally fulfilled my dream of living here. I’ve rented a small but cozy apartment for 6 months, and will decide afterwards if this is the town for me or if I’m better off in the city…

As far as sports go, I’m quite disappointed that the NE Patriots were unable to win the SB and complete the perfect season. We went to Monoloco to watch the game with a bunch of friends, only to see the Pats offense struggle against an extremely tough NY Giants team. Still, we had a chance to win the game, but Asante Samuel dropped a sure interception and we eventually lost the game due to some tough play by Eli Manning (who knew) and some acrobatic catches from his receivers. Anyways, I’m ready for spring training to start… Let’s go Red Sox! Also in sports, Guatemala got their ass whipped in soccer, losing to Argentina 5 - 0…. Ouch! Good news for Pescadito Ruiz, he’ll be playing for the LA Galaxy again, as a teammate of David Beckham….

This past weekend we had our first Flag Football game on the second season, which we won… woohoo! It was a very close game, but our team pulled through… I need to start hitting the gym again; I’m still a bit sore from Sunday… not sure if it’s due to the lack of regular exercise or because I’m older… or maybe both! Also, changed our name to "The Replacements" in honor of the Keanu Reeves movie...

Other interesting events, had ceviche a bunch this past couple of weeks, when up to the Eath Lodge to chill and play catch (almost lost a baseball), Tatiana came to visit from Texas, Jud from Minnesota (more for a wedding, but still), and Daniel Vazquez came from DC for work… so I’ve gotten to see a bunch of good friends. Any others wanna come down??? Mi casa es su casa…

Current song stuck in my head, Artist: Nigga, Song: Te Quiero



Abrazos para todos y que siga la rumba, que esta que tumba!
CRCP

P.S. Felicidades a Lucky y Tatiana x sus respectivos cumples!!!
P.S. II - Keep on blogging Ericita, I enjoy your posts…
P.S. III - Heureux anniversaire! 4 Mois... impressionnant!!!
P.S. IV – Another Late Show Top Ten…

Late Show’s Top Ten Things You Don't Want To Hear At Your Super Bowl Party
10. "I'll take your coats and Michael Vick will take your dogs"
9. "If the Giants beat the spread, we get to keep the house"
8. "The clam dip has been unrefrigerated since the NFC Championship"
7. "We'll start the game as soon as we watch all these "According to Jim's" I TiVoed"
6. "Cool, Dick Butkus is here...Oh, sorry ma'am"
5. "Surprise! Welcome to your intervention!"
4. "Check out that guy doing an illegal procedure on your wife"
3. "Why are we watching golf?"
2. "Letterman's here"
1. "Bill Belichick has video of you in the shower"

2008 .. Off to a grand start!

Off to a grand start! Again, I can’t believe that 2007 is behind us and we’re actually living 08… another year, another bday (scary!). Speaking of 07, I wanted to share some pics from the XL New Year Party at the beach from last year. It was Estuardo’s last day at La Licorera after 3 years of working there, as he’s decided to start working at his family’s company. Anyway, the XL Party was his last official day there… he was nice enough to get us a bunch of invites, with the usual suspects showing up (special music guest was Kumbia All Starz).

Matt, Danielle, Pamela, Carlos, and Bob... XL rocks!

So much rum was had... group shot!

As usual, we’ve been hitting the Antigua scene quite a bit… Since Estuardo doesn’t start his new job until February, he’s had a bit of more free time to wander.

At Monoloco: Fernando, Pamela, Derek, Charlie, Carlos, Marianna, Estuardo.

At Studio 35 later on that night: Pame, Lourdes, Bob, Carlos

At Studio 35: Britt and Carlos... (things are better together... 3 months already!)

Last Saturday we planned a little day trip to Florencia … It’s a cool place where you can go bbq and has open areas, soccer fields, and plenty of green. We had some bbq chicken, hot dogs, pineapple, plenty of drinks, played catch, and the day culminated with a game of Ultimate Frisbee. This is only the second time I’ve played it, but it sure is a lot of fun and a great exercise (sorta like football / soccer, but with a Frisbee). Afterwards, we went to Monoloco to watch the Patriots with yet another game, this time beating Jacksonville if in the playoffs… SD Superchargers are up next!!!

Finally, wanted to share that I might be moving to Antigua soon… I’ve been thinking about moving into my own place for awhile, and I think this year is the year I do that. I’ve always thought that Antigua would be a cool place to live, but before I buy anything, I wanna make sure I actually like living there (different than just visiting on the weekends). So I’m planning on renting there for 6 months or so, and then either buy something there or maybe come back to the city…. Will keep you posted.

Later,
CRCP

P.S. - Congrats to Juanfer Gonzalez and Julie on getting engaged! Another wedding this year!
P.S. II - Another Late Show Top Ten…

Late Show’s Top Ten Signs Your Presidential Campaign is in Trouble
10. When asked what you'd do about Iraq, you say, "Do I Rock?"
9. You're often described as "John Kerry without Charisma"
8. Many of your supporters have been hospitalized because you ordered your campaign buttons from China
7. You've been running negative ads about yourself
6. Only Endorsement you've received was from "Burrito Afficionado" magazine
5. When reporting caucus results, media refers to you as "Other"
4. "Meet the Press" appearance turns ugly when you put Tim Russert in a headlock
3. Budget director blew most of your campaign funds betting on the Knicks
2. You've primarily been campaigning in Canada
1. You often ask, "What would George W. Bush do?"

Holidays and Helicopters...

Happy Holidays and an Amazing New Year to all! I hope you all had an amazing holiday time with friends and family, as I had a great time with my dad (from DC) and sister’s family (from London) in town. The one thing I should not complain about but will is that having my sister and the kids stay at the house prevents me from getting my regular sleep. Noah and Marnix were usually put to bed around 8PM, so they’re up and about around 6AM, which means no sleeping in for me.

Noah, Marnix, and Carlos

Xmas eve was nicely spent with family and friends. First we want to my dad’s house for a surprise visit from Santa for the nephews, and we spent the rest of the evening at my aunt’s house, eating tamales (I don’t eat that), opening presents, and shooting some fireworks. On Xmas day, everybody came over to our house for turkey and our annual FIFA 08 tournament on PS3. Turkey and fixings were exquisite, though I ended up being six out of eight in the rankings.

At my dad's apartment... My dad's side of the family.

Carlos, Tatiana, Margit. Underneath my dad's apartment lives my friend Tatiana. She actually lives in Texas, but her parents live in Guate, and she was here visiting...

At my aunt's house, Carlos, Patty, and Rodolfo.

The day after Xmas, my dad took us on a helicopter ride across parts of Guatemala! I had never been on one, and the ride was amazing as we saw Mixco Viejo, Chichi, Panajachel / Atitlan, and Antigua... it was for 1 1/2 hour, and it went by extremely fast (and it was not sketchy at all, as we bumped into John Stossel from ABC's 20 / 20... Yes, I recognized him, told my dad who he was as he had no clue, after which he proceeded to talk to him and we got a picture out of it). Poor Mr. Stossel, trying to relax and these crazy chapines come bother him. Also notice that Mr. Stossel and I are wearing the same shirt... hahahahe). Anyway, some pics from that day:

Here are the brave souls behind the chopper... no barfing please!

JD, Patty, and Carlos... 10-4!

Amazing view of Pana, the lake, and volcanoes.... just jaw dropping!

I just love this pic... looks like a quilt!

Stossel in the house! He was actually very nice and patient with us.

On the 27th, we went to the beach as we had rented a beach house with some family members. We were a bit crowded, but we sure did have a great time: sand, sun, pool, poker, drinks, XL party (with Kumkia All Stars as special guests), and one last FIFA 08 tournament.

That was a crazy game of poker!

Yeah the pool! Andres, Fritz, and Carlos...

FIFA 08 tournament with a twist. If you lost or tied a game, you had to drink a shot of vodka or rum.... oh yeah!

Ahhh... we finished the bottle of vodka and had about half the bottle of rum! I actually only had one shot during the tournament, as I ended up only tying one game (did not lose one). First place baby!

JD, Fernando, Allan, Carlos. Afterwards, we were challenged to Nintendo Wii tennis... with the losers taking shots. My tennis skills were not there that night... many a shot was had!

Good times!!! Yeah!

New Year's was spent at Monoloco with Bob, Pamela, Charlie, Jorge, and friends... Billy was there (one of the bar owners), so they closed the bar around 12ish and the VIPs stayed till about 4AM with free open bar. I had a bit too much to drink, and didn't get as much sleep as I had planned, since the bed I was staying at ended up having three people in it and we didn’t go to bed till about 6AM. On the 1st, we met my dad at Casa Santo Domingo for brunch and pigged out (good way to start the New Year…. As my dad says: if you don’t put on a few pounds during the holiday time, it’s because you’re poor… hehe).

My sister and her family, as well as my dad, have gone back to their respective homes. It’s amazing having them around, and reminds me how lucky I am of having family member that I actually enjoy spending time with. I wish I could spend more time with the nephews, but we each choose our own paths in our lives, and you gotta respect that. To all my family and friends, best to you in this 2008!

Abrazos y muchas bendiciones este nuevo año,
CRCP

P.S. - If you want a good / funny review of 07, check out our friend from the Washington Post, Dave Barry... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122101950.html

P.S. II - I finally got my car back on the 4th… just in time to pick up my special friend at the airport (I really missed her)! I was supposed to get in about 10 days before, but you know how car shops are…
P.S. III - DVDs added to my collection during the holidays: 07 World Series, Seinfeld Season 9, Memento, Zatoichi, and Hot Fuzz.