Hey there.

First off, happy birthday to Jesus.  Indeed.

My family from San Jose has been up here since two days ago and just left, so the majority of the Christmas spirit within me has slightly diminished because the size of the family here with me has been cut in half.  Mind you, it's not completely gone -- the masses of Christmas songs on the radio, the countless Christmas specials, the cute little celebration I see every time I visit Google.com.

Today was a strange day -- waking up at ten in the morning to open presents, marking the very first Christmas in which I don't awake in the early hours of the day for a grand meal.  Instead, our "grand meal" was breakfast at Chow King, the Filipino food place at the Seafood Marketplace, followed by a trip to the infamous Thunder Valley Casino, which was surprisingly crowded beyond imagination. 

However, there was something undeniably "Christmas" about it, simply in the presence of my family.  It was satisfying to witness, for the first time in months, years of difference in age means nothing, even in the long drought of witness to familiar family arguments.

So yes.  I enjoyed today.  Despite the lack of grandeur and the smell of lung cancer (aka cigs) in the air, I enjoyed today.

Today's lesson Oh, before I leave:  Merry Christmas, world.

they're singing deck 'o' halls, but it's not like christmas at all -- baby, please come home

Bye for now.