Negligent

For anyone actually reading this, sorry we haven't posted anything for a while. Here's what you've missed (maybe "missed" isn't the right choice of words).

• After a lot of debate we decided to go for a real Christmas tree this year, so in one of our recent trips to Home Depot (see below), we tossed one into our NASCAR-shaped cart and called it good. Once we finally got it into the house and all set up, we discovered that it's probably the best looking tree we've ever had—we just hope it stays that way, considering that we share our home with a beaver. (Luka has a thing for bark—ironic.) So far, so good, although we are down one tastey looking reindeer ornament

• Despite my loudly expressed objections, Carrie decided that last week was a great time to remodel the final room in our house. Lucky for her, it turned out pretty good, but it was touch and go for a little while last night as we tried to hang cabinets (somewhere Bob Vila was laughing his smug little ass off). That said, we were pretty relieved to wake up this morning and find them still firmly attached to the wall, granted with all of the extra holes I drilled into that last cabinet, its overall weight had been reduced to the point that it could have been held up by thumb tacks.

• One final note on the our home renovations. After I sent Carrie back to Home Depot last night to pick up some "shims," I had the mental image of her running around the store looking for some dude that looks kind of like a lady—or vice versa. Imagine my disappointment when she just came home with a couple pieces of wood.

• With the writer's strike still lingering on, Carrie and I have been enjoying lost episodes of "Mr. Belvedere" and are really looking forward to this week's "Battle of the Network Stars" in which Ma'am from "Webster" will be taking on Meredith Baxter Birney in the 40-yard dash.

• Lastly, Carrie has wisely opted out of the Houston half marathon for the more reasonable 5K, I on the other hand am spending the time I don't have a paint brush in my hand glued to the treadmill. Winter sucks.

Craig