weekly post from January 6, 2007

Hello friends & loved ones,

Well, we've survived the first week of the new year and still no snow here in Western, NY. However, the poor people in Colorado are getting pelted over and over and over. And now comes news that a huge avalanche near Berthoud Pass in Colorado has buried some cars and forced others over the edge of US 40. However, I don't think we should be alarmists. Jim sent out his weekly email a couple of weeks ago and stated how it was nice not to have to deal with the snow at this point in the season and he got a response back from a friend of his chiding Jim for the comment. The friend went on to say that the warm weather is a result of global warming. Be that as it may, we should be thankful for every blessing; even if it being thankful for not getting the kind of wintry weather Colorado is getting or mudslides and wildfires like in California. And while we are thankful we should also pray for those less fortunate; that too is very important.

I'm getting over my fear of deer. I've been driving for 12 years and hit my first deer on the Thursday after Christmas. I was on my way to work and never even saw the deer until I was hitting it. Actually, I did see the deer leaping into the road out of my peripheral vision but I had no time to stop, swerve or brake. There was extensive front end damage to the car, the deer did not survive and I was able to get out of the car unscathed. Considering I hit the deer at about 53 mph, that's a good thing. Thankfully for insurance I'm driving a rental car paid for by insurance and the damages will be covered as well. The last time I heard from the assessor the damages were up to over $6,000 and they are billing it as comprehensive instead of collision. For the first few nights after the accident I was scaring myself by seeing phantom deer crossing the road and every time I saw a real deer I would nearly freeze with fright. The next day after the accident when Jim and I went to see the deer we discovered another dead deer a few miles from where I had hit "mine." Just be careful out there.

We had a lazy day today (sooooo nice) and will be having dinner in a bit with our pet nanny. Tomorrow we'll have church (with our new sound system) and then go see the movie Freedom Writers with Hilary Swank and Patrick Dempsey. I'm hoping it's not another trite, young-naive-ready-to-save-the-world teacher tries to inspire hard-knocked-smart-mouthed-inner city kids. It certainly looks that way. We'll see. By the way, this is a movie Jim wanted to see. I wanted to see the Clive Owen-Julianne Moore movie Children Of Men.

Whatever you are doing this weekend be safe, be happy, and be healthy. Until next time.....

love,

paul