Newcastle--A great way to end a cold day

Today was one of those days where the high is in the morning then a cold wind sets up and the temperature drops all day. My son Eli and I were under-dressed, fooled by the mild morning. As we were rolling up our tools at dusk, the homeowner comes out in his Dickies (wise man) to hang out a few minutes. I had stopped at the store at lunch to pick up some Newcastle (my favorite winter beer) for the weekend, and there it was in the back of the truck, nicely chilled. Ahhh, perfect temperature, thick, malty, almost chocolaty Newcastle on a winter's eve with a buddy. We drank and talked football. Perfect.

Christmas Gifts

A gift is a gift. Freely given with no coercion or strings attached. No reciprocation expected at all. The only reward the giver expects is the good feeling of giving. I love to give Christmas presents! I never think about what I might get or who is or isn't getting me one. For me, its a real downer when I'm all excited about giving to someone, and they're almost upset or hurt because they didn't get me anything. Instead of making them happy, I've burdened them to return in kind or given them a guilt trip. If you get a gift...smile and say thank you! If the giver expects something beyond that in return, its not a gift but some kind of weird trade. Merry Christmas and be a cheerful giver, and a guilt-free happy receiver.

I just can't do facebook

Don't get me wrong I can be a social guy, but knowing what everybody's doing day to day just strikes me as gossipy and a little boring. I check in on old friends who live across the country, but they post about once a month like me. I also get annoyed with the fake personalities people put on just for facebook appearances. I know some who put on such a religious, God-centered front that folks who don't really know them would be shocked if they actually met in person. C'mon get real, people! A client who has become a friend over time blogs, and I enjoy reading it. Since its not so public, it tends to be more genuine and honest. So I decided to follow suit...look out blogosphere, here comes Sigado!