Ive been thinking about the Christmases I’ve been away from home serving in the Navy. I remember the best Chrismas present I ever got – a box full of my mom’s homemade cookies, waiting for me in Hong Kong in 1991. I remember having breakfast with Matt Feath the morning I discovered I was an uncle – my sister’s son Reid was born. I remember standing quarterdeck watch aboard the USS Elliot on Christmas Day with the Hong Kong skyline above me all decked out with Christmas decorations: amusing in a predominately Buddhist country. I remember coming off a long midwatch and feeling homesick, but rather than mope I decided to trade a few minutes of sleep for a picture with Santa Claus. That picture still makes me smile.

Reading about the suicide bombing in the Mosul mess hall made me think about those holidays I was away. At least I was confident I would see another Christmas.

I hope they all come home, and soon.

This will be the first Christmas I can remember where I didn’t talk to my Grandmother on Christmas morning.

I really don’t trust vaccines. I’ve read far too many horror stories of carelessness in how they are created, and the unintended consequences they sometimes have on people. So needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled to learn this morning that Hallie has shingles, courtesy of her chickenpox vaccine. The vaccine that was supposed to protect her from chickenpox has instead given her painful blistering. What’s more, the blisters make her contagious for chickenpox, so we have to cover them with gauze until they heal. Yay.

The upside to all this is now we’ve got something to blame for her not feeling well lately. But it’s a small upside.

No wonder Travis was grumping after his shots. He probably knows better.

Travis had his two month checkup this morning. He’s reached a hefty 11 pounds, six ounces (55%), 22.5 inches long (50%), with a 40cm head circumference (55%). In other words, he’s pretty darn proportional.

He was very good for his four shots, only crying during The Deed, but not after. He did kinda look to me like he was in shock afterward, though. He just wouldn’t look up at me. I think he was pouting, and to be honest I really don’t blame him.

Now all we have to do is teach Mr. T how to sleep and we’ll be all good.

If I were a terrorist aiming to wreak havoc on a city, my first target would be the city’s Nextel towers. So many law enforcement officers and first reponders use Nextel because of the incompability of their existing public safety radio systems. Often the firefighters can’t talk directly with the police at the scene. Or the troopers can’t talk to the city police. With Nextel, each can call the other directly. That’s why just about every police officer, firefighter, and federal agent carries a Nextel radio.

Seems like an awful lot of eggs in one basket, though, doesn’t it?
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Today is the winter solstice, the official start of winter as well as the darkest day of the year. From now until summer, the days will get longer (and hopefully warmer).

The winter solstice was celebrated long before Christmas. Read more about the history of this significant day.

One of the Christmas songs of my childhood is Snoopy’s Christmas by the Royal Guardsmen. The Royal Guardsmen were a one-hit wonder of the mid-60’s. I found it interesting reading about their history here.