Back in the castle and time to stock the moat and pull up the drawbridge

Returned home after a week spent in south Florida with my brother & sister-in-law, and my two nieces. Amazing how much chaos can be created by two toddlers--having no children myself I'm fascinated by such things as how the simple act of leaving the house can stretch out for thirty minutes or more.

Had a good time, but it wasn't what I would refer to as a relaxing vacation, as a combination of disruption to routine and a nasty cold meant that neither kids nor adults were sleeping much at night, and, of course, the days were filled with the holidays, seeing family, sightseeing, etc.

South Florida (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area) is an interesting place to visit, but each visit confirms that I have no wish to live there. The sheer mass of people, traffic, and the dense population centers hold no appeal, nor does the December weather which had me wearing shorts while my acclimated relatives fretted about sweatshirts and long pants when the temperature dipped under 75. I'll stick with my corner of upstate New York, thanks very much.

Looking forward to quiet weekend on my own, with no one expecting to be entertained as I dive into writing projects.

And because all the cool kids are doing it:

In the year 2007 I resolve to: Spam a monkey a day. Get your resolution here.