The Giant Microbes were a great hit, particularly the Flesh-eating Strep and the adorable Mad Cow prion. Also appreciated were the Firefly and Serenity DVDs (WONDERFUL series and great film), and the Doom: the Boardgame.

My son Raiden and I went to Halifax on December 18, in order to visit my 88-year-old grandparents and see snow. My dad flew up from Nashville and my sister joined us (after stopping in NY to sing at Carnegie Hall with the McGarrigles!). Raiden and I flew home Christmas morning via Detriot-then-Minneapolis, where we met Jon and his kids and then all flew home to L.A. together, family-style. It was wonderful fun! At some point I'll have pictures, but since I broke my little ELPH on the trip, I have to have the analogue insta-cameras developed and put on a CD before I can share them... *sniff*

Just took the tree decorations down yesterday, and Jon just took the tree out to the front lawn today, so the house is officially back to normal, save a few stray candy canes (which I always seem to have hanging around all year, along with my Jack Skellington lights!).

Today I added another blog to my blogroll. It's "Tuna Toast", and it's a foodie-type blog belonging to a woman Jon recently met at our favourite sushi bar, Sushi Z. It is in Alhambra, of all the unlikely places, and the chef, Ito-san, is spectacular. Jon met this woman and her husband one night while Raiden and I were in Halifax, and they really hit it off. I find her foodie blog interesting, and hope to encounter them sometime when we are at Z, so I can get to know them, too.

Happy New Year to all! Cheers!