Home for the Holy-days

'Twas the morning two days after Christmas
and I'm trying to type through tired eyes; the coffee helps.
The Golden Compass has sprinkled it's dust on me and I'm hooked.
Might have that one read by New Year's.

The tree is still up, although my girlfriend declared, "It's coming down soon."
O Tannenbaum has been up for almost a month now, so that's fair.
The forecast is for snow, maybe a foot in some places;
we live in those "some places."

Spent some time yesterday, alongside my fellow economy-concerned Americans, redeeming a gift card.
Barnes & Noble.com has unleashed a couple of Jim Harrison's books to sniff out my address:
"This way, O gifts of the Magi."

Gotta few too many "sweets" in the house, we do.
The kids are chiming at least every quarter hour, "can we have some cookies?"
That's what kids do, eh?
Kids also listen. Case in point - I use the phrase, "for Pete's sake" quite often.
Yesterday, my daughter said, "for the sake of Pete." I had to belly-laugh. I gave her a cookie.

When they're not asking for chocolate, they've been playing with Hannah Montana dolls and Mario,
watching High School Musical 2 for the umpteenth time, and rubbing the belly of Jack the beagle.
Jack chewed up Hannah's backpack and maybe a pair of her fashion boots.
"Aarrgghh, for the sake of Pete, chew your rawhide thingy!"

The weekend will find me putting together a book proposal based on my Advent writings this month.
A friend told me they "must" be a book; that's a good feeling.
I'm hopeful that a publisher feels as my friend does and offers me some cash;
my girlfriend and I both blew holes in our wool socks this week.

A few days of being "off" but still being "on" -
laundry to do so my underwear's clean in case I'm in a wreck,
snow to shovel so the milkman can reach the steps,
a dog to walk, bills to pay, letters to send,
books to read, always books to read,
thoughts to think, dreams to dream, hopes to hope, prayers to pray, kids to play with...
cookies to eat with the milk the milkman bringeth.

Not really anywhere I have to go,
so let it snow for the sake of Pete.