My Update-Fu, Let Me Show You It

I refuse to be Officially Back In The Office until tomorrow, and I know how many people I owe email to, SRSLY, but I am home from the Christmas break, just in time to batten down the farm for the big winter storm that's already fought Flagstaff to a standstill. tcastleb (valiantly stepping in before heading off to a 12-hour work shift--Best Housemate Ever) and I got the troops fed and blanketed before the hard rain hit, though the wind started howling just as I started to put the rain sheet on keed.

Pook was already blanketed, but was beside himself. For him, cold + rain = death. He has his assortment of additional blankets for the next wave, which is supposed to include snow and a hard freeze. They're talking a couple of feet in the mountains. We could get an inch or two here.

I have the camera charged and ready to go, in case we really do get snow.

Christmas break was pleasant and highly caloric. At various times we had sushi (yes, there is good sushi in Tucson!), the annual holiday pilgrimage to El Charro (Chef Carlotta is trying new things again. We love Chef Carlotta), Chinese food (twice), turkey and trimmings, and a classic Steak Dinnah. There was Pie. And Ice Cream. And Cheesecake. And, of course, Eggnog Muffins.

I plan to ride and work horses early and often once the storm passes. Early, I said. Often. Lucky for me (though Pook might not agree), S is cutting us zero slack for having been sick for a month and not riding through the holidays. We are doing Transitions, and that means Collection, which means Working Both Our Butts Off.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying a lovely range of holiday gifts, including the most wonderful Herd bracelet from tcastleb and our horse yoga instructor, who has an Etsy shop. They conspired to create a set of color-coordinated stones for each horse, in among a string of baroque pearls (because they are that color). So lovely. I hear there are individual horse necklaces. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm....

And, the big mass gift, which I asked for but didn't seriously expect to receive: a color Nook. Wow. I just wanted to see book covers in color. And maybe an illustration here and there. They aren't pushing the fact that it's, basically, a miniature Android iPad. It even does movies. And it is, of course, a lovely, lovely ereader. I'm going to get a library card so I can borrow ebooks online--our county library system is very good. And see if Google Docs will work with it--in which case it's not a longterm writing machine, but it sure will work for short sessions on the road.

Happy camper here.

I can even download BVC books, including A Wind in Cairo , which I finally (FINALLY) put up in all the ebook formats so people can, like, you know, get it for their ereaders.

Brave new world. Oh yeah.

So now we are tucked in for a long, wet winter's night. There are hot turkey sammitches in my near future. And a whole pile o' kitties (and dog) presenting arguments as to why getting up and fixing same would not be in the communal best interest. Tomorrow will be a little bit wild, but there will be work involved, and preparation for Camp--January Camp goes from Sunday to Thursday of next week. With lessons and yoga and all the usual.