Dear blog, so it has been another month since I've written to you.  Such a
shame.  I really do need to do a better job in keeping you in my thoughts. 
Anyways, Xmas has come and passed.  The family was able to make it over and
everyone was in good spirits, even my little brother which is unusual for him.
 For whatever reason, Christmas is a hard time of the year for him.  It was my
turn to host (we rotate 3 family holidays amongst we 3 kids and my parents)
and fortunately Ma and Pa DeShaw were more than happy to help out their
bachelor son in the cooking department.  Cooking just isn't in my genes.  I
made out with a couple of shirts, some holiday spending cash, and a scope for
my shotgun.  I had given Dad the same model last year and really liked it, so
he got one for me this year.  It is the gun I use for the annual shotgun deer
season hunt which was the first weekend in Dec.  

Speaking of that deer hunt, our hunting party did quite well, as we filled out
most of the tags with bucks and only a couple of doe.  I got several shots in,
but no confirmed kills.  Dad got a pair of bucks, with one being a nice 10
pointer.  Since my Dad and I hunt with landowner's licenses, we can't go off
our land to hunt with the rest of the party.  So, after our timber was hunted,
we went back to drag the deer out of the timber for processing.  Dad, my
brother, and I were riding back to drag out a deer, we look into the timber
from the ten-year field and see a buck standing there looking back at us.  We
stop, the buck doesn't move, my brother proceeds to get out, get his gun out
of the case, load 2 shells, and get around the truck before the deer decides
to run.  My brother takes a lucky shot and hits the deer underneath as it is
running away and kills it with the one shot.  So, it was a good hunt,
until...Sunday morning after we pushed the timber again.  My brother, Dad, and
I went back out to drag out a buck Dad got, while we were told the rest of the
party would keep hunting.  Turns out, the group decided to quit hunting and
took the annual hunting photo and divided up the deer without us.  All of us
were aggravated to varying degrees with that behavior.  So we may not be
hunting with that party next year if that is how they are going to treat us.

I just checked and my promotion is official.  Whee!  So now I'll get to sit at
this level for prolly another 5 years.  Just gotta grind away.  The start of
the new year should be slow here at the office.  I'm just worried there is
going to be another huge wave of work coming my way in the late spring when
I'd really rather be low on work and outside enjoying the weather.  Speaking
of weather, we've been in a thaw of late.  Dad heard an old weather saying
that if you get your winter in December, Jan. and Feb. will be mild.  Well, so
far that is holding true.  We had subzero temps and almost a foot of snow the
first 3 weeks in Dec. and now it is slowly melting down.  

No big plans yet for New Year's eve.  I'm thinking a few of us will go and
watch a local band play and wait for midnight to strike.  In honor of the
tradition, I'll blog up my resolutions for the new year of '06.  For my gym
goals: keep working on my bench at 235 lb., currently at 7/5/3 reps for my
lifting set, want to get to 10/8/6 reps. Next gym goal: get back to 190 (lose
10, 5 of which I picked up the last 2 weeks due to holiday eating *blush*) and
maintain.  Next gym goal: instead of walking 3+ miles, jogging it instead, if
my knees don't complain too much.  Final gym goal: keep hitting the abs class
2x a week.  Just started a 15 min. ab class, and my word, I suck at it.  

Let's see, non-gym goals: get on a date (realistic), have a girlfriend/be in a
relationship (shooting the moon).  Goal: get my ass out to DC to hang with
Henry and Chris for a few days.  I know, I've been promising, and I need to
deliver!  Final goal:  keep building the kingdom in my little way with a lot
of help from the Big Guy.  

Ok, one more goal, be a bit more active in the blog.  Without a computer at
home, it is hard for me find time and the creative workings at the same to
promise a routine of blogging here at work.  But I'll try, I'll try!  Have a
Happy New Year's '06 all!

Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes, even if it was for one day.  Wouldn't
it be good if we could wish ourselves away.  Wouldn't it be good to be on your
side, the grass is greener over there.  Wouldn't it be good if we could live
without a care.  "Wouldn't It Be Good" Nik Kershaw