Happy Merry Almost Christmas...

Don't think that I haven't thought about what to get you folks. The truth is that I have. What do you give cyber friends, some of whom you know well and some of whom you've never met? What could I manage to offer to you to express my gratitude for stopping in here and checking up on le Zed and us...you know, and generally tolerating a #$%king baby blog. People hate baby blogs, and you know what I say to those people? No gift for you!

Here is my idea...links. That's right...links. I'm gonna give you all of my favorite clicks from 2009. I might even get specific with the recipients...

I stumbled into an almost instant must get around to vacation at Dunton Hot Springs in Colorado...and I thought how badly I'd like to bring 42 friends along with me ('cause you can rent the whole place with 42 friends).

Tom Palumbo's collection of photos from Paris in 1962 makes you wish time travel was easier...and you had some more style.

This link will ship you over to just about the sweetest and coolest website ever called My Parents Were Awesome. I love it.

If you like European style lagers you HAVE TO get your warm hands wrapped around some cold Peroni imported straight outta Italy. It's goooood.

In an alternative universe I live here. And I'm cooler than everyone you know... except for yourself, and that's why we hang out.

June buys me this stuff by Sabon whenever I'm not lookin'... It helps me smell like a man, a man who uses hand creme, of course. It's the best thing since hands were invented.

This photo was taken in the exact spot where the idea that I would like to marry June Partridge first struck me...Paris, France - June 2000.

The notion snuck into my head that if we have a second child (okay Mihoko and Cathy...when we have a second child) and if that second child happens to be another girl I think that I would like to reconsider the name "elly"...That's right, elly with no capital E. We considered the name before but hesitated and now that I've seen it spelled out here ever so cutely, I think I would like to table it again. The fun part is that it's only spelled with a lower case "e" and never with the usual capitalization...you know, the way given names are traditionally spelled. This one's spelled with a little e, thank you very much...even on the birth certificate. Dumb, I know, but more fun than an apple tree full of ripe apples that happens to be within throwing distance of a barn wall ...and nobody's watchin'.

If you were to ask me what parenting is like I wouldn't be able to find the words...but this photo speaks nicely.

We're having a party this winter and it's gonna be a a giant Staring Contest,tournament style and everything. You're invited.

Remember Cameron's parents place in "Ferris Beuller's Day Off"? Well it's for sale.

If this doesn't make your head explode then you're probably dead. This too.

I gotta try this.

Aside from the "Vegan" thing, I really can't get enough of this girls tattoos.

I can't wait for this, or something similar.

I've been talking about doing this to my house someday for something like five or six years...ask June! It's true.

I'm doing this as soon as I get home! I'll use the money to bring June and Zo to move to where it's "like summer every day."

This could have been our parents...I love it.

For those dreamy dreary days I thought I'd get you a membership in the cloud appreciation society...you're welcome.