The last 2 months efore Xmas

That is the countdown to Christmas and the New Year which are for me absolutely jammed packed with Must do's and gotta spend. Normally I would love that and all those articles about how people feel guilty about spending money....bag humbug. If I
had it, I'd spend it with pleasure, with gusto. But this year I'm looking to skate through in a frugal waltz with necessity. I'm actually trying to find joy in the depression. Actually just carrying a Christmas tree home may be a good thing this year. Kate always wants to do that since we did it the first year. But I'm so lazy that I like to go way west to the piers and choose a beautiful tree, bargain for it in the style of my father who always wore a hat and gloves on these hunting forays. But the difference is that I then want to have it sent. So this year we're gonna carry it back. In fact, if anybody wants to know how I'm economizing -- this it.

We're still playing fall soccer outdoors and unfortunately we've been rained out for the last 2 or even three weeks. But for the winter we get to play at chelsea piers which I hope will be fabulous because it's a far newer facility than Pier 40. Although Pier 40 with its enormous outdoor green and acrobatics on the upper level is a pretty astounding surprise here in the City. i've always hated chelsea Piers because of the parents that used to accompany their children to ice skating...whining. It's not just at soccer.

And next week the Museum will be opening an ice skating rink with artificial ice. I once saw such a rink in China in 1999. It was an indoor rink in the south China town of Nanning and people were quite happy to be ice skating in August! The Museum rink will be open from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm and that should be a great place for a date and a cuppa hot chocolate.

So, my greatest news -- forget world peace and other obtainable goals -- is that Kate ate cheese souffle for dinner. It was the offering of the evening but who knew that she would actually eat. Maybe I can add it to the
other 5 items of food that she will ingest. yowza, yowza.

and I may just give into my latest lust and buy an iphone. More will be revealed on November 22.