for the people who have their Christmas cards out already. I'm lucky if I mail any with any more frequency than one out of every three years.

for people who think the family newsletter is a riveting concept.

for people who think the family dog merits a column of her own. I am related to some deeply messed up people.

for the security guy who wouldn't let me into my kids school yesterday to get my son's backpack after the chimney fell down last week. In and out in three minutes, would it really have killed him.

for the woman who after watching us clean up after a "Breakfast with Santa" event yesterday load up on leftovers because "they are only going to feed this to the help." Not quite sure who she was going to feed with a plate of 20 sausage patties, but the site of the removal did stun me into silence behind my coffee mug. Beyotch wouldn't get her raggedy children out of there for another half hour after that. The Chef was asking me: "You want I should turn the lights off on em." Good thing I only have to cultivate customers. If I had to like them, this might go another way

for the schmuck board member who decided that we need to meet on the same night of the estrip holiday dinner. It's at Stillwater's, but still. I used to live in the apartment building that is their atrium so I'm curious. So my chair will be empty that night. Duty calls.

for the cheap bastards who show up at the Unitarian Church on Music Sunday to get their fill of classical tunage. It could be a really great setting, but it has gotten too big for its shoes. An orchestra joins the church's own fine choir. A potentially great morning of music is regularly tarnished by people who should know better crowding church members out. My daughters reported stuff getting sat on. A friend lost their seat to somebody who just shoved their stuff out of the way. A little respect, folks. c'mon. I know Kleinhans is pricey, but behave yourselves.

for the gaggle of mornons and knuckleheads who wrote the Zoo's website (Hey, I'm a webmaster now!) during our recent drama wishing my fate be the same of the polar bears at the Zoo they haven't visited since 1979. I've actually had no trouble at all with the surrounding silliness, but some of the hate mail and blogging on the News's website has taken mean spirited.

for the peee-tah spokes wench who started all the foolishness. Made my life interesting. I have absolutely no problem with somebody registering a complaint based on something they've seen with their own eyes. This all started from a Freedom of Information act report, not from a visit.

for anybody who takes Buffalo talk radio seriously.

for the polyester-clad press box usher at the hockey game saturday night. I had a pass you saw it, so piss off.

I don't have a box of hammers handy to smack the above so the rant will have to suffice.

Happy Monday, ya'all

Hope you all had nice holiday weekends. I spent this fun filled Monday helping manage damage control at work, which peaked with two hours sitting in the Channel 7 live truck making sure their reporter wouldn't give the p.r. person excessive grief.

Actually had a date Saturday, thought it went well, but apparently there won't be a second one. She wants to concentrate on another relationship. Um, yeah, then why did you call me? Can he be all that if you're looking elsewhere? Worse yet, did I not measure up to him? Sort of sucks anyway you slice it. Not sure where I blew it, but another blow to my battered but still determined self-esteem. Got to hop back on the horse......ah, perhaps that ain't the metaphor, but you get the idea.

So, got dumped on out of work, got rained on at work, nearly got trampled on by a Buffalo press collective. It was indeed a Monday. Thought the reporters and the zookeepers were going to recreate the Jets and Sharks, but that was part of the fun.

It all was a reminder of that the weekend was over and it was back to work. I had a nice weekend. Spent the holiday at the former in-laws. My contribution to the feast was to make up a batch of Kier -- 2 parts Chardonnay and 1 part Creme de Cassis. It's tasty, but if you don't watch it your chin can be on the floor in a hurry, as my brother in law found out. My daughter, ex-wife and I decorated his drunken self with christmas lights.

I spent Friday half doing work, half cyber shopping. Nearly broke, but I got a lot of gifting done. Went out saturday and came home thinking thoughts of possibility only to have them dashed via facebook. Facebook? what the hell?

I know I'm no matinee idol, but sheeeet

Off to assemble the tree...

I believe our globetrotter (e:Ladycroft) initially fired this around last year. It was sent to me a little bit ago and made me chuckle.

Pre-game scenes that is. It is a little interesting being in a football stadium as it starts to come to life, kinda like being a roadie before the concert starts.

When the prime-time circus starts, the minions double and we were all bundled against a shitty evening both weather and football wise. I didn't get to many game shots as when the people come in I had to shift into industrial baby sitting mode, but here's a brief look at the ghost town awakening.

They had just turned the lights on as NBC's minions finished working away

John Madden's second truck




My vantage point during the game itself. Right after this was taken, came the announcement that the gates are now open. The hounds were released

Unspoiled by sloppy bodies and their many empty beers cups

WNY sports remote trucks in the distance trying to look important


I'm still tired from it. Personally ejected 4 folks who were chemically serene....or not.

So done at the end of the year.