Two days off.

It is my birthday tomorrow, so I have rewarded myself with two days off in a row - something I haven't had since September.

Tomorrow, the family K will visit Lucy and her new baby. Later that day, the family K will go to a Japanese Restaurant for supper. In the evening, I will try to hook up with my parents via MSN so I can wish them a Merry Christmas and they can see Tony live.

The Next day, the family K will stay home. Our Christmas will be very unChristmasy. We haven't any decorations up. There will be no tree. Christmas presents will not be unwrapped because we couldn't afford to buy any. We will lay low and make no contact with others. But with Tony being so young and so destructive, it couldn't be any other way. I will at least play some Christmas music, that I have, in the apartment that day.

Yet, it will still be the best Christmas ever. Having Tony and Jenny, I have nothing to complain about. Or, I should say my petty complaints about past Christmases have become so glaringly petty that I wonder how I could have been so stupid as to have given them any heed.


Caterpillar company will be shutting down in Wuxi from January 15 to January 30. The first time they have done this since 1982, the last time there was a major recession.


I wonder if the people I saw under the truck this morning were dead.


Crichton's Congo is a page-turner. I will probably have it read by Christmas day.

Now, I will send some Christmas emails to those who matter.