HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

What a wonderful last two days .. had lots of fun and got a little bit of work done, too. Today I tell you about the fun ... and tomorrow I'll tell you about and post pictures about the work. Just a little hint ... you'll want to be sure and check out the 10 new Statler designs posted to my website.

We celebrated New Year's Eve with our close friends, Norm and Pam. We've gotten together for at least the last 30 years every New Year's Eve. We dress up and go out to dinner taking turns each year to pick the place and foot the bill. After dinner we go back to the host's home for our ever evolving version of a card game called Progressive Rummy and watching TV as the ball drops in Times Square announcing the new year.

This year Pam made reservations at a restaraunt called Claim Jumpers. What a wonderful surprise for Mike when he placed his order. Mike is gluten intolerant with celiac disease and this makes it nearly impossible for us to eat out any more for fear of contaminated food or no food that he can eat. As he started to explain his dietary needs to our waitress she stopped him in mid-sentence and said, "You need our Gluten Free Menu. Let me get that for you." Wow! That almost never happens.

And our New Year's celebration got even better today with more surprises in store. I had heard of a "new thing" they are trying out at The Metropolitan Opera with their live HD broadcasts in local area movie theaters. I was able to purchase two tickets for us to see Hansel and Gretel today "live from the Met" with great behind the scenes actions shots, wonderful music, and just the best staging and acting you could ever want. I won't give up my season tickets to the Portland Opera - you just can't beat live - but I think we'll be adding in regular "trips" to The Met on our calendar after today's fantastic experience.

But wait ... that's not all! Mike and I decided to cruise through the mall - I was looking for my last peppermint white mocha of the season from Starbucks, and Mike was looking for any good deal he could find on outerware to keep him warm and dry while he rides his bike. He also had a gift certificate for Sees Candy from one of his students. Bless his heart, he asked me what kind of candy I liked. He can't have candy any more either because of the gluten free diet. He just happened to mention it in passing to the clerk and he has a new lease on life! They have a whole section of Gluten Free Candy! (We did take the dogs for a brisk walk on the Springwater Trail to work off a little of the chocolate.)

Life is good and getting better all the time.