Thanksgiving was amazing. Snowmass and Ajax opened today. I had a blast riding. I’ll have to get some pictures this weekend. There are not even words enough to describe dinner. I ate at the St. Regis hotel in Olives. There was Turkey, Prime Rib, Duck, Chicken, Shrimp, Crab and I had a little of each. This may have been the best Thanksgiving to date but not to fret mother, next years will be better hence making it the best.

Finally. My favorite time of the year. I’ve already finished all of my Christmas shopping. I’m sure I will pick up more gifts here and there but as far as planned gifts I’m finished. If you were wondering what to get me, I’ve compiled a couple of lists from Amazon.

Parents List

Everybody Else

If you’d like to know the best Christmas songs, check out my list here

I also have a countdown to Benihanas on my website. You’ll find it on the top of the sidebar to the right.

I’ve recently read “Skipping Christmas” by John Grisham and I highly recommend it. I also saw “Christmas at the Kranks” but it was not nearly as good as the book. I imagine I may have enjoyed it had I not read the book first.

I just read “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens as well and I must say that that I absolutely loved it.

“If you should happen, by any unlikely chance, to know a man more blest in a laugh than Scrooge’s nephew, all I can say is, I should like to know him too. Introduce him to me, and I’ll cultivate his acquaintance.” - Dickens

How amazing is his writing, truly terrific. Each of you should pick it up and read it immediately. His dialogue is incredible.

A few of my favorite Christmas movies:
It’s a Wonderful Life
White Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A Christmas Story
8 Crazy Nights (not Christmas, I know)
Surviving Christmas
Santa Claus the Movie
The Santa Claus
Frosty Returns

May this holiday season bring joy and love to each and every one of you!

After planning to remain open for Thanksgiving Day to give cooks of Massachusetts a last minute resort it seems Whole Foods’ plans have been squashed by competitor Shaw’s.

An employee of Shaw’s caught wind of Whole Foods plan and told corporate, who in turn asked their legal department to investigate. Apparently Massachusetts has a law dating back to the 1600s requiring all stores, except convenience stores and gas stations, to close on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Shaw’s legal department wrote the following to state attorney general Thomas Reilly, “We believe that allowing Whole Foods to open on Thanksgiving Day will create an unlevel playing field for all other retail grocers. Besides disadvantaging competitors, a Whole Foods opening would harm consumers, due to lack of choice in the marketplace for consumers to shop and compare prices for the best deal.”

Reilly has forced Whole Foods to remain closed for Thanksgiving Day.

David Lannon, president of Whole Foods Market’s North Atlantic Region, said working on Thanksgiving was voluntary and workers would have received double pay. Nonetheless all 14 Whole Foods stores located in Massachusetts will be closed on Thanksgiving day.

Lannon stated, “We’re not going to break the law. If the law says we’ll have to be closed, we have to be closed.”

I want one

It displays up to 12 digits and has a speaker in the back.

Click here for more info

I cannot wait. It is going to be the best Christmas ever. As a celebration I have added a countdown to Benihanas to my site. It is located on the sidebar just above the page links.

What a great idea. It’s powered my the Nano itself! No wires. This actually makes me want to get a Nano even on top of my Shuffle and 60GB.

Get all the details here

The chef, the athlete
The lawyer, the mother
The doctor, the teacher
The banker, the brother

Each with a problem
Each with a worry
Each wanted a solution
Each in a hurry

They grabbed a paper
They grabbed a pen
They wrote it down
They wrote it again

One by one
They laid it on the ground
And gathered in a circle
They gathered round

They saw each burden
They saw each fear
They noticed something
They had a great cheer

Each grabbed their paper
Each did not scoff
Each had realized
Each was better off

The chef, the athlete
The lawyer, the mother
The doctor, the teacher
The banker, the brother

Only because I love the snow and it reminds me of Christmas. I had the nicest walk home in the snow last night. I felt like I was in a movie. I’ve got to get a better camera for night photos.

Sam and I went snowskating today

The trees. I love the snow on the trees

A perfect little cottage, it’s beautiful at night

The local church

The rugby field
\

The basketball court, I miss basketball so much

I just saw it and I loved it. It was a really great film. The cinematography and direction were amazing. Not to mention the acting and the music. If every film had images this beautiful Hollywood would be doing a lot better. It was a bit profane (although probably true to life) but that is the only negative thing I can say about it. I thought it was absolutely fantastic. I recommend you see it in the theatre for I feel that it may lose a bit of its impact on a home theatre.

No. 1: San Jose, Calif.
Median Household Income: $71,765
Median Home Price: $625,000
What This House Costs: just under $2.5 million

For California comfort in the heart of Silicon Valley, this residence offers 4,500 square feet of living space on a private cul-de-sac in luxurious Bel-Aire Estates. The five-bedroom home has a rotunda entryway, a formal dining room and a family room with a fireplace and triple sets of French doors. The one-acre lot is planted with flowers and trees, includes a swimming pool and waterfall, and offers views of downtown San Jose. It is available through Thao Dang at Century 21 Alpha.

Note: Median income data is for the city of San Jose and comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2004 American Communities Survey. The median home sale price is for June 2005 for the city of San Jose, according to DataQuick Information Systems.

Link to the entire article

The greatest painting
Ever witnessed
Is the future
Of the optimist

Using his brush of
Imagination
He dips it
In the present

Making something
Of little
He is a master
Of his craft

Shaping paths
And molding ideas
Bringing realty
To the unreal

He does what
Others wish to do
And does so with
Great certainty

Making fiction
Into fact
The true artisan
Of our time