So You Want To Break Free?

It's that strange time of year in between Christmas and New Year. You know, It feels like it should be over but you know it's not. Some people even have to go to work during this time. Not unlike starting up the Ferrari to drive to the end of the drive to pick up the mail.

All that energy, effort for very little return. Even if you're not at work, the true cost of what you've just been through is starting to niggle at you as you plan for 2010. Yes, this is the year that you've decided you're going to break free.

The new healthier diet, toned body, financial freedom, success at work and home, better car, new clothes, dream vacation, volunteer work, helping the less fortunate - the list goes on and on and on and... Suddenly you're jolted back to the present and realize that you're still imprisoned in this twilight space between parties, between Holy Days, depending on your choice of life. 2010 looks like the ideal moment to truly break free. I mean, it's a new decade too and isn't the world slowly coming out of recession?

The smart people among us worked out that the way to go is not to get tied up in the first place but Christmas is such a seductor. One more gift to buy, one more card to send and then the bills come home to share in our merriment. For the rest of us, once this holiday season is over, we might just break free for the new decade. I've already worked my wrists free so 2010, here I come!

Santa Has Left The Building

Maybe he goes off for a bit of skiing before packing his bags for an extended, exotic beach vacation. But as his memory rapidly fades, all eyes are now on Old Father Time.

As we stumble blearily through the next few days leading up to New Years Day, the surreal spirit of the season prevails and life is good. At least for the next few days!

American Airlines crash lands into Jamaica.

What goes up, must come down - but when you're on a passenger jet, you hope it is not always this bumpy. Flight AA 331, carrying 154 people from Miami overshot the runway and stopped just 5 metres away from the sea. Around 40 people were treated for injuries and no-one died.

I frequently fly with American Airlines and am intending to fly to Jamaica in January coming. Hopefully for me, lightning will not be striking twice.

Christmas Rescue Plan

With swine flu going around, an imminent BA strike, visa and immigration issues, global warming and Tiger Woods now doing the rounds as a golf playa, it makes you wonder if we are getting close to the point when Christmas itself is at risk. I met Perry in Union Square sitting on his owners' lap. Bearing in mind that Perry was dressed as Santa, you'd expect that the seating arrangement would be transposed. But Perry is just a chihuahua so we can make an exception here. Anyway, Perry was part of what seems to be a growing number of Santas seen around the city this year.

Idi Amin and Saddam Hussein only had a handful of lookalikes in case things turned tricky. But Santa seems to have garrisons of lookalikes and is even represented by many other life forms too! Is Santa worried that with the world recession, Christmas is really at risk? Is he just a little afraid that when he delivers those cheaper presents this year, and less of them, that all those sweet little children who have been good will suddenly turn bad!

Thinking it through, I suppose he would need a myriad of fall guys. In every country and every place, and judging from Perrys' choice of outfit, in every species. It's one thing having a child turn bad on you, but a really pissed dog standing between you and your sleigh is not an experience any Santa is going to crave.

Hopefully, all the kids will be reasonably appeased, somewhat distracted because they can play with daddy all day, because he doesn't go to the office anymore...

Taxi, follow that parcel - he might need help!

I went down to Fisherman's Wharf today. The first time in about 3 or 4 months. Apart from the gigantic christmas tree and other tinsel draped displays, there seemed to be distinct evidence that San Francisco was still getting it's fair share of tourist.

I know that the statistisians will tell us that this is the worst christmas ever for tourism, and santa's elves have been told that there will be no payout on their profit share this year, but there I was, pressed by the deluge of visitors wnadering around pier 39.

I took a taxi down and agreed to let the driver take me on a roundabout trip so that he could deliver a package. He very kindly turned off the meter for a portion of the journey. Ah, the Christmas Spirit lives!

Arriving home later that afternoon, I met the UPS man at the apartment entrance, struggle with a load of very large parcels. He was a slim man and I didn't spot any reindeer. Satisfied that it wasn't Santa Claus, I gave him a hand with the door and the many packages. I only had letters in my mail today, but seasonal cheer is looking like it may still triumph this Holiday period.

I wouldn't but maybe Tiger would...

I'm not criticizing Tiger Woods' taste in sexual partners, just the quantity. If he hadn't committed to a monogamous relationship then who cares. As long as he's not hurting anyone. However it seems that Tiger's wood has an insatiable appetite for all creatures great and small! Sorry, that was unfair. I should say, most women, short or tall. Whatever fulfillment he's searching for, he seems determined to take his work with him everywhere as he stays focused on trying to get his little balls in as many holes as he can.
I say little because I'm obviously talking about golf. The confusion for Tiger has been which of his balls he uses most. This slight confusion has also got his sponsors rushing to pull out. A kind of big brand coitus interruptus. It's left to Tiger now to prove that when this has all died down, he can still deliver the money shot!