Okay, here's what's on the agenda:

• Lunch with dad this afternoon
• Wrapping Christmas gifts tonight, watching a movie
• Cleaning the apartment tomorrow
• Heading over to Keith & Marilyn's to see Marty & LouAnn tomorrow
• Going back over there on Sunday morning for brunch
• Driving to Homer with dad's crew to see A. Elaine on Sun. afternoon
• Maybe taking a look at my cousin Lisa's grandma's car, which is for sale

Next week is going to be relatively "normal" at work, but I am taking next Friday off. I'll probably spend the first part of next weekend at Stef's house, and then leave on Sunday afternoon to spend Christmas Eve at my Aunt Julie's with the family. I have a game in mind for everyone to play, since we're basically replacing a gift exchange with prizes for games, but I still need to take some time to sit down and actually write out the rules/questions.

Anyway, that's it for now. Have a nice pre-Christmas weekend!

Here's another one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band doing "Merry Christmas Baby" on Conan O'Brien in 2002. Enjoy!

Well, I finally finished the fifth season of 24, and man, what a great finale! That rat bastard president sure had it coming. I was all worried about Jack getting kidnapped by the Chinese at the end there, but after watching this trailer for the sixth season, it looks like he pretty much gets out in the first hour. Man, I can't wait for the big premiere!

Okay, here's this week's list:

1. No snow: I said I didn't like the cold, but I still want a White Christmas!
2. Sudden fear that dems could lose the senate: hang on, Sen. Johnson!
3. MSU basketball players getting stress fractures: drink your milk, boys
4. Bush won't "rush" into decision about Iraq: worst president ever
5. Apocalypto #1 at the box office: cinema really is doomed

There's not a whole lot to report on today. Stef's going home this afternoon since her exams are done, and I'm heading out to my dad's for dinner tonight. Hopefully I'll get some more Christmas wrapping done, and have time to finish that last episode of season five of 24. But yeah, that's basically it. I hope everyone is having a good week.

Okay, it's another video with Bing Crosby. This rendition is pretty good, but I do get a certain "Brokeback" vibe from the video. Anyhoo, it's still one of my favorite Christmas songs, so enjoy!

Wow, I didn't know there was an actual video for this song! See, this is why you gotta love YouTube. Anyway, here's my all-time favorite Christmas tune, "It's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). Enjoy!

Well, my dinner with Paul was really nice yesterday. It's hard to believe, but it's seriously been about two years since I've seen him. Considering his recent news, there was simply no excuse to put it off any longer. He filled me in on everything that's been going on in his life, and I finally got the scoop about his fiancee, Rochelle. And of course, it's always fun to reminisce about about all the crazy stuff we did in high school. Who else can I joke about Mr. Foy's student teacher, Miss Brown with?

Anyway, it was great getting to see Paul, and now I really have to make sure we don't go another two years without seeing each other again.

Remember that time when David Bowie sang "The Little Drummer Boy" with Mr. Rogers Bing Crosby? Yeah, me neither... I wasn't alive back in the olden days. Well, even though this is usually one of my least favorite Christmas tunes, this has to be one of the best renditions of it. Enjoy!

There's a lot on the agenda for this week. Things are only going to get busier as we get closer to Christmas. Here's the lineup:

• Dinner with Paul tonight (this is long overdue)
• Holiday get-together for work in Novi tomorrow afternoon
• Dinner at dad's tomorrow night
• Going away potluck for Habitat for Humanity at work on Thursday
• Stef finishes her exams tomorrow and heads home on Thursday
• Sherry's brother Marty and his wife LouAnn come to town on Friday
• Dinner at Marilyn's on Saturday, brunch there on Sunday
• Heading to Homer with dad's crew to see my A. Elaine that afternoon

There will actually be a bit of a lull in my schedule early next week, but I'm sure I'll be plenty busy with some last-minute Christmas shopping for the handful of gifts I still haven't bought yet.

Oh, BTW... I'll try to have those pictures of Morgan and Kyra up tomorrow.

Great news from the AP (via DNews):

NEW YORK -- McCartney, Jagger and now Prince.

For the third year in a row, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act will headline the Super Bowl halftime entertainment. This time it's Prince.

The Purple One, winner of six Grammy Awards and nominated for five more this year, will play at the game in Miami on Feb. 4.

The Super Bowl, which will be televised by CBS, is annually television's highest rated show. An estimated 141 million people watched last year's game between Pittsburgh and Seattle.

Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
2 get through this thing called life

Electric word life
It means forever and that's a mighty long time
But I'm here 2 tell u
There's something else...
The Super Bowl!

Okay, here's the list of my favorite Christmas-themed movies:

1. It's a Wonderful Life: still gets me every time
2. Scrooged: a great Bill Murray spin on the Dickens story
3. A Christmas Story: taught me never to lick a telephone pole
4. Home Alone: Keep the change, you filthy animal!
5. The Santa Clause: somewhat tarnished by lame-ass sequels

So what are your favs?

Okay, here's the weekend rundown:

• I did some Christmas shopping/wrapping on Friday night
• Did more shopping on Saturday, nearly lost my life at Target
• Watched an unhealthy amount of 24 on Saturday and Sunday
• About 11 episodes total, only one left to finish off season five
• Finished 90% of my Christmas wrapping on Saturday
• Only a few people left to buy for. This is the earliest I've been done!
• Went w/Stef to Morgan & Kyra's Christmas pageant at church on Sunday

So yeah, that was basically it. I can't believe how proactive I've been about my Christmas shopping this year -- usually I'm still scrambling to finish the last half of my gift buying on the weekend before Christmas. It's nice to have most of the wrapping out of the way too. I always bust my ass to do a nice job on it, so it takes a long time to get through everything.

Anyway, that's basically it for the weekend. I'll try to post some of the pictures from Morgan and Kyra's Christmas pageant in the next day or two.

I'm breaking the mold with the hair, I know, but it's about time Clark Kent got rid of those floppy locks. Seriously though, do you like the new glasses? Do they make me look smarter, like Dick DeVos in the debates?