Tonight Allison and I went to Christine and Marc’s annual Christmas Party. It was really fun to get to meet my friend Megan’s fiance Rob. We talked with them for quite a while about Aruba because they are going to the same place that we went to on our honeymoon for their honeymoon. As always the food was fantastic at Christine and Marc’s. We could only stay for a little while because we were double booked last night.

On our way to our second party we picked up some items that Allison had ordered through Southern Home Living at a party she went to with our friend Rondi. We swung by their house, confused and excited Stephen, their dog, and then continued on to party #2.

The second party was at Amy And Ryan’s. We brought a little something for Mason but he was already asleep. I got him a Fisher Price Little People set and Allison got him some Muppet Babies Magic Marker Books. I’m sure he’ll get a kick out of both. Amy and Ryan had a couple of beautiful nativity sets and the Fisher Price one too. So the photo today is the Fisher Price Set. The bonus is one of the more adult sets.

The spirit of Christmas alive and well in the Chicago O’Hare airport. My flights today went very well. They were early so I was on flights that weren’t totally full. That was a good deal. I did get peeved however, don’t I always.

Here is my latest pet peeve. The Bathrooms at airports. When did the bathroom become the cell phone zone at an airport? I was in the men’s room and could hear a full on business conversation going on from one of the stalls. “Yeah I’d like to dump 12,000 shares of Nuevelo stock, and speaking of dump bob…” It is nasty and I am very annoyed at it. Now couple that with the number of people who do not wash their hands after they use the bathroom. I count about 2.5 people average who simply walk out of the bathroom and do not wash their hands. I want to scream at them that just because the sign says employees MUST wash hands that it wouldn’t hurt for them to use a little good hygiene either. And most of the people I have seen in my years at airport bathrooms are businessmen who are going out and shaking hands with people. No thanks. I get grossed out after every trip to the bathroom. And another thing, observe the man rules. No talking, no taking the urinal next to some guy who was already there if there is an empty urinal one or more urinals away from him, preferably the more urinals away the better. I found a site that has the rules of etiquette for the urinal.

Urinal rules:
1. Given a string of unoccupied urinals, you must choose one on the outside. When one outside urinal is occupied, use the other side, then middle. Avoid standing directly next to somebody at all costs.

For example, given seven urinals, here are acceptable configurations:

…… (X == occupied, . == empty)
…..
....
...
.. <– These are only acceptable when significant
. <– “privacy” dividers are available. If the
 <– urinals aren’t divided, use a toilet.

2. Always look at the wall. Looking down means you’re obsessed or don’t know what you’re doing. Looking at other people is threatening.

3. Don’t start unzipping until you’re protected by the privacy of the urinal. Don’t step back until you’ve closed your pants again.

Oh, I used my sketch book today and ended up drawing the Grinch, go figure. I was trying to draw an airplane tail. Don’t ask how it became the Grinch.