For the last six weeks or so, we’ve been planning a big holiday party for tonight. We’re just about done with prep. A lot of food – soups, spinach dip, stuffed mushrooms, shrimp cups, cinnamon roasted almonds, cookies, a bunch more – is either already done or is prepped in the fridge and ready to put together on short notice. We picked up the card table and extra chairs last night from Kristi’s grandparents. Thoroughly cleaned the house. Now we just need to put it all together by 6 o’clock tonight and kick off our 2008 holiday party.

We’ve invited about 30 people, and so far have received only a very, very few can’t-make-its. So we’re looking forward to a busy house tonight!

Things still to be done: finish food, finish cleaning the bathroom, set up the tables, take Sam to stay overnight at Don and Kathy’s, sweep out the front porch. We actually have a long list. 🙂

Other news:

The business is having a decent December, after a flat-out ROCKING November. I got the last of my copy deliverables out the door yesterday morning, and received emails from my in-progress clients to say that everything was still on track. So for the immediate moment, we’re not losing sleep over money. I’ll also be able to take off the remainder of December and enjoy the holidays with my wife without having to widow her to client work (like I did during Thanksgiving break).

My brother Chris, who recently registered for an R&K user account, has just been promoted here to Contributor status. That gives him the ability to write posts and to moderate comments on those posts. He asked the other day and we saw no problem with it – he wants to share his recipe for chocolate peppermint bark! Look for it sometime soon.

Finally, Monkey is doing fine, living in the garage. It’s been really cold this week; Wednesday night we had a freeze and woke up yesterday morning to a frosted-over lawn. Monkey was curled up in the garage (her pile of towels has evolved into a much thicker, warmer bed), with food and water nearby. This morning Kristi met Monkey in the front yard as she went out for the paper, and Monkey doesn’t seem any worse for wear.