Ten Could've Been Posts, already dated but in no specific order of appearance:

10) Arr!'s sadly gone and beer comsumption has dramatically shifted downwards since his departure. We still have yet to rake in on the Euros of bottle deposits left in the wake of his frequent trips to the local petrol station.

9) Didn't quite get a chance to review my wonderful trip back home to see my family. Events included two trips to Chef Wayne's Big Mamou, an family investigation into the atrocities occuring at the local butterfly conservatory, and Gleason's becoming a regular at a bar in Northampton. Oh, and the new exhibit (Amusement Park) being put up at Mass MOCA is absolutely worth seeing. It's been the feeling of a poem for a while, and walking through the work-in-progress pushed the movement even further. Anyway, it was so great to see everyone back home again, as always.

8) Reports from 234 HQ are that my sister's 2nd cat was subject to a freak bag accident the other day, invoking 24 hrs. of hissing and hiding from his beloved caretaker. We here at Dotde hope that all emotions back to partly sunny, partly scared. I should add, though, that my entire relationship with this cat is based on hissing and hiding.

7) FR Ultimate went 4-4 in our tournament last weekend. Most satisfying was that I was asked to go to Indoor Nationals with them, which has prompted more vigorous running on my part, along with my first trip to a Yoga class with D and a couple people from work.

6) My emotions for the local souperie here in Mainz rivals my original love for the soup schleppers at Souper Bowl in Amherst. Germany, however, seems to be a little behind in bread bowl technology. But the owner speaks great English (don't worry, Dad, I still order in German so as not to feign intimidation), and I'll be sure to make the suggestion if our conversations ever drift into area of liquid vessels.

5) Carson's Decreation and Bernstein's Shadowtime have been the most notable of two of the five books I've consumed recently.

4) The Dotde "Secret Santa" gift-giving activity displayed the exchange of several great gifts. What a laugh D! and I had when we realized we drew each other's name for the exchange (considering the amount of people in Dotde's editorial department!). I ended up with a beautiful new watch, and D came out sporting a super-cute bag.

3) Despite our presence in the 21st Century, international mail is quite lackluster. Many delays and several undelivered holiday gifts have left us wondering if Amerigo Vespucci had better postal service during his travels between continents. Of course, it could be that some NSA official's out there snacking on our German cookie treats while opening other letters are reading post cards. Which is to say that we DO appreciate the NSA here at Dotde as they do compose of our largest reading audience. Get our mail to its destination, guys, and we'll be sure to send a few logoed mouse pads your way.

2) My 2 week beard has disappeared. It was a little weak, me with one bald cheek. Plans are in the works to try again next winter.

1) Let's end on a decorative pattern:

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