Closing up

My company's closed betwixt Xmas and New Year's, so right now I'm wrapping up a few things, a.k.a. cruising the Internet until I can sneak out. A number of things are going on during the holidays, among them various Eve gatherings, a sweet sixteen party (no, not mine, unless you mean sixteen on Jupiter), and a one-two New Year's brunch and Sex Dwarf. Oh, and there's a brief foray to Florida in there, too, which I wasn't looking forward to until last week. Now I'm kind of anxious to get out of Philadelphia for awhile; these days there are a few too many ghosts around the corners.

I'm looking forward to seeing my nieces on the Eve; I haven't seen them for ages, and recent events have made me want to stay in closer touch with people. I promised the older one I'd teach her to drive when the time comes, and I think that'll be fun. I've taught two people before her, with no freak-out and a distinct minimum of wiggins. And that was in the days when my car was worth more than, say, a big pack of gum.

Speaking of cars, it's kind of fun to have an old car that runs well but otherwise doesn't matter too much. I've managed to bang the right side on a post leaving the garage roughly once every two or three times I pull out, leaving a scrape and a deepening dent. Ten years ago that would have sent me scurrying to the repair shop, but now I just shrug. My car and I are very alike: We turned 30 the same year, and these days we're both older and more battered, but we still get the job done.