I am very fortunate

to be able to work with the great people at Principled Technologies.  Tonight was our annual holiday party, what we call our seasonal celebration, and seeing all of my colleagues and their guests reminded me yet again how lucky I am to get to work with them.  As one of the company's owners and leaders, my biggest job is to serve our clients and my colleagues.  I hope to continue to improve in that role over the coming year.

It's almost that time

Yes, yes it is.



Soon, soon I'll do my giant viewing of this classic. 

The cold is still kicking my butt

and I have a long and full work day tomorrow, so I am signing off once again.

I hope tonight I can sleep.

I fought the cold, and the cold won

At least, so far it has.  I appear to have picked up a cold in Las Vegas--I blame Kyle, who was getting it on Sunday--and it has turned my sinuses and my throat into battlegrounds.

So, for me, it's work and sleep and not much else for a few days.

Las Vegas holiday views

Over at the Bellagio, the Christmas decorations weren't up yet, but the lobby had added this statue to its amazing collection of Chihuly glass.

Click an image to see a larger version.

Meanwhile, at the shops at the Aria, the decorators felt a little Christmas tree might spruce up the place.

Sister hotel The Cosmopolitan had its own smaller but brighter tree up on the terraced roof we visit each time we're in town.

At the other end of this section of roof, people were ice skating in the early evening chill.

Not to be outdone by anyone, the Wynn's lobby opted for a very different color scheme but an equally opulent effect.

The Palazzo shops featured this ribbon construction that I found lovely and almost mesmerizing.

And, of course, they added a giant bit of love in front of an indoor waterfall.

Vegas certainly bombards you with excess, but sometimes it also offers great beauty. 

The Bayeux Tapestry

Admit it:  The Folio Society's continuous printing version of this famed tapestry looks amazing.  Add to it their book on the tapestry's meaning, and you have a perfect Christmas gift--as long as you're willing to spend a mid-range internal organ on the pair.

I think I'll continue to lust for the volumes from afar.

Morning flights suck

Regardless of how much sleep I can get--and last night it wasn't much--there's something about morning flights that makes them awful.  I don't sleep well before them, I never feel right prepping for them, and then it's morning and I'm on a plane.

Enough whining.  Aside from that general issue, today's flights were as perfect as they could have been:  comfortable (in first class), early, and with (not good but) tolerable bandwidth.

Best of all, I'm now home.