Forsyth Family 2008 Christmas website update thing

just click here.

Sam the Cooking Guy

I like my new TV. So shoot me. I sometimes sit there and watch cooking shows late at night while Jaime falls asleep on me. Stop laughing. The other night, as she dozed, I found "Sam the Cooking Guy" on Fit TV.

I've been subjected to a lot of Food Network and plenty of cooking shows (do you know my roommate?), but this one stuck out at me. I remember several months ago telling Jaime that I thought TV was lacking a good, funny, realistic, down-to-earth but delicious cooking show. All of those things in one. She thought Alton Brown fit that bill. I think Alton Brown is a geeky hoser most of the time.

Turns out Sam Zien is in his San Diego home cooking tasty stuff with his kids and dogs running around, while someone rolls a camera. And Sam may just be old enough that I could fill his shoes when I'm ready for my mid-life crisis career change. Until then, I'm waiting for my craptastic stomach flu to be fully exorcised so I can make this.

Westy on a whim

Jaime and I have been talking about going to Europe together, more specifically Germany and Austria, ever since we were married. I've been slowly racking up the not-so-frequent-anymore flier miles with plans of cashing in on just that. After a bit of research today I realized that although I have almost 85,000 AA miles, we couldn't both get round-trip tickets to Europe with any kind of reasonable itinerary that agreed with my employer's "time theft" policy. Not to mention the weak dollar (and our weak budget) that would be continuously tapping us on the shoulder every time we we required any sort of lodging or transportation from city to city. I always stifled these roadblocks in my reluctant subconscious until I sat and did the math today.

I know we'll get to Germany someday. I'll show Jaime stuff I'm dying to see again, and we'll both experience things anew. But not this next year. Not without a very hefty Christmas bonus and another raise. Yeah right.

So I started thinking about other ways we could escape in '09. Where would American Airlines allow me to use my limited AAdvantage miles and what mutual destination would allow us to afford transportation and lodging? Oh, and it has to be distant and awesomely awesome.

Then it clicked, and I subsequently clicked around the interweb until a few hours hours later it was in the bag.

Nine days of September 2009 will find us on Maui, putting around in our very own (rented) VW Westfalia camper van. No hotels needed. No set plans. Just a bag of local groceries, a GPS and my camera. The flights are already booked, totally covered by points, with some to spare. Surf, dive, hike, swim, chill, nap, cook, eat, drive around, whatever. See the real Hawai'i. Get a real ocean front room.

I've been dreaming of renting one of these puppies and making a week out of it. Deutschland can wait, but I'll still be able to fulfill my Wanderlust in einem VolksWagen.

Stuff White People Like

I want something like this to happen to me.

All you want for Christmas (Hanukkah, Kwanza, and so forth):

All I really want for Christmas is to have powder days off work, and no car troubles for the next 18 months. Somehow, Jaime has packaged these up and placed them under the tree (which we economically "borrowed" from the church storage), because I spy wrapped boxes with my name on them. She's always pulling off the impossible, that corker.

So don't worry about me, but if you're looking for an original stocking stuffer for somebody else, I've got a few semi-obscure gift ideas for you. Give what they didn't even know they wanted, and they won't forget you when they're rich and famous. That's a campaign promise.*

Teresamia
Unique hand-crafted bags and jewelry for the ladies. I mean "unique" in the actual definition. As in, there is really only one of each item shown on the website. It bothers me when people use the word unique in a non-unique context. Or when they say something is "very unique." There's no such thing as "very unique." It's either unique or it isn't. I digress. No templates and duplicates at Teresamia. Just one of each. Teresamia was founded and it's creations are designed by my sister-in-law, Francesca Forsyth. Warning: One let-down is that they don't actually sell children on the website as the homepage suggests:

Waiting for Monday's debut album
For anyone that likes great music from good people. Rob and Kendall are a simple, yet perfectly refreshing acoustic duo and I love their new album. I used to share shows with these guys in the rock and/or roll mecca of Rexburg, Idaho, and I can vouch for their character - proceeds from CD sales will not go to hookers and drugs. I already picked up this CD, so I'm not just plugging my friends' music. I'm plugging my headphones into it as i type this very moment. Support good independent music and your karma and soul will support you.

The Things You Think You Need by Jay Nash
Jay is a friend who's fourth or fifth album (who's counting?) was released earlier this year. It's kind of amazing. This guy is an independent music trooper that has worked hard and it's starting to pay off. But I think he still needs more ears. The Things You Think You Need is on sale at Barnes & Noble as well as iTunes. I really like the CD packaging, so get the real deal shipped to you or pick it up at your local B&N.

Trees and Other Shady Things
If you're on a real musical stocking stuffer frenzy and you haven't got it already, my album Trees and Other Shady Things also has the physical benefit of being easy to hide until 12/24: It's very flat and specially designed to only be about the size of a "compact disc." And it often ships the same day you order it. How's that for excellent product and service in one?

Oh, it's going to be a good Christmas. Can you feel it?

*not really.