1. This year I will not  re-resolve to give up Taco Bell and McDonalds for the year (more on that almost surely successful 2005 resolution in a coming entry).
   
2. Lose 30 pounds.
   
3. Read the entire Bible.
   
4. Finish my 2005 reading resolutions.
   
5. Commit to that mission project I've been flirting with for months.
   
6. Visit at least 2 new NFL stadiums.
   
7. Track down Pam Voth.
   
8. Update my photo albums.
   
9. Stay in my 2 Bible studies all year.
   
10. Upgrade my sister's computer.
    
11. Read some CS Lewis.
    
12. Rip most of my CD collection.
    
13. Visit a new foreign country.
    
14. Convince at least one person to never buy a full screen DVD again.
    
15. Share my faith more.
    
16. Not break up with 3 women in one year.
    
17. Pray daily.
    
18. Do at least some work on www.TaraChristianSchool.com
    
19. Buy less.
    
20. Give more.

Each Christmas season, I have an unfortunate shopping habit.  As I look for gifts for my friends and family, I end up spending more money on myself than on them.  It usually works like this.  I'll find one present for my Mom, and one for me.  One for my niece, two for me.  One for my nephew, 2 more for me.  Etc 

I don't plan to shop that way, it just happens.  Being a collector with OCD has its financial and spatial disadvantages.

This year I was able to stay truer to the season.

I only bought one present for myself, and I used store credit to buy it.  Below is pictured my favorite purchase of the year.

Light of the World, You stepped down into darkness.
Opened my eyes let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore You.
Hope of a life spent with You.

So here I am to worship, here I am to bow down.
Here I am to say that You're my God.
You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy.
Altogether wonderful to me.

King of all days, Oh so highly exalted.
Glorious in Heaven above.
Humbly You came to the earth You created.
All for love's sake became poor.

Today marks the one year anniversary...

more later...must finish shopping

I finally wrote this entry in January, see the full story on Monday January 23rd.

Tonight was the Christmas party for my Small Group Bible Study.  Thanks again to Connie and Tricia for hosting the gathering.  We all brought a dish to share, but I think that Connie went overboard in making sure that we had a truly wonderful buffet.  I would also like to thank whoever supplied the gift that I stole in our White Elephant Gift Exchange.  I have enough chocolate to get me to the new year now.

I am blessed to be this small group, and I hope to be able to continue to get to know them all.

The below picture is a little blurry I know, but those dogs were so fast that this was the best that I could do.  And when they did slow down, they were hiding under the table.  Hopefully by this time next year they will be comfortable enough with us to allow better pictures.

I am noticing a disturbing trend with my photographs.  The best ones of the bunch always seem to be the ones with me in them.  And no, it is not because I am that attractive.  My nephew was given a great digital camera for Christmas, so I got him a Dummies book on digital photography, but it looks like I need a copy for myself as well.

After leaving night shift, I knew that I would eventually be back.  Not in a permanent way mind you, but just as a temporary replacement or "fun" shift.  Well, night shift was short a dispatcher for the entire month of December, so the four day shifters had to step up and "volunteer" to work some nights.  I got a set of nights covering about a week and a half.

I loved coming back and working with so many of my night shift friends.  At Fairfax Hospital, of the departments that work 24/7, their is usually a day shift group and a night shift group.  Some people flip back and forth, but especially for the dark side, there is a core of people that are full time nights, and only work nights.  They are a breed apart.  Maybe someday I'll recount some night shift tales.

I was amazed at how easily my body adjusted back to the night shift schedule.  Sure, the first night was a little rough, but after that I was wide awake each night and slept ok during the day for that week or two.

I was also amazed at how my body refused to revert back to day shift hours.  For a solid week after I switched back to days (this is now Christmas night as I finish this entry), it was difficult for me to sleep at night.  I went about 5 days last week with a total of maybe 16 hours of sleep.  I would not recommend that sleeping strategy to anyone.  I simply could not fall asleep before 0200 or later each night, which is not good when your alarm goes off at 0500.

I finally remembered to pray about it, and I'm now back to sleeping like a baby each night.

I'll still pick up night shifts from time to time to help out my co-workers, but don't expect to ever see me switch back to nights.  I enjoyed it for a time, but never again.

For the record, the above movie (not the below movie!) is in my top ten or twenty of all time.  Another Arnold movie is up there too, any guesses?

We had another unsanctioned, unofficial ER Christmas party tonight.  Wait, my bad, it was actually a Festivus Gathering.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus

Thanks to Gina, Matt, and Jason for opening their home and allowing us all to congregate.  We once again had an amazing display of food and drink.  Our soundtrack for the night was a Christmas mix with a heavy dose of Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  I'm usually a bit behind on the current trends, and maybe TSO is old news now, but I like them.  It's too late for this season, but I'll add their Christmas CD to my collection for next year.

I left the Festivus early, so I unfortunately missed any feats of strength or airing of grievances.  But below are a few pictures.

The picture above left has probably been doctored, as it shows the usually aloof and hermit-like John Amrine at a social event.  But we all know that that is impossible, right?

Not much to say about today, just sleep, prayer about pacemakers, and work pretty much.

But I did do a bit of catch up work on the last few entries.  I am once again up to date.

Maybe tomorrow I'll discuss my return to the dark side.

Thursday night was the annual unofficial unsanctioned Fairfax Emergency Room Christmas Party at TLB's.  As usual, Tracy knocked herself out preparing fantastic food.  If I threw a Christmas Party, I would consider myself gourmet if I prepared more than cheese, crackers, and eggnog.  But not only does TLB go beyond this, but she prepared some truly excellent dishes.  My favorites included the sausage stuffed mushrooms, pina colada dip with fruit, salmon with wasabi mayo, BLT pinwheels, pork quesadillas, and Thai beef salad in cucumber cups.  To be thorough for no particular reason, we also had bleu cheese stuffed mushrooms, caeser dip with vegetables, thai chicken sausage rolls, three cheese philo triangles, wonton stacks, roast beef and spinach wraps, spinach crab artichoke dip, mushroom pate, margarita shrimp, and bourbon bacon scallops.  The party was, as always, a grand time.  The turnout was a bit light due to inclement weather, but that left more leftovers for the people who had to work.  TLB always arranges for the leftovers to be brought to the hospital near the end of the party, a gesture that I have benefited from in the past.  It was great to see Rob Hickson at the party.  He is recovering from a stroke suffered at work last year, and we need to get him out to more of our events.

Big props to TLB for once again offering her time, talents, grocery money, and home.  We have 3 big ER parties each year, and TLB is the major organizer for each.  This would not be nearly as fun of a place to work without her.  Shame on me for not getting more pictures, and at least one to include our host.

The pictures are, in order, three dispatchers at one social event (a record perhaps, Mike, Beth, and I), Lauren and Tank (the calmest big lapdog I've met), Jac and Kris K, the first (and perhaps last) picture of Amanda and I, and #4 wannabe showing me how to take self portraits.

The Supreme Court has ruled that there cannot be a  Nativity Scene in Washington, DC this Christmas season. 

This isn't for any religious reason, they simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the Nation's Capitol. 

There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.

That joke probably wasn't funny enough to be the first ever joke I post in my blog (waiting for the 'your entire blog is a joke' comment), but it seemed appropriate for the moment.  Credit to Dad for forwarding it to me this year.  In coming months I will share with you all the three funniest jokes of all time.