Happy Year of the Pig

From the NYTimes: "So the nation has been saddled with tax cuts that have turned a budget surplus into a big deficit, education reform that has been badly managed and underfinanced, far-right judges with scant qualifications, the dismantling of regulations in order to benefit corporations at the expense of workers, and a triumph of ideology over science in policy making on the environment and medical research. All along, Americans' civil liberties and the constitutional balance have been trampled by a president determined to assert ever more power."

And to make matters worse, Anna Nicole Smith is died. She will be mourned. [side note: she's the biggest (tallest, heaviest, biggest measurements) Playmate of the Year (1993)].

The good side is, thanks for global warming, mountain bike season has been jump started, which is especially good since I finally decided I deserved to purchase my dream bike- that's the stock photo, actual photos to come. She's a real beauty.

In other more personal news, I was selected to win a highly selective and coveted prize at my company's New Year party on Friday: "Going above and beyond for MB Project Management." Contrary to traditional ceremony practice in this country, where there are neighborhoods solely dedicated to the displaying and manufacturing of awards, and awards ceremonies all involve elaborate trophy’s and padded red certificates laced in gold, my award was an orange post-it note with the words ‘above and beyond’ scribbled on it. I think this means I am no longer a slacker. This is quite an accomplishment.

The Chinese New Year has begun, which mostly fireworks going off at all times and with no regard to pedestrians on the sidewalk. The ‘floating population’ have returned home, which means construction projects have come to halt, and the group of people who do the jobs that no one else wants are gone as well. Sooner or later the government is going to have a reorganize their holiday schedule as it is soon becoming impossible for a nation of 9 trillion people to all travel back to bumpkin land on the same day. I’ll be here, enjoying the Colorado- like weather [sans snow] and eating and riding my bike and sleeping…

Apologies for the lack of blogging. I’ve been workin’.