Happy January Next, everybody!  I'm presently spending this new year with my nephews, Josh and Nick, and my brother, Mark.  So far we've stuffed ourselves with junk food (not exactly the best way to start a year I've planned to lose weight in), watched Harry Potter movies, and talked about the tragedy in South Asia (not an easy thing to explain to 6 and 8 year old boys).  As I type this, the New Year's countdown is commencing in New York broadcast on Fox News.  Bored with that, my brother takes a sip of Sprite and switches on an episode of South Park.  I want to write a lot right now but my thoughts are coming out faster than words can be typed from my fingers.

Unlike years previous, this year I'm celebrating the New Year without much debauchery.  I am enjoying being an aunt.  It's great because I don't have the responsibilities of a parent and I'm not old like a grandparent.  I'm just simply "Auntie Val" -- the person who dotes on her nephews and is such a push over she can barely refuse them anything.  When I lived back in Milwaukee I had less temptation to buy my nephews things.  Here in Point they are in my face always asking for things that I also think are cool.  My nephews and I share a love of fantasy movies and action figures and dragons and silver jewelery.  They both want me to get them "snakey" rings.  They like my silver snake ring and it's a ring I can't find in their size.  I would have to enlist the help of a jeweler for that and, by the time I'd have the money to do that, they'd probably lose interest.  Not to mention they'd probably lose the rings as soon as I'd give them to them.  During my holiday shopping this year I discovered that they don't make much jewelery for little boys.  Little girls can be indulged with glitter and frilly, feathery necklaces and stuff, but not much out there for the boys.  I managed to buy them some cool looking tin rings made to be toe rings that are small enough to fit on their fingers but, less than a day later, Nick has too much fun with his ring and breaks it.  Naturally he wants me to buy a ring exactly like the one he broke; a silver one with spikes that he called his "magic spikey ring that he can beat the bad guys with."  So far I haven't come across one like it.

Ulp, yep, the ball's about to fall.  My nephews have just rushed into the room and we watch the ball fall in New York.  We have an hour yet before it's 2005 here.  Nick is tugging my arm.  "You need to get off the computer, Auntie Val."  I guess he's right. 

Gods, I miss my friends in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.  I wish we were all in the same city.

Here's wishing you all, once and for all, always the best!

love,

Valentina XOXOX!!!!! 

P.S. (Say a prayer tonight for the families of South Asia who have lost their loved ones to the tsunami but, even better, send a donation to one of the organizations providing aid.  That is the other way I plan on starting the New Year).