Little Drummer Boy

At the gym this morning I was happy to be among my own kind as we grown-ups fought fiercely to beat back the tide of holiday blubber recently launched into orbit around our expanding equatorial region.  It's useless I realize to even attempt a return to moderation at this point when New Year 2014 calories are waiting to ambush us with the sobering realities of adipose tissue, but I try.   

Gone are the days when two or three pieces of Christmas pie didn't mandate a next morning shoe horn for pulling on pants. These days every delicious morsel of good time dining packs its bags to find a home in the dunes of my jeans.  Exercise is required if I want to be around to celebrate a 66th Christmas and make ready for an attack on 2015.  It's a slap in the face from Father Time.

This year I was treated to the look on the face of daughter Katie and her husband Doug as their boy found a new drum kit from his Aunt Kelly and Uncle Pavol under their tree.  Danny kicked off what promises to be an especially noisy new year around their house with an impromptu concert on the new skins.  I predict the kid will be the next Buddy Rich, but then I did get to leave early.

Let there be drums!

Santa was good to my one and only grandson.  He's a lucky lad who,  I'm proud to say,  remains remarkably unspoiled.  

Today we are set to play in the snow at Legoland.  Snow, to a kid from Southern California is something to get excited about.  My Midwestern memories of snowsuits, mittens, boots, and runny noses have no meaning for Dan and he can barely wait to hit the slush pile of machine groomed white stuff at his favorite theme park.

So, if you need me today, I'm afraid I'll be "on the slopes" at Mt. Lego attempting to re-think my attitude about frozen rain and its capacity to entertain.  Perhaps a four year-old can turn around a snow grump of more than sixty years.  To my surprise, this grandpa gig gets better every day.  It's an opportunity that doesn't knock on every man's door.  In my case, it leans on the doorbell.  I'll bet I won't even need gloves.

"I'm ready grandpa.   Let's GO!"