Happy Winter!!

Today is the celebration of Winter Solstice meaning it's the first day of Winter! It also means it's traditionally the shortest day of the year. BUT - I see now that in 2006, the Solstice is actually at 12:22 am tomorrow morning. Since I won't be blogging in the middle of the night, I thought I'd celebrate today.

I've learned through watching my favorite Engineering an Empire on the History Channel - the importance of the Winter Solstice to many of the ancient cultures. The Mayans had calculated today as the sun's southernmost track through the sky. They would build their temples to have a specific window for the Winter Solstice, and for the Summer Solstice (sun in the northernmost track through the sky).

I've also had the opportunity to visit Newgrange in Ireland which is a prehistoric site (pre-Stonehenge) that is believed to be a tomb. The tiny door way into the tomb is so strategically placed to pay honor to the Winter Solstice and the gods associated with it. The path into the inner cross section of the tomb is on a slight incline. So every year on this day, the morning sun shines into the window above the door (the sun gets its own enterance into the tomb) and lights up the entire tomb area, no electricity required. So they were able to have ceremonies honoring their recent dead every year on this date. It was pretty amazing to realize that this engineering feat was built around 3000BC. It has been redone to make it more safe and secure, but most of the original tomb is still intact. Newgrange predates the Pyramids of Giza by 500 years. For anyone visiting Ireland - definitely a must see!!!

Today also marks my last day of working till next week. I will continue to blog.... some... next week while on Vacation. I'll post something tomorrow as well - from home in my slippers! I have all of my shopping for other people finished - now to pick up some new shoes for myself.

Tonight is the big Packers/Vikings football game. In honor of the event, I am wearing my Vikings jersey. Don't think I've worn this in 3-4 years now. There are too many folks wearing the ugly green and yellow so I am trying to do my part of offsetting this tragedy. Go Vikings - for no other reason than there's nothing worse than a Packer fan after they win BOTH games in one year. Although this year it's like bragging that your turtle was faster than the other turtle in a foot race.

And it is the season.... now we have the return of the Komodo Dragon Savior with the announcement that a Virgin Komodo Dragon is expecting! Wonder if there was an angel involved? But Flora is prego, with no guys taking the credit at this point. I have a feeling this is more likely to turn into an episode for Jerry Springer than it is Robert Schuller. I like Flora and have nothing against her, but it's so easy to deny it now a days. You should hear what the other female Komodo Dragons are saying about her when she's not around. She's like the England Komodo Bicycle....

Song of the Day - Jen has today's suggestion. She understands my frustration with the over played Holiday Channel Christmas music.... but she suggests going back to the original classic versions of these carols before they were "modernized". Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Bing Crosby.... She might be right - so today I honor these guys.

Video of the Day - I watched Lady in the Water which is the latest "thriller" by M. Night Shamalamadingdong. I thought the movie was well done, and the acting was pretty good and convincing.... but the plot itself was just STRANGE! I liked it and it's probably worth a viewing, but when it was over, I kind of scratched my head and asked "what was that all about"? His movies are progressively getting worse and worse. And unfortunately, there is no "I didn't see THAT coming" like his other movies. Or not one that I caught.

Webpage of the Day - For you latte drinkers.... Latte Art! I used to dump a handful of marshmallows in my hot chocolate and then swirl them around. Nothing this fancy though! By the time the artist is finished your latte is room temperature!!!