jay | Happy New Year!

Sure, I'd like to lose some weight... but more than that, this year I want to give people more positive feedback and encouragement. Too often I talk about problems and skim over successes or joys. Including myself as "people", too.

I'm generally happy with where my life is at, at the moment... new things to discover and learn, new possibilities, improvement and change in that which is here. Although the job front may be scary in 2006, given probable NASA layoffs in the fall, as well as a wave of mandatory relocations prior to then. All I can do is work hard, be creative, write more research proposals and be confident that things will somehow work out.

Last night, I went to a party at the

thechoirloft with James and Kevin...

patgreene had a cold and didn't want to go out, and David opted to go to bed early. So I wore the vintage tuxedo jacket, black tie, studs and wingtips and added the top hat for effect... received lots of comments, and a few stunned looks. In that group, I'd have gotten fewer glances if I were wearing nothing, I think ;) It was lots of fun, and I found myself happily circulating among friends, in the company of one or more of

tenacious_snail, cohost

cyan_blue and

inflectionpoint. I called

geekchick and Nancy after midnight in their respective timezones, sent

dawnd a text message and then finally kissed

patgreene when I returned home around 2:30am.

Today, our church moved its Sunday services to 5pm... so I had the rare luxury of sleeping in until 9:30am or so, instead of typically being up at 7:30. And watched football cuddled with Pat, before cooking our usual New Year's dinner of ham, macaroni and cheese casserole, and fried, caramelized apple slices. This evening... our church was overflowing, with standees in the back. Tonight... perhaps take Pat out to see "The Producers" movie.