Thank You for the Season's Greetings!

We received a lot of great holiday cards from friends and family afar.

Thanks so much for sending them - it's an honor to see your families grow - even if it is only once a year.

Our San Diego Get-a-Way

Normally, our after-Christmas holiday tradition consists of going to Disneyland for a day of brushing elbows with strollers and the hungry children riding in said strollers.

On the plus side, we got to experience a fantastic fireworks show and marvel at faux snow falling over Main Street like we were children again.

Instead, this year, we opted for a 2-night get-a-way to San Diego's Harbor Island Sheraton.

Highlights

• Very little traffic
• Wine and cheese welcome platter, compliments of excellent friend Jason
• Gorgeous views of the city skyline from our room's balcony
  
• Brisk, quiet Friday night at Seaport Village
• Sharing a hotel with University of Oregon football players in town for Thursday's Holiday Bowl game against Oklahoma State
• Leisurely trek around the San Diego Zoo
• Refreshing Sunday afternoon in Old Town
  

Lowlights

• The "Dear Lord is a jumbo jet landing in our room?!" feeling due to our intimate proximity to the airport
  
• Saturday morning fire alarm wake-up call
• Sharing a hotel with University of Oregon football players in town for Thursday's Holiday Bowl game against Oklahoma State
• Frigid showers (good for waking up, not good for relaxing)
• Nearly playing bumper cars with an elderly lady while trying to get a parking spot at the zoo (they might want to rethink the whole free parking idea)
  

Here now, for your viewing pleasure is our roundtrip drive (from our home to San Diego and back home), the equivalent of approximately six hours of driving, condensed to around 5 minutes of video.

The windows are a bit dirty...and you might catch Hitchcock-esque glimpses of our videographer in the side mirror, but ultimately, you'll get a feel for our trip.

Photos are also available after the video jump. Enjoy!

Bella's Crazy - The Conclusion

Christmas has come and gone, and for Bella, it was quite the adventure.

We follow the pint-sized pup on Christmas morning as she finally opens the gift she so quickly identified as her own (previously seen here), then we travel to Emma's parent's house where Em's sister, Sara, gives Bella a stocking full of toys, and then finally back at our house, where Bella suddenly crashes from all the day's excitement. And understandably so.

Enjoy!

Holiday Traditions - Part 4

Over the past 8 years, as each year comes to a close, my closest friends and I exchange a "year-end" CD that's packed full of the songs that represent our lives over the last year.

It's a music diary of sorts. And this year is no different.

But rather than limit the trade with the usual group, this year, I'm gladly making it available to all of you.

Sunny Day Music :: Ryan's 2008 Compilation

1. Prelude
   
2. Sometime Around Midnight, by The Airborne Toxic Event
   
3. Smile, by The Jayhawks
   
4. Show Me What I'm Looking For, by Carolina Liar
   
5. Stuck Between Stations, by The Hold Steady
   
6. The Needs of the Many, the Needs of the Few, by Luxury
   
7. So Alive, by Love and Rockets
   
8. We Used to Vacation, by Cold War Kids
   
9. Interlude
   
10. Buildings in America, by Richard Swift
    
11. World Waits, by Jeremy Enigk
    
12. I Want You to be My Love, by Over the Rhine
    
13. Bullets, by Vega 4
    
14. Have a Nice Day, by Stereophonics
    
15. Songbird, by Eva Cassidy
    

If you're interested in hearing any of these songs, please click here for the free dowload of the entire playlist.

Feel free to import it to your iPod or burn it to a disc. It's a very large zip file (75MB), so please be patient while it downloads.

Now, you're included in the year-end trade. Enjoy, and please submit any suggestions for next year's disc!

A Holiday eCard

I'm now on vacation now for the next six days (and there was much rejoicing). My intent is to drift off into a very deep sleep...and only eat when absolutely necessary.

One of the last projects I completed before heading on break was the company's holiday eCard.

It's a fun, festive way to send a personal greeting to your own family and friends. So click on the card below, play the short game, and send your own personalized greeting by clicking the "Send to Friend" button.

Enjoy!

Bella's Crazy - Part 2

Ryan and I decided, being very good parents of a 4-pound Yorkiepoo, that we should buy a few small Christmas gifts for Bella. So we went to Target and bought her two 99-cent seahorses and a weird rubber sea urchin.

Last night we spent most of our time wrapping gifts - Bella's included. She didn't see her toys, or know where her toys were, but we placed them under our little Christmas tree along with all the other gifts.

This afternoon, I was doing my domestic dusting duties (I'm a good wife I am) when I heard Bella in the front room making her monkey noises. Monkey noises = high pitched barking and whining.

I walked out to find our little, innocent dog crouched in front of the one bag that held her little Christmas gifts...crouched, pawing, barking, pawing again, whining and barking some more.

Here's certifiable, visual proof that Bella's crazy. It might be boring to some. But it was hilarious to me.

And for those wondering - her toys were in the green bag with the blue and yellow polka dots. Make sure you turn up your volume; these sounds have yet to be documented.

Holiday Traditions - Part 3

It's been almost 5 years since I last lived at my parent's house. And every year since I've been away, the pseudo Christmas spirit on their street has grown progressively worse.

Every year, as the last Thanksgiving football games expire, the members of this self-made infamous street (you know, the only street with a self-proclaimed mayor) come out of their homes with rolls of holiday lights, cranes, fake snow, and obscenely-sized holiday decorations. Except my parents, who appropriately stick to the basics.

By the first of December, the lights are flipped on at 5:30 and thousands of vehicles slowly drive around, gawking at holiday lights strung between the roofs of facing homes and clogging all transportation options in and out of the street.

Tonight was no different. Em and I waited in a long line of traffic for 10 minutes - not to look at lights, but to visit my parents. All waiting in line, and no arriving at his parent's house makes Ryan a very dull boy.

I don't know why I'm surprised every year, but to me, they're just lights. Lots of lights hosted by peopled with a month of really high electric bills.

And chances are, most of the visitors left their own homes (which are decorated by the same lights) to go see how somebody else decorated their home (using the same lights).

The reason for the overwhelming display? Well, it's certainly not to take a minute to get away from all things superficial and pay honor to the true reason for this winter celebration.

Instead, it's a race to see which Santa Clarita street can earn the Holiday Light Tour crown. Evidently, a local small-circulation newspaper brings a lot of bragging rights. If I'm ever a family man and my sole goal is to win an annual, no cash prize holiday light competition, will somebody please slap me back to reality and set my priorities straight?

The only redeeming factor of this sad holiday tradition? The Toys for Tots drive hidden at the end of the street.

Why not move this component to the street entrance and make a new toy donation a requirement for entry? I doubt it would negatively impact gawker attendance, but it would certainly increase donations and any earned media arising from the requirement.

But that kind of outrageous, selfless idea might be a more appropriate discussion for a small marketing blog. <---Sarcasm.

All this to say, please try to keep this holiday season about the real reason for our celebration - and not our own self interests.

Bella's Crazy

Bella's taken a (motherly) liking to a stuffed gingerbread man called "Gingy"...the Shrek character, not the nickname for my Mom.

And when she's spending time with her new love, she doesn't respond... in any way... to me or Emma.

For a still unknown reason, she runs up and down the hall chewing/squeaking him every night before we try to go to bed. And when shes done crushing Gingy's ribcage, she cleans/licks him just like a good mother should after violently clamping down on her first-born.

And as I replay this video right now, she hears the squeaking, runs from the couch in the front room, and barrels into the bedroom to find her beloved Gingy.

Here's almost two minutes of running, squeaking and then squeaking some more. Enjoy.

Holiday Traditions - Part 2

Since I can remember, my family has played holiday music from Thanksgiving through the first week of January.

In Oregon, we'd trek into the hills, find a tree, tag it, blow an air horn, and watch as somebody cut it down and carried it down to our little red Datsun.

And as we decorated said tree, I vividly remember trading time between hanging my "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament and running over to the RCA 8-track to turn Evie's Christmas Memories to Side B (you should know Side B was better - after all, both "O Holy Night" and "Silent Night" were both on Side B).

Other great Barton 8-track standards? There was, of course, a couple Bing Crosby Christmas albums (but not the one with the David Bowie duet), Christmas with the Chipmunks (where "Christmas Don't be Late" fell in a lower register because the tape was too loose), and I think a George Beverly Shea album.

What I wouldn't give to find 1) a functional 8-track player and 2) those Christmas 8-tracks if only to relive that childhood innocence those songs brought. That is, until the tape stops and needs to be turned over.

My favorite Christmas tracks? There aren't many. But they include Over the Rhine, Harry Connick Jr. and The Violet Burning.

For Em, there are memories of hanging precious angel ornaments to the melodies of Twila Paris (on CD) and maybe some Enya-flavored holiday tunes. Yes, yes, she's a youngin'.

Her all-time favorite Christmas song? Wham!/George Michael's "Last Christmas" as sung by Darren Hayes. Obviously, her music brainwashing isn't complete yet.

That's not to say we don't appreciate Bing and Irving Berlin's popular serenade, but sometimes, you need to develop your own holiday traditions.

These are slowly becoming ours.

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A Christmas(y) Wedding

Up until the last six months or so, I think I had been to maybe to 3 or 4 weddings. Ever. And now, across the last 180 days, Emma and I have been to 5.

This last one, Makayla and Josh's, was different. I expected a wedding, like any other wedding, just taking place in December. I was wrong.

While the rain didn't come until a few hours later, the short outdoor ceremony (with a high of 46 - cold by California's standards) was placed against a pleasant picturesque view of the valley. If the ceremony lasted any longer than 20 minutes, I'm confident we (me, Em, Marina) would have found a way to plug in the overhead heaters ourselves.

By the way, if anybody's seen the commercials for Windows Vista/Mojave and second guessed the panoramic photo tool (like me), it works pretty well. I'm impressed.


How was this wedding different from any other wedding? Let's review:

• Wedding gifts were placed under a Christmas tree in the clubhouse.
• The flower girls flung (they seriously chucked) paper that looked like snow (instead of flower petals) on the ground.
  
• The couple exchanged vows in front of 3 Christmas trees.
• The bride's processional was Jingle Bells.
• Faux snow fell from the deck during the recessional.
• A troupe of Christmas carolers serenaded the guests during the 'layover.'
• Table enterpieces were small Christmas trees.
  
• The wedding favors were ornaments marking the couple's wedding day.
• The groom wore red Christmas socks. Awesome.
  
• Santa made a surprise appearance. (Festive when children were jumping up and down to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Creepy when he told a woman at our table that she was a naughty girl.)

All were fantastic, small, sincere touches that make a wedding that much more memorable.

Another memorable touch? During the father/daughter dance (Rascal Flatts "My Wish"), both the father and bride broke into a dance reminiscent of the original "Baby Got Back" wedding dance. For those of you who haven't seen it, it's truly fantastic and you must watch.

Awkward moment of the night? The best man's 10+ minute speech/oral report about the groom's once-mistaken attempted murder charge. Could have been funny if it wasn't the base of the toast. But it was.

Overall, a great night. We wish the happy couple a lifetime of happiness. And now, some more photos for your viewing enjoyment...

Our 1st of Many Christmas Cards

It wasn't until I started working on a holiday eCard campaign at work that it dawned (donned?) on me that Em and I also needed to start our own holiday-themed campaign of sorts. So we did.

Hours of hard work, sweat and ordering online later, we were done. It's nothing special - just a small card leveraging our wedding photos (we paid enough for them, so you should expect us to continue using them for at least the next 17 years) and a short holiday greeting.

We dropped them in the mail late last week. So if you haven't received yours yet, it's not because we don't like you. It's because we don't have your mailing address. So if you're one of those people that likes receiving mail that isn't a bill or a credit card advertisement, send us your information. We promise we won't sell it.

If you weren't one of the lucky ones, take a look below.

Baby, it's (way too) cold outside

After five years of childhood spent in the "slushiness" of Oregon, I welcome the colder weather that winter brings. I'd rather be cold than sweating in 115 degree dry heat. But more than that, I'd rather wear shorts and sandals throughout the year.

We woke up this morning to a numbing fog. Good for admiring when you're wrapped up in a blanket and reading the paper. Bad when you're trying to navigate the 405.

We're blessed though. Our home doesn't get too cold or too hot - that was until the last few days when we awoke to a 65 degree house and a shivering princess of a dog.

You know it's too cold when you're sitting down for breakfast (my wife is developing into such the domestic goddess) and you can actually see the steam rising out of your tea. We're now using the heater.

Over the weekend we helped my parents find, cut, cut again, put in stand, rotate (pivot!), and rotate back (pivot!!) their Christmas tree. Efficient it was not.

If anybody needs to buy Dad something for Christmas, please purchase a new saw. Any saw. As long as it isn't older than I am (which is the present problem).

Back at our house, putting up our tree was impressively efficient. Take box out of closet. Open box. Unfold tree. Plug in tree. Not exactly festive, but it's less of a mess.

We're well on our way to a fantastic first Christmas together.

To Holiday Party, or Not to Holiday Party

It's now been a little over 9 months since I left the advertising agency and joined the marketing team at Princess Cruises.

And between the much reduced stress level, enhanced professional growth opportunities and fantastic vacation privileges, this weekend's holiday party/luncheon/raffle/production show on one of our 17 ships was another nice perk of an admirable organization.

I'm usually not a holiday party person - in fact, I'll do most anything to avoid a white elephant gift exchange and the fierce eye contact of Christmas carolers. But we gave this one a chance.

It was advertised as an all-day event (a bit of an investment) - but with the promise of a high-profile raffle, we were excited to join other Princess employees on a motorcoach caravan down to the Port of San Pedro.

One Love Boat episode (the one where Captain Stubing's ex-wife comes onboard and makes life difficult while a very young Suzanne Somers flirts with any breathing male) later, we had arrived.

For those who haven't sailed out of San Pedro, it's quite the visual coming around the bend of the 110 and catching sight of a 3,000-passenger ship sitting along side the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

We boarded the spectacular Sapphire Princess 30 minutes later and were soon welcomed by the ship's 3-story atrium decorated for the holidays - Christmas trees, falling snow, and a quartet of Christmas carolers (go figure).

Lunch wouldn't begin until 11:45, so we wasted some time on our self-led ship tour. A number of pools, a plethora of balconies (yes, El Guapo, I know what a plethora is), a scenic promenade deck, and getting lost more than once was just the beginning.

Walking from bow to aft (front to back) of the ship covers over 3 football fields - so we were relieved to sit down with an glass of ice water for a great lunch. A jumbo shrimp cocktail, juicy prime rib, serenades by a mariachi band, a frozen cookie dessert, and a cup of Earl Grey tea later, we headed to the Princess Theater for a production show.

I think it was after the second dance number (the one with Riverdance-esque dancers) that I realized that the impressive lunch, elegant architecture, and Broadway-style production show all happened while we were floating in the harbor - a feat impressive in its own.

While we didn't win the airfare for two to Europe... or even the $50 gift card to Best Buy, we did get another day closer to celebrating Christmas.