it’s been an absolutely amazing 2010. i really have to say that this past year has been one of the best yet.

to close out 2010, please enjoy the latest installment of the flats. between our busy schedules and lack of camera presence, this one took a little while. not to mention the edits between the three of us, such as my non-profile shot or as-little-as-possible profile shot requirement. my big shnoz just gets in the way. but that topic is a blog post in itself (yes, i’m thinking about a little surgery in the future).

so happy new year and make sure to stay happy in cle!

word of the day – pockets

welcome to the gun show.

in only a few days, 2011 will hit us smack in the face. for some, this really doesn’t mean much, but many others find it necessary to come up with some form of resolution. a little goal for the soul, if you will.

last year, my new year’s challenge was to exercise more with the hope of gaining more weight. since i come from a family with a very high metabolism, gaining weight is a difficult task. since last year, i have gained a few pounds, but i have much more to go.

for 2011, i will be extending the same resolution another year. this lightweight needs some more meat. and i am not talking steroid induced, bulging, veiny muscles. all i want is another 10 pounds or so — just a little more beef in the pectoral and arm regions.

will i accomplish this? who knows. with all of life’s duties (and my lack of workout motivation) it can be a chore to find an hour or two to set aside for some physical torture.

here’s to protein shakes and push ups.

word of the day – stretch

a little blue and green on a skinny tree.

i was going to recap my past weekend, but it’s already thursday! but i will tell you that my visit to kalahari waterpark was a damn good time — even for grown adults. for future reference, if you are thinking of visiting the countries largest indoor waterpark, consider taking a little time off from work and go during the week. this will allow you more slippin’ and slidin’ time, due to the little ones away at school. and don’t forget to sip on a few cocktails at the adults only swim-up bar. but remember to take your wallet out of your bathing suit before you take that plunge.

tomorrow is christmas eve and i would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a merry christmas, happy hanukkah and happy kwanzaa. no matter how you celebrate the season, it really comes down to one thing — family & friends. it’s that one time of year when everyone comes together (or at least tries) in (hopeful) harmony, enjoying each other’s company while sharing love and laughs.

so think about all the things that you are grateful for instead of thinking of all the material things you want under your tree. all of my favorite memories don’t involve the gifts i received. they involve the people in my world that make me think to myself, “i have one hell of a fantastic life.”

so be merry! say i love you more. laugh your heart out. and don’t be a grinch.

word of the day – jolly

stink. stank. stunk.

i was going to blog about some of the things i have done this week, but instead i would prefer to discuss movies. christmas movies, that is.

as i write this, a charlie brown christmas is on the boob tube and will i be reaching for the remote? hell, no! it’s one of the greatest holiday classics of all time.

while we all know the greats, consisting of it’s a wonderful life, miracle on 34th street, white christmas and our hometown fav, a christmas story, we also have seen more modern day films climbing there way into the classics category. this is starting to sound just like my holiday song post a couple weeks ago — sorry.

many friends and family members now consider elf one of their holiday favorites, and i must agree. will ferrell and his elftastic ways bring smiles and hearty laughter to the masses in this feel good flick.

one of my personal favorites has to be home alone, which always gets me into the spirit. oh, kevin mccallister…

and let’s not forget about the grinch. both the jim carey remake and original 1966 versions equally impress. you’re a mean one mr. grinch, but we still love you.

what is your fav holiday movie?

word of the day – fragile or fra-gee-lay

enough said.

one awesome sauce thing about living and working in cle is the people you run into at all of our great local establishments. when frequenting restaurants, bars and art galleries, you soon find yourself running into many familiar faces. some of those faces soon become actual friends and that is the beauty and idea of urban living/pride/love/commitment.

in my circles of friends, we really all share the same beliefs in regards to supporting the city that we love. in doing so, we meet all different types of urban dwellers (and suburbanites that we just don’t understand) and sometimes it almost feels like we are just one big happy family.

this past week or so has really shown true to this urban way of life and i cannot get enough of it. from running into old and new friends at the battery park wine bar with alexa to congregating with talented artists at the bazaar bizarre show at 78 street studios, i find myself wanting only more. it’s almost as if it’s a drug to me.

cle love is my drug.

word of the day – infatuated

i'm not sure who this is, but i like her.

it seems to happen every single year. around the great lakes region, millions of people take valuable time away from their lives to moan and groan about the winter weather. what is your deal!?!

let’s face the hard facts. you were birthed or transplanted here in the wonderful land of cle. we are located in a region of the planet that experiences four seasons. we are also placed right alongside a giant body of water, which often adds to the severity of our harsh winters. if you don’t like these facts, then move.

i am sorry to be blunt, but we deal with the same weather patterns year in and year out. it will never change. but you can change all this by moving to the fantastic state of florida (hurricanes, mutated insects and unlimited hospice care options included).

rather than complain, why not enjoy it! snow can be beautiful, ya know. ya know what else can be quite fun? sipping hot cocoa and playing board games by the fireplace. maybe i am just too much of an optimistic individual, but we could have it a lot worse. like living in arizona. or a third world country verging on the brink of human apocalypse.

word of the day – frosty

as soon as santa strolls down 34th street in the macy’s thanksgiving day parade, the world knows one thing — it’s christmas time. while holiday carols used to annoy the jingle bells out of me (working in retail will do that to you), i have once again taken a liking to the classic sounds of iconic artists such as nat king cole and bing crosby.

while we are immersed in mostly classic holiday tunes recorded in a bygone era, pop culture has embraced a few new classics into the mix by some select pop stars of the 90′s and 00′s. one being the talented mariah carey. i know, i know. many of you may have fallen off the mc boat in recent years due to the ho ho ho train that hit her after her divorce. she def isn’t the angelic girl next door anymore but one must give her props for being one of the biggest selling artists of all time.

mc actually managed to create a new holiday classic in her first christmas album titled “all i want for christmas is you”. this song is everything a christmas song should be. and she is back at it this year with her new xmas album and first single, “oh, santa!”, which at first listen should be a huge hit this year.

lover or hater, you will most likely shake a stocking within the first ten seconds of this song. it’s quite catchy.

word of the day – yuletide