How Do You Do Christmas?

I'm so sad and so excited all at the same time this Christmas. Yeah, the boys usually spend the Day at their mother's. This year that is in Cally. Sometimes one or two will stay with me then go. But, now that their mom is transferred to Seattle: They're all in Cally where the house hasn't yet sold.

They're men now. I used to play guitar and sing them to sleep. "FUNDER ROES" DAD! would come a call from out from under the covers in the dark. A tiny voice calling out to request the Garth Brooks "Thunder Rolls" classic . Now the request is more like, "Can I borrow the truck and trailer to move my gear to California? Oh yeah, and a VISA for gas?"

I know, I know... it's the natural order of things. I'm proud as can be that their mother and I managed to somehow raise three competent, healthy, funny, able hands. How we educated them is anyone's guess. But, we did. How they rose above our divorce 12 years ago; graduated college; stayed alive through the teenage years; didn't get anyone pregnant... whew! Glad I don't have to live through that again for a while. I'm sure that someday there will be grandkids. It will be great to hear my "shit" come through their adult mouths.

Sutton just got a career job at Royal Bank of Canada Wealth Management in San Francisco. Training starts on 10 January there. He left Loveland this morning at 3 am. He sold everything he owned except his two motorcycles, tools, guns and clothes. I wonder where he got his priorities? Lucky boy, he fits my tailor made Wall Street days suits and shoes perfectly. I sent about $20,000 worth of it from 30 years of storage with him.

His younger brother, Beau, precedes Sutton in San Francisco. He got a career job at Adroll.com. It's an internet startup growing gangbusters. Beau can win the world with his smile and people skills. He's rockin' it, just got a raise, stock and the biggest paycheck he's ever had to date. Beau is the best shooter of the crew of three and I sent him a competition skeet/trap gun with vests and bag to his office. Today you can be a tranny hooker working the corner of Bush and Taylor and no one will bother you. But, recieve a cased, boxed, broken down, unloaded shotgun? "NO"! He had to take it home in a cab since he sold his car and moved to the city. I started shooting at the Pacific Rod and Gun Club (since 1928) when I worked downtown. Now he will, too.

Brannon, "Poot", the youngest is a pretty typical college boy attending an Ivy League college in New Hampshire. They practically converted him to Liberal at Thacher School in Ojai, CA where he attended high school. He rocked it there. What? You wouldn't let your kid go away to a high school where they HAVE to have a horse? Since 1889- one of the top 10 prep schools in the world. And for him, a ticket to doing very well academically, now a junior at Dartmouth. He's majoring in Mechanical Engineering/ Astro Physics and after 5 years of Chinese language has had enough to be conversant. Mostly he talks to rocks because he eats, breathes, and shits rock climbing. I sent him all the gear that applies from tele-skis/poles to harnesses, jumars, etc. He won't be able to find them on the floor of his room by the next day.

After it all, I just had the chance to tell their mother, Karen Ashworth McFarlane, who is married to a great guy, Scott, that I am thankful that she has been such a great mother to our sons. They became men when we were being worried about whether or not they brushed their teeth today. Somehow they learned the difference between right and wrong. I say it was the pushups, but she'll say it was the love. Somehow they learned to value hard work. I say it was the chores, but she'll say it was the love. Somehow they learned to have a sense of something larger than they, I say it was the daily practice, but she'll say it was the love. Somehow they learned to treat people with respect and compassion. I say it was the love.

Merry Christmas to you, however you do Christmas: pagain, Catholic, Baptist, Buddhist, whatever... 'tis the Season to celebrate the dawn of longer days, the birth of Christ, the wonder of our Universe. I hope that you celebrate something besides a higher VISA limit.

Happy New Year! 2010 is almost gone. So many changes for us all that one has to wonder if 2011 should be celebrated or sneaked up on.

No matter- Blessings to you and your whole outfit. BRING IT!