Alright, real quick like: Christmas was good. Went home to Chicago, ate many a tasty treat. Money was, as always, tight this year, but I got what I most wanted, gift-wise: The New Yorker Book of Cartoons. I also got the New York Times Book of Essential Knowledge. My brothers received literature as well. Overall, a good readin� Christmas.

Mom is fine, for now. She just gets tired a lot and doesn�t eat as much as she used to eat. She�s lost a lot of weight � twenty five pounds. This year, she asked for new clothes for Christmas.

I also got her a DVD of the latest season of Law & Order. We like to watch it together. We both love Jerry Orbach, so it was sad to hear that he just died. I was entertaining a daydream where my mom and I go on a vacation to New York and he grants us a quick meet and greet on the set of the new L&O franchise. So, fuck.

The big news (which I�m not sure if I mentioned before) is that once this job is over, I�m heading home in late January. I�ll be there indefinitely, at least until it�s over.

I�m thinking about throwing myself a little going away for a while party here, so if you�re in Los Angeles, and you know me: heads up.

I love you all.