Back in Christmas 1985 when I was 10 years old I made these poems and mini calendars for my family. When Great Uncle Richard passed away back in July my Mom found that gift. Great Uncle Richard had kept it, even though it was a silly poem and a tiny calendar on an index card. Here is the poem (spelling errors not fixed for posterity)

Christmas iis lots of fun
Happy gifts for everyone
Relatives gifts are open
I am just hopin
Saint Nick comes on every eve
Try to get a picture before he leaves
Moist and soft snow
All of us know
Special

I had read this a couple of times before I posted it, it wasn’t until now that I realized that it was a poem that spelled out christmas.

1985 was my favorite Christmas, Nintendo and Transformers were plentiful in my house and I loved every minute. I am blessed with such generous family members.

Before the photos all become Christmas ones I will sneak another of the cats in. Oliver was resting and I disturbed him when I came home. I realized today that I pass no less than 5 liquor stores on my way home. And that is just the 5 miles stretch from the highway to the turn to our street. I picked up some wine for Allison on the way home. I got her the good stuff, 2 for $12.99. It is called Fish eye Pinot Grigio. I also noticed and have noticed for a while that people no longer respect the no passing on the right law. I make sure never to pass on the right going through a town especially my town and Plainville, the next town over for two reasons.

1. I had stopped one time because the person in front of me stopped and was making a turn. The person behind me, a mom in a minivan talking on her cell phone swerved around me to pass on the right and slammed on her brakes because there were some kids walking along the side of the road. Luckily Miss can’t-be-bothered-to-obey-traffic-laws looked up from her crossword puzzle in time to avoid a tragedy. I had seen that the kids were there (being “Mr. 10 and 2”, a name given to me by my sisters and my wife when they ride with me because I am very cautious.) I realized then that even if it looks clear to go around that there may be someone there and that law was made for a reason.. There are three circumstances where passing on the right is allowed.

1. On a multiple-lane highway that is divided by a barrier or a median

2. On a one-way street with two or more lanes

3. When a vehicle in the left lane is turning left or preparing to turn left.

You can read more about MA traffic laws here.

Number three is tricky because it doesn’t say that the vehicle is on a two lane street. Which to me is what it means because having a vehicle in the left lane implies that there is a right lane there, not a breakdown lane.

And the second reason I don’t pass on the right is that I was coming up to a stoplight and got into the breakdown lane to make a right hand turn and got caught in a police trap