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December 7, 1941�a date which will live in infamy�the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

History was sort of my thing in high school. Significant dates in history have stuck with me for no apparent reason. This one is more precise and closer to home than most. I always think about it and wonder what it would have been like to be alive then. I'm guessing it was similar to September 11, 2001 but without the internet factor. You can hear FDR's speech here.

That's my segue to another important thing. Libby is nineteen weeks pregnant with our third boy!!! I'm trying to figure out how we can get them all on the same Bruin's line in 2029. I imagine the 50th percentile in weight and height doesn't produce a lot of NHL players, but it's funny to think about. It's been a little rougher pregnancy on Libby this time around. My sypmathetic weight gain has gone from sympathetic to downright angry ;).

We just had my company holiday party at the Institute of Contemporary Art right on the Boston Harbor. An extravagant celebration, particularly considering the state of the economy. We'll be asking for your tax money to pay for our party pretty soon. Anyway, that explains the black tie photo.

In three weeks, Ben has gone from a completely unwilling skater to a proud participant. It's amazing. I was nearly ready to give up, but I really wanted him to learn to skate so we could all share that winter activity. Libby took him after school a few times, got him comfortable in the pads, and that was all it took. He really likes to make sure his parents see every move on the ice. I'm happy to oblige!

Have a great holiday! I doubt I'll update until aftwerwards. I'm thankful for the family and friends that read this, and I always enjoy the responses. The connections always outweigh the effort to keep this thing semi-current. Enjoy!

P.S. Rats! You're going to have to return for the video of Ben's skating today.... YouTube and Macintosh are slowing me down. Nothing personal, but I was hoping it would be much quicker. Ben did a great job today, and it's fun to watch. Hopefully, you'll get to see it.

As an older, more aware parent than now than I used to be, I need to defend the video. I can't even believe Ben's progress to date. I'm certain that the follow on video will be remarkably--even unbelievably--improved. For the later-born children, I'm not mocking him. You can't see Ben's beautiful smile at 00:44 (thanks to YouTube video quality) and at 01:08 and at the end of the video are essential to my post. If you think I'm defensive, I'm not. "I'm not being defensive! You're the one who's being defensive! Why is always the other person who's being defensive? Have you ever asked yourself that? Why don't you ask yourself that?" [Martin Short, circa 1984]

Be sure to listen to the lyrics of the brilliant Brad Paisley song, "Time Well Wasted" in case you're not convinced. This whole thing brought some tears to my eyes....