Thursday Kristin and I packed a 26 foot truck full of all our stuff and moved to Sarasota, FL. We are so excited to be here, but I will say that moving is possibly one of the most exhausting experiences ever. Also, you have no idea how much junk you have until you decide to pack it all up and put it in a truck.

The move was mostly uneventful. We had a little U-HAUL drama. After we unloaded it, it wouldn’t start! Luckily, we got it going and returned in time. I’ll be sending out an e-mail with our new contact information. We have a new address and we’ll be getting new cell phones within the next couple of days. The blog will pick up again too…We’ve been crazy busy. Pictures of the new house coming soon!

There are just certain things that make it feel like”Christmas”. For my family this was four fold:

1. The Christmas tape
2. Mom’s gingerbread houses
3. Mom’s Christmas candies
4. Christmas music (specifically The Carpenter’s)

Anyway, last night after church Kristin and I went to Palatka, because we’re spending Christmas with her family. However, today I had to drive back to work a shift at Target. So I got home tonight at about 10:45 and I was a it bummed. Alone on Christmas eve eve without a cell phone…It doesn’t get much more lonely. Then out on the porch arose such a clatter! It was my neighbor/landlord Patti. She said that a box had come for me and she picked it up because she thought we were gone for the holidays. To my delight, it was a box of mom’s homemade Christmas candy! Homemade caramel, peanut butter cups, glass candy, and sugar cookies! What makes Christmas for you?

After a six year love affair with Elixir strings, I’m calling it quits. Shortly after I started playing the guitar I was introduced to Elixir’s. I used the Elixir Nanoweb Lights for a while, then switched to Nanowed Mediums. I even experimented with the more synthetic-feeling Polyweb coating for a short stint. I eventually settled on the Nanowed Mediums, which I used until last year when I switched to the new Phosphor Bronze product. Along the way, I have always had problems with strings breaking. Specifically the G string, and more recently the D string.

This year I decided to experiment with some other brands. I tried Martins, DR’s, John Pierce’s, and D’Addario’s. After using the D’Addario EXP coated mediums for two months now, I’m sold. The EXP’s have great tone and they’re extremely strong. The Elixir’s definitely have longer-lasting tone, but I change my strings weekly at most, so that’s not an issue for me. The fact is, I haven’t broken a string in like two months. Huge record.

Naughty:

• 85 degrees in December
• The writer’s strike
• Elixir Strings
• Lakeland
• Fake Christmas trees
• Tensil
• Misty A. Thompson
• Wallet in the washing machine

Nice:

• Alicia Keys’ Album, “As I Am”
• D’Addario EXP
• Sarasota
• Real Christmas trees
• Wrapping Christmas presents
• New $1 “Cars” wallet

Last Thursday, Kristin and I hosted our first Christmas party. We dubbed the evening, “A Very Rippy Christmas”. The evening included tastetacular Christmas cookies, chips and dip, and the big hit of the evening…pigs in a blanket…Kristin did not believe that pigs in blankets were such a good idea and even went so far as to suggest a two to one ratio. Two pigs in a blanket to every one guest. I, knowing the popularity of the pig in the blanket, went with a more generous six to one ration. Needless to say, the pigs in blankets were gone in less than five minutes. The other big hit of the evening? Catch phrase.