Easing back after the holidays

Eleven days off! So nice to hang out in bed, to cumulate naps, to catch up on infinitesimal details like finally tightening up this screw or finally trying to make cinnamon rolls from scratch. Chloe was much busier than us, she went from making 2-3 steps at a time to being a full-time walker now. She's very funny, not entirely in the mode of a veteran walker, she tries to slip creative moves in there; arms akimbo, she'll try the impact of shooting one leg up way high, or jumping... And while she appreciates a helpful finger for balance, if she's not excited about the direction you're leading her, well, thank you very much, but I'll just be going over there instead, looking up mischievously before taking off. As far as she was concerned, the best part of the holidays was the reams of paper everyone was asking her to rip. She loved every bit of the ripping, tiny shreds holding her attention for long drifts of time.
Mike got me a panini grill for Xmas, which I thought was very off the wall (what for?) Then 2 days after Xmas I came down with massive gastro which knocked me out for 48 hours (endless vomiting even long after I was emptied, 102F fever, couldn't stand up, sore from head to toes). So the grill sat haplessly for a few days. When I got better, I gave it a try, having mercifully stocked a little prosciutto and gruyere. I'm sold! If I never really ate a lot of bread before, I am now headed headlong into a high-carb diet. I never liked cold sandwiches, was always a little at a loss for lunch, now I am happily varying the breads, the cold cuts, the cheeses, some eggplants, some spinach, whatever. Good work Mike!
Mike and I have decided to forgo Xmas presents to each other from now on. Our birthdays are late in the year, and all in all, we both have everything we need. So we're trying something new, giving each other gifts to nonprofits instead, the surprise being in the research and presentation of the nonprofit. The idea of it made me so very glad, funny how that is!
Not much else to report really, hi ho hi ho, started the year right by churning out an experiment yesterday that worked very well! Nothing like a break to really return to creativity. In that way, the French vacation calendar has it right.