Christmas is now running wild in Florence, and the lights are strung from the tops of apartments across the tops of the narrow streets, either nets of lights like a glowing underbelly of circutry or long strands over 10 feet long that are still untouchable from the street because of the distance. From a certain vantage point, the lights crush into each other and condense the further down you look, as the layers increase, until at a point it appears that tourists and the like are just coming from a distant glowing rectangle. God sent us to shop.

I have 12 more days here, I believe. This weekend, the lovely Scottish Debbie will be visiting, and then I'll be booking my train to Amsterdam. After a brief slumming around the red light district and other attractions, I'll be coming home. I look forward to it and I look forward to seeing a lot of you. While I've been with very good people over here, I also miss the very good people over yonder in the states.

Colorado is currently dealing with an outbreak of disease. Remember when Colorado was on fire? And that we have less oxygen than anyone else? Living in Colorado is like a constantly-running example of survival of the fittest. Any coincidence that we're also one of the healthiest states? No, it isn't. We're AWESOME.

I'm listening to a song with Robert Smith of The Cure and Blink-182. I have heard it all now. And it's not bad!#@ heh. Oh, music. Keep evolving.

Mr. Jared