First off, Happy New Year to all who�ll hear it.

Made it back, through the most harrowing conditions the large, forested Northwest has seen in a long time. Now, up in those Cascades, snow is pretty common, as those snowbanks don�t lie. Now, down here, in the lower elevations, snow and the conditions that go with it are sort of a �once a winter� or a �every couple of years� sort of deal. Well, our number came up again, and that white Christmas I had been dreaming about is upon us.

Portland is white. Portland is crippled. From the steep driveways of Clackamas, to the frozen apartments of �just off Hawthorne,� to the warm bungalows of Hillsboro�things are at a standstill. I walked to work today, as Big S was iced over completely. I noticed snailing cars, cautious buses struggling and the occasional huddled mass around a bus stop. It�s cold out, at around 15 degrees, so that rain that we are usually enjoying turned to snow, then to ice, then to freezing ice. The town is crippled. I kind of like it. A good reason to stay home and take things easy. But that�s not the case for me. I�m at work, doing whatever it takes to keep things moving with our projects, like a good CINCO employee. We�re operating on a skeleton crew, as the better part of the CINCO work force claims a �state a of emergency.� Must be nice.

I laid my head down last night at 11:30pm, and slept straight on through to 8:30 in the am. Real good. Just what the kid needed. The last bunch of days were pretty filled and intense. A �NYC wrap up� is in the works, so you�ll get all the details once we have it ready to be posted.

Glad to be back, and to start the new year with a yet another new lease on life. 2003 was a good one for the most part, and we have many things to be thankful for, and a couple lessons learned on the contrary. So goes it. We�re tough and we trudge on.

Highlights of the year include:

01. Dad�s 60th birthday bash in Traverse City, Michigan.
02. Working hard for CINCO and making good things.
03. Making it to 30! We made it! Smooth sailing from here on out.
04. Dragging Melissa back out to Oregon.
05. Getting dumped a couple months later.
06. Traveling the west coast�to LA, San Diego, Vegas, Reno, Seattle and all points in between.
07. The most amazing �turning 30� trip back to the Midwest�.enjoying time in big city Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago and a little loop through Traverse City to see the parents.
08. Paying off a gigantic credit card once and for all.
09. Seeing those Flaming Lips, as the sun set at the Gorge at George.
10. Feeling good and staying healthy.
11. A number of bad haircuts.
12. Our first mustache, much to the dismay of many.
13. Powder runs at Mammoth Mountain.
14. A ton of freelance, handed down from amazing clients.
15. A million and one strums on the guitar.
16. Rainy Portland days.
17. Cool summer nights.
18. House hunting: Getting approved for a ton of loot!
19. Another successful DDC Once-A-Month card series shipped out�
20. Making it through 2003 and on into 2004

And thank God they got Saddam. Osama, you are next! Then Bigfoot, Elvis, Jimmy Hoffa and the Easter Bunny.