Christmas 2010

I'm always amazed at how fast Christmas comes around every year. Christmas 2010 has come and gone but Santa left me with some pretty excellent presents this year. Here's a short list of some of my favorite gifts this year:

1. Philosophy Gingerbread Girl

This body wash and lotion sincerely smell like gingerbread. Someone recently told me that their resolution for 2011 is to buy less things but of higher quality. This set makes me want to adopt that same resolution.





2. My very own picture book! Brian went to Lulu and made a picture book of our pets. The pictures are high quality and you can even add text. When I finally write that children's book, I can publish it myself at Lulu.

3. Garmin If you know me then you know I have the capability of getting lost in my own garage. I needed this badly. The interface is easy to use and you can choose the accent of the voice that gives the directions. I opted for the British voice. Surprise, surprise.


4. Manic Street Preachers book I love to read and I love the Manic Street Preachers so this is a perfect gift. Many of the pictures are new to me as are several of the accounts discussed in the book. I can spend hours trying to figure out Richey's mystery.

Your turn. What did you get for Christmas?

Richey Edwards is dead

On February 1, 1995, Richey Edwards, the rhythm guitarist and song writer for the Manic Street Preachers went missing. In the days following some people said they saw him at a passport agengy and a taxi drived claimed to have driven him around Wales.

A few days later, Richey's car was found at a service station near the Severn River bridge, a popular suicide spot, but he was never seen or heard from again. Richey Edwards was sensitive and intelligent, but plagued with anorexia, depression, alcoholism, and a penchant for self-mutilation.

In the years that would follow, the Manic Street Preachers would continue on but as a trio with bassist Nicky Wire taking over song writing duties. Although most of their efforts have been solid, Richey's wit and observations are missed.

There would be more Richey sightings in exotic locales like Goa and the Canary Islands. Any time a body part was found in the Severn it was examined to see if it belonged to Richey. So far, nothing has matched.

Over the winter, Richey Edwards' family finally declared him legally dead. He finally received his obituary in the Guardian. We can only hope that he got to read it from Goa.