If you happen to receive a Christmas mix CD, you may want to know what songs are what. Here is the track list for most of you. Some of you will not have song number 2, sorry about that. If you would like to download a copy of this years CD, you can get that here.

1. The 1957 Christmas Broadcast
   Queen Elizabeth
2. Auld Lange Syne
   The Lonesome Travelers
3. The Christmas Song
   Frank Sinatra
4. Another Rock And Roll Christmas
   Gary Glitter
5. Christmas In Prison
   John Prine
6. Christmas Time
   Bill Cosby
7. Winter Wonderland
   Tony Bennett
8. Merry Christmas (I Don’t Wanna Fight Tonight)
   Ramones
9. Dancin’ With Santa
   The Trashmen
10. A Christmas Song
    Jethro Tull
11. Twelve Days of Christmas
    Mexicani Marimba Band
12. Last Christmas
    WHAM!
13. Linus Christmas Monologue
    Peanuts
14. This Christmas Girl
    James Pants
15. The Coventry Carol
    Mediaeval Baebes
16. Another Lonely Christmas
    Prince
17. Christmas In Hollis
    Run-DMC
18. Blue Christmas
    Elvis Presley
19. Christmas For Cowboys
    John Denver
20. No Christmas For Me
    Zee Avi
21. O Holy Night
    Sufjan Stevens
22. Slower Than Christmas
    The Boxmasters
23. Fan Club Christmas Message
    The Beatles

Well, we are starting to feel somewhat settled here in the new digs–Olive is learning how to pee on gravel instead of grass, and almost all of the dishes and cooking utensils have found a home. I’ve had a couple nights now to get past the relief that we do, indeed, have a place with walls to live in and started to notice some of the little details around here. The complex advertises itself as “luxury condominiums” and I am beginning to think that archeologists will be able to date stamp these buildings based on the amenities that are considered “luxurious.”

For example, in the master bathroom the toilet is in its own separate little room. There is a toilet, a light switch, and a phone jack. This is luxury. There is a cable jack on the kitchen counter, also luxury. There is a fireplace (remember, we’re in Las Vegas. It’s over 100 most days), luxury. I am remembering when these kinds of things were a big deal, and am date stamping this building between 1988 and 1993.

As Wylie was hooking up the TV yesterday and trying to figure out how best not to overload the electricity outlet, I decided that current “luxury” details probably include lots more cable hookups (for computers and modems and TV”s and whatnot), lots more outlets, and multiple showerheads. This last one is based on yesterday’s trip to Bed Bath and Beyond to see if we could find one that might give us a little more pressure than the one we have now and all of them had at least 2-3 heads. Pretty crazy.

In other news, we needed some cereal this morning to help us use up the milk we got before we head out to graduation, and tried out the local Von’s. Very nice store, friendly people, and–of course–Video Poker! I LOVE THIS TOWN. It’s hilarious! Also, tried this place last night and am SOOOOO happy it is less than a mile down the road! Whoop!

All over Las Vegas I have been seeing these tiny blue windmills. They are about 12 feet high and are located mostly in parking lots so people can pull their cars up to them. Inside these windmills is something people need here in the desert… Water! You can refill water jugs here at the windmills. It’s very odd, but also kind of neat. Our tap water, after going through a Britta filter, tastes pretty good, so we don’t think we will be taking advantage of the windmills, though we may need to at least once, just so we can say we did it.