I'm in Berlin to eat Weihnachtsgans and crack my teeth on Springerle and see this for the first time and drink tea with my mother and listen to little boys in sailor suits sing Christmas carols on the radio. It is dark and cold outside, and I am loving every minute of it.

I won't be posting much because a dial-up connection, when you're used to high-speed Internet, is enough to make any normal person scratch their eyes out and that is NOT the spirit of the holiday season, IS IT? Besides, I'm embarrassed to admit that after years of getting used to the abomination that are PCs, I am woefully unskilled to use my mother's Apple. I hang my head in shame.

You still have a few days to donate to A Menu for Hope and enter the pot for some fabulous prizes. We've raised an amazing amount of money so far. Thank you! Have a safe and peaceful holiday.