Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I know it has been a little while since I last wrote but I've had a good excuse. I've essentially been hobbling around on crutches for about three weeks now. A lot longer than I had anticipated. However, thankfully, I am just about off of them. I am supposed to be weening myself off of the crutches and maybe by weekends end I can return the crutches to medical.

I don't think that it is in God's design for me to have a white Christmas. I've made it all the way down to a continent that is almost entirely covered in snow and ice and yet I walk outside and the whole town is brown.

It's been kind of lax down here lately for me. Really can't get out and do all that much while on crutches but I am really excited to be getting off of them and start hiking again. There was a softball tournament down here last weekend which I missed but that might've been a good thing. Four people that were playing are all being sent home with various injuries. Everything from a separated shoulder to a torn ACL.

Last night was the Christmas party down here, it was also the first night I attempted to be without my crutches. By the time I went to bed my leg was a little tired but not all too bad. So the good news is I'm healing. Aside from the injury I seem to be the luckiest guy on station... At my departments Christmas party I won a free day off (would've actually won three days if that were allowed). We played a couple of games and the prize for each one was a day off. And then last night as I walked into the Christmas party you were supposed to grab a piece of paper out of a sack, most of the papers said naughty and you didn't get a present. Surprise, surprise, mine said nice and I got to go and choose a present from under the tree! It was Jenga a fun game of course!

I really don't have a ton to write right now, I don't know why. It could have a little bit to do with the fact I'm not very motivated. Being injured sucks! It really hasn't even felt like I'm in Antarctica aside from the fact that I am away from everyone I love and hold dear. Luckily there is a good support system down here. There are a lot of great people and I've made a lot of really good friends. Once I get back to my full workload I think the season is going to fly right on by. I can't believe I've been gone for 81 days! And I've only got 50 days left on the ice and 54 days until I'm with the family in Italy.

Sorry for the boring blog, they all can't be winners! I will try better next time. On a closing thought. One thing I do like about spending Christmas down here is the fact that a lot of the fakeness of Christmas from back home is eliminated. I'm so glad to not have had to deal with all of the BS that goes on with the mad dash to find the "perfect" present for everyone. I'm not inundated with commercials about Christmas or complaints that you can't say Merry Christmas. I myself have never had a problem with the meaning of Christmas but I feel a lot of people do. It's turned into this monster that does nothing but stress everyone out.

I definitely don't miss going to the mall and dealing with the million people doing their last minute shopping. Christmas is about family, it's about love and most importantly it's about God. Don't get me wrong, the gifts are a nice thing but it shouldn't be the focus of the day. I love my family and friends and I wish them all a Merry Christmas, not a happy holidays but a Merry Christmas. Because that is what today is, those who don't believe in it don't take it as an insult or an attack, take it as a compliment. Because to me, saying Merry Christmas is like saying I love you, because God loved us enough to save us all by giving us Christ. So enjoy the day, don't be sad it is a day to celebrate!

Love and miss you all,
D