I'm very into the oversharing, random exchanges.

One of the people quoted in a recent issue of Bloomberg BusinessWeek said this regarding the use of a cashless wallet program you can install on your smartphone to send and receive payment. (And I've probably committed three technical errors in that sentence alone!) Venmo's a cool enough name and as with using a cell phone, I will likely be dragged kicking and screaming to let loose of my last paper dollar bills. Don't know if I like my exchanges THAT random, though ...

But I digress. Let's see, Thursday was Thanksgiving dinner at Martha's parents' house with me, Martha, Sarah, Jeffrey there for the day with Josceline, Breanna, Margaret, Milton, Donovan, Robert, Sharon, and (for this year) Malesa with her three boys Mathew, Brandon, and Trevor. I don't really remember a blessing, I don't even remember the meal, though two things I loved -- Malesa actually SAYING "I was wrong" (about a minor thing, but still a victory) and the photos by the tree.

Apparently this Christmas tree that is now assembled on Martha's parents' new porch has been "in the family" for forty years -- obviously it's artificial -- and as the snow fell Thursday afternoon we got our photos in front of it. And the word's out that this is the last year that tree will come out of the basement! Of course, we'll see what happens with that. Friday other than work I don't remember much, and Saturday was Breakfast with the Boys, work at Marketplace, and getting new outfits

for the kids' Christmas programs at Longfellow Elementary. Sarah's already had hers -- it was an eight-song holiday favorites program (just now, I'm wanting to spell that "programme"; comes from being two hours from Canada, I think) that Martha mostly recorded on our iPad. Alas, and as she's told me and a few others this I think I can share it, she forgot to turn the volume up when she recorded it Monday, so parts of it play like a silent film. But I can handle that.

Jeffrey's program is tomorrow night at Longfellow -- oh, I forgot, Sarah got a new black dress to wear at Monday's performance -- and we bought HIM some long Minion (from Despicable Me -- I fell asleep AGAIN watching the sequel Sunday, I must finish it!) pajamas. I will be going to that; Martha will have already seen the dress rehearsal during school Thursday because she will be at the opening night of the Minot Chamber Chorale Renaissance Feast.

She's been rehearsing on the stage where they will be performing, at the North Dakota State Fair Grounds (inside of course) all week with the Chorale, and this is my third time going I believe, my second time with the kids. What can I say, I love performances! And dinner comes with it -- chicken strips for the kids, prime rib for me ... have you figured out that the Renaissance Feast is not cheap? But sometimes I am willing to sacrifice for what is important, this time with my family.

Which gets fleetinger and fleetinger by the day -- but not random, David