Well, it's the Friday before Christmas, and I'm once again killing time at an airport. This time I'm stuck in Phoenix, where it is raining (drizzling really but a pretty good amount for the desert), and we're waiting out a storm that is passing through the Midwest. Given what Denver looks like, I'm happy that I'm not stuck in snow and that it is still relatively "mild" in Chicago. In any case, it is a good time for me to sneak in a final blog before the holidays.

This week we held our annual Faculty/Staff Holiday Luncheon on the Glendale Campus. The dining center was packed with nearly 300 people who enjoyed a delicious meal of stuffed chicken, beef stir fry, lasagna, potatoes, and honey carrots. It wasn't exactly traditional fare, but it was hearty. One of the traditions is that groups of faculty and staff will get together and sing holiday songs to the crowd. Dr. G encourages this as a way for the singers to ensure that they will increase their chances of winning a holiday raffle gift. The Glendale folks have embraced this. The "winners" of the singing contests were the faculty and staff of the Arizona Podiatric Medicine Program. They came decked out in Santa hats and reindeer horns and sang a rousing rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock." Runners-up included the AZCOM Clinical Ed department (who sang a modified version of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and featuring the phrase "Now bring us some raffle prizes and bring them right here!"); the CPG faculty; and the PA faculty singing "Happy Birthday" to three of their faculty. As always, there were great gifts raffled off, including the "grand" prizes of a flat screen TV, Microsoft Zune, and an Apple Ipod Nano. Following the raffle, Dr. G gave each person a warm and cozy MWU fleece vest as a holiday gift. The gift is a nice thank you to the people who work hard year-round to educate and serve our students. Since it was cold in Phoenix this week, I wore mine under my coat during my early morning walks with my two dogs.

I hope your have great plans for the holidays and that you enjoy time with family, friends, and loved ones. I'm actually very excited about my plans, even though they don't include family this year. I'm spending Christmas Eve with friends in Chicago, and then Christmas Day I'm heading downtown for a movie and then to the Hotel Burnham, a charming boutique hotel in the historic Reliance Building in the Loop. I love old hotels and I'm looking forward to enjoying the windows on State Street, the lights on Michigan Avenue, and the tree at the Illinois Center. The next day I'm heading to the Art Institute of Chicago to check out their new exhibits. I love the city, and I don't spend enough time downtown (I live on the north side of the city), so this will be a great chance for me to enjoy my hometown during the holidays.

I'll try to sneak in a blog next week with some movie reviews. I plan on seeing Dreamgirls, We Are Marshall, The Good German, and Night at the Museum. I'll write again over New Year's weekend, when I'm enjoying a spa vacation at Miraval in Tucson. I know...it's hard to feel sorry for me stuck in an airport, huh!!

Have a wonderful holiday and stay warm and dry!