In Memorium

Looking Into the Gas Chamber

The Tracks

Birkenau

Auschwitz

The Women's Camp

At The Gate

60 Years

On January 27, 1945 the Russian Army liberated the Auschwitz Birkenau death camps in Oswiecim Poland.

In memory of the place and the horrors that occurred there.

Fortunately the "New Year's Hangover" has passed . . .

One decidedly overwhelming benefit of working on New Year's Eve is the distinct lack of hungoverness on New Year's Day. I remember last year watching Mel and Chris move very slowly through my house and curl up on the basement couch to watch movies, blatantly ignoring my energetic suggestions of going out and finding a pub somewhere. Although it had been a long night in the dispatch center, it was most definitely a sober one.

I had forgotten about the New Year's Hangover. A startling little experience which makes you wonder why you always forget how bad of a headache champagne gives you. I am thankful that I didn't drink as much of the stuff as Amy and I did one year. That New Year's Day was spent with our heads very close to the floor and a long tortuous crawl down a hallway in search of Advil.

We did, however, have a lot of fun acquiring our hangovers this year, and I was fortunate enough to ring in 2005 among good friends in a warm pub in front of a fireplace. I had no idea though, that even at 5:30am we would still not be able to get a cab. This ended up meaning that Mikey has recently been elected the best DD on the planet, for braving the 30 below weather and snowy Calgary streets to come find a group of very drunk people and take them home to safety, warmth, and (more importantly) beds. And aside from some bruises and bumps, we are all free of broken bones and our headaches have subsided.

Hopefully all of you out there in blog land are as lucky.

It would be remiss of me not to make mention of the Tsunami in South East Asia. It has been startling and sobering watching the pictures and information come through to us over here in our luxurious realities. Images of beaches I have lounged on, temples I have visited, and faces of a caring and generous people now marked with the trauma of unthinkable disaster and death. My heart and prayers go out to everyone over there, hopefully, with help from the global community, the scars will heal with time and further tragedy will be avoided. Perhaps this will be an opportunity also to heal the political fighting both in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Hopefully.

Just as a note - for anyone in the Calgary area, we're having a benefit night for the Red Cross at Classic Jack's Restaurant (17av/9st SW) on Saturday January 15th. There's a $10 cover charge that will go to the Red Cross, as well as 10% of sales that night. If you're around, or can be, please come and contribute.

I hope 2005 brings peace and happiness into the lives of all my friends and family . . . and that maybe we can all learn what being part of this global community really is about.