Holiday Letter- - Corrections and Updates

We crafted and sent the annual Smith Holiday letter a week ago.  I wanted to post some updates, corrections, and "outtakes".

1) one week later, still no work on the house.  We now estimate we will be in Lakeway for three years and one week.
2) the cat died this year.  George's passing didn't make the Holiday letter because nothing pulls down the tone of a festive letter more than a dead cat.  He was 37 years old, less happy than he had ever been, and it was his time.  Safe travels, Meow the cat.
3) we went the entire year without finding out that Abby had another defective sense.  No problems with the taste buds, nostrils, or sense of touch.  Still only one bum ear and one bum eye.  But she got really cool looking glasses this year!
4) I wrote and sent the letter before the awful news about the shooting in Connecticut.  I feel badly about my joke about stabbing children with a saber from fencing class.  That joke just doesn't seem funny right now.
5) Correction - there is no "Year of the Ferret" in the Chinese calendar.  I, of course, should have referenced the "Year of the Three-Toed Sloth."
6) While I was technically correct that there are no famous Jewish swimmers, it has been pointed out to me that David Schwimmer is probably Jewish, so that answer would count.
7) I misspoke about the "Unitarian point system."  We actually need only 31 points to get a Unitarian toaster.  I can count the points I received for organizing Unitarian family potlucks a few years ago.

Sorry for all the innaccuracies.  Have a wonderful holiday!