aplomb

I hope everyone had a great holiday, and got some quality time with the family, loved ones, and friends. I had a good time hanging out with family and of course it's almost 100% predictable -- ate a ton of good food, thereby ensuring that I remain "festively plump". At my father-in-law's house we had a massive helping of roasted prime rib plus some crab -- it was with some amazement that I survived the night without a massive coronary. I also went up to my dad's place to visit and we had some ribeye steak with a bottle of Cab. Good times.

At my dad's place one of the spots I always gravitate to is his big 55-gallon aquarium populated with a lively school of goldfish. I remember helping him take care of the various fish we had and cleaning the tank when I was younger. After all this time he still has it, and he has taken good care of it through the years. The fish he's got in there now are nothing fancy, just some cheap feeder fish that he bought a year or two ago, but they have grown big and provide endless entertainment to those easily amused (I count myself among them). One of the fish in his tank has a special place in my heart though, because he is "special". Fans of the Disney Pixar film Finding Nemo will recall that little Nemo has a "lucky fin". Well this fish has it even worse, because he's completely missing his tail fin. The poor little guy has to work twice as hard as the other fish to swim around and fight for his share of the food. But he seems to do it quite well with a certain sense of aplomb that earns my admiration.

Here's a short video I took of him for you to see the everyday hero in action.

Awww... don't it just melt your heart? Happy Holidays to everyone!