Things are almost back to what passes for normal around our house, at least for a little while. We had a great Thanksgiving holiday. As is our usual pattern, we had a house full of friends to share dinner and each other's company and laughter; a nice evening. My son called earlier in the day and I was most pleased to hear from him. He had Thanksgiving dinner with his longtime girlfriend Beth and her family in Fargo and sounded so wistful when I mentioned that we were brining our turkey again this year that I wanted to fax him a slice.

Certainly I have a lot to be thankful for this year, and not the least on the list is having been elected to the Iowa City Council. I still don't always believe it happened. I want to thank everybody again for that. I had a lot of help from family and friends (new and old) without which the victory would have been impossible. It is truly an honor and I pledge to be the best city councilor I'm able to be.

And while I'm talking about being thankful, as we approach the Hanukkah/Christmas/Solstice season, please consider forgoing some spending on stuff and give a gift instead to one of the many nonprofits here in Iowa City or elsewhere. A lot of people (and animals) don't have the advantages that others of us do. Remember them.

Shelter House would love a donation, as would the Food Bank, the Animal Care and Adoption Center, the Emma Goldman Clinic, the American Friends Service Committee, and the list goes on and on. Every year I give a donation to Emma Goldman in honor of my elderly aunt and uncle, the last survivors of my parent's generation. They appreciate it far more than anything I could buy them, and I know my money has gone to a good cause. Think about it.

OK. I'll step down off my soapbox now.

There's a lot of work ahead, and trust me, I'm excited! The new city council will be, almost assuredly, building and staffing a new fourth fire-station, a task I can't wait to get started on. We'll also be hiring a new city manager, and amazing opportunity and responsibility, and crafting the next city budget, which is likely to be an involved and, at least sometimes, contentious process. But I'm ready. I've had a little time to recover from the campaign, catch up around the house, and I honestly can't wait to get started!

Thanks again, one and all. Keep in touch.