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Everybody remembered that I love a good book this Christmas - so I lucked out and got 10! (not pictured is Gladwell’s Blink, which the girl is currently reading on her lunch break at work.)

There is something so exciting about a stack of new books - if you’d like, you can keep up with what I’m currently reading and what’s coming next on my about page. (I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of the books listed - what you liked, didn’t, etc.)

Even better is the gift that keeps on giving - magazine subscriptions. On top of my current subs to Inc. and Wired (we had Dwell, Metropolis and Anthem but they ran out - got to have a reason to peruse the newsstand!), I’ll now be keeping up with Juxtapoz, Fast Company, BlackBook, Business 2.0, Res, Print and HOW. I used to subscribe to most of those a year or so ago, but didn’t keep them up - can’t wait to get my first issues!

Finally! In a fit of mad brainstorming, temper tantrums and totally ignoring Brodsky’s advice, the girl and I came up with a name for the new business.

• Step One:

  Unravel its (her?) identity, finish stitching together the website and try it all on for size

• Step Two:

  Slide into my best skivvies and set the bullhorn to 11 - time to tell everyone I know!

(Of course there are a few other steps, but they aren’t as fun - especially the pesky business lawyer step. If you know of a decent business lawyer in the Portland, Oregon area - I’d appreciate the referral!)

Definitions of marketing I’ve recently read that I like:

Much better than what you’ll find with define: marketing.

Apparently my hurt shoulder is actually a fractured shoulder, which puts my left arm out of commission for the next 8 weeks.

Hopefully the snow will be soft and plentiful come February when we make it back out for our third snowboarding session this season.

It started out as ice, then tiny flakes, a few bigger ones and now the wind is really picking up, but I don’t care. I moved here for snow, and I’ll take it. It’s supposed to keep going for another 6 hours at least according to the assorted weather services - in Texas the sun would have broken through by now and melted off all the snow. Time to go for a walk and slide around on the sidewalk a bit!

A perfect early Christmas present, my sister Ellen Piper Ellen came to visit from Charleston, where she’s finishing up her last semester at College of Charleston. Easily the second-busiest person I know (the reigning champ would have to be our mother), I love being able to provide a slightly calmer environment where she can kick up her heels and not worry about things like law school, co-managing the CofC Dance Team, and maintaining her 4.0 GPA. (Yes, I’m doting on her just a bit.)

Of course, we didn’t actually spend too much time resting on our laurels - instead I tried to teach her everything I know about snowboarding within a 6 hour window. She was doing really well too, until a combination of me egging her on and overconfidence caused her to catch an edge and get the wind knocked out of her as she flew ass over teakettle down the mountain. I was already nursing a hurt shoulder (which is still bothering me - the girl and I are debating whether I should pay a visit to a doctor), so that became our last run of the session.

As anybody who has taken a fall down a mountain knows, one of the best ways to nurse sore muscles is with a night out on the town. Brittany and I decided to show my sister our walk over to the Pearl District, where we first stopped at Vault Martini for a few. I enjoyed the Pad Thai while reading through the quirky copy Vault has on their menus. A pretty decent drink, especially after 3! We walked on to Henry’s, where they have a great late night menu and wide variety of beverages. After a couple hours of imbibing, we had warmth running through our veins and were ready to face the walk home in the cold. Ellen came up with Gorgonzola, a combination of high kicks, fist pumps and chanting “GorgonzoooooLA!” as a way to generate her own warmth and the girl and I made do by laughing at her creation.

While we couldn’t have swung a longer trip any other time, it still felt way too short. Time to nurse this shoulder back to health and get back to work.

Woohoo! I won a copy of The Art of Pricing by Rafi Mohammed from InBubbleWrap (the people behind 800-CEO-Read and ChangeThis) - one of the fastest ways to procrastinate and expand your business book library at the same time. I’m currently finishing up A New Brand World by Scott Bedbury (which is pretty decent) - will be starting it soon. Pricing is such an art (and one I’d like to get a much better grasp on) - reviews of this book tout it as the new bible for finding that perfect balance between leaving money on the table and maximizing profits.