Lefse, Snowflakes & Resolutions.

The funny thing about being in intelligence, is no matter what one knows, one gets to a point where one realizes the Socratic truth - one knows nothing. The past 72 hours have been more than eye-opening and I'm thinking Yal-hune knew exactly what she was doing when she left me with Yaylu. Because Yaylu is exactly what I needed at this point in time.

The New Year Intelligence Briefing (NYIB) is sitting on my desk and is over 500 pages of summarized threats, changes and problems - many the byproduct of the global economic realities. Not exactly light reading or entertaining reading, but I dutifully trudge through it and put post-it notes on pages and threats I feel are most important for SDAI to address.

Yaylu has taken Yal-hune's place at our house. She doesn't interface with humanity like Yal-hune did. She is too clearly alien and has no desire to undergo any transformations to blend in. I asked her how she managed for 65 years and she told me that she has alien friends here on Earth and does not socialize with humans. When I told her that must have been lonely she just looked at me and smiled. I don't think she was lonely at all and I did not realize just how many friends she has here.

Now Yaylu has taken me under her wing, so to speak, and she is giving me in-depth lessons in all sorts of galactic physics. She lived in northern China for the past 10 years and before that lived in Norway near Sogndal for 40 years. She says the North Sea when it is at its worst is the closest thing to the oceans of her world and her clothes and style are clearly Nordic. I wonder how many other aliens are in the region and considering her abilities and I'm not surprised she was able to go undetected for so long.

After spending 8 hours off and on with the NYIB, I leave my office, head up to the surface and drive home. The rains and winds are fierce. I feel my car being pulled by the winds and I compensate. The rain gets worse and I realize I'm caught in a flash flood. Visibility is zero. I slow down to a crawl, turn on my fog lamps, activate my radar threat detection system console and the radio's LCD screen transforms. Distant cars appear as blips and I can see those vehicles approaching from behind. As bad as the weather is, I still have to smile about it when I think about what other parts of the nation endure this time of year.

I take the extra time to think about some of the new research directors at Shamballa, who were briefed today and officially begin in the new year. One who will oversee work in the cryptography division is a woman of native American descent - Tohono O'odham, I believe. Something about her caught my eye and I will continue to keep an eye on her. She has a spark and when we were introduced I found myself thinking of the inspired Chief, and his family in the cliffs, with whom I spent time.

At last I arrive home and I pull the car into the garage, slide my nextgen fortezza style card through the security system and enter the house. Yaylu is watching television and has cooked dinner. She looks so dressy and conservative in her white turtleneck and black skirt with black stockings. She's clearly not from around Arizona and her Nordic style is a breath of fresh air. The food smells absolutely wonderful and I realize she is an expert chef and can cook anything anyone could imagine.

"Honey, I'm home!" I laugh to myself as I say it, but it feels right with her there and the table waiting so beautifully with dinner on it. She has even lit a few candles and placed them around. I'm really liking this.

"How was your day dear?" She says and smiles broadly, playing my game as she switches off the wall/LCD display system and rises. She looks fantastic and she gives me a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"It was tedious, boring but had a few bright moments...and yours?"

"Oh, I managed to bring my stuff over and get all settled. I met Skuuinja briefly as well when she stopped by. She's very protective of you. I'm not sure she likes me."

"Skuuinja is very protective of me. I'm sure she will get used to the arrangement. She just managed to make peace with Yal-hune, but she is very sweet once you get to know her."

"I'm sure she is. Now let's have dinner before it gets cold."

We walk over to the table and she has prepared an inspired meal of lefse with what appears to be goulash or perhaps meatballs with a light gravy delicately poured on top. It smells delicious and is prepared with the culinary flare of a five star restaurant.

"You really didn't have to do this Yaylu."

"I wanted to. It is no problem at all. Let's eat!"

We sit down and dig in. It is delicious. As I look up from my meal and meet Yaylu's large bluish-grey eyes, I find myself amazed again at just how quickly changes appear in my life. If the way to man's heart is via his stomach, Yaylu has already paved a perfectly smooth path, but when she pulls some of her own custom cookie recipe from the oven for dessert, the smells are intoxicating and I know she is already almost there. I take a bite of a cookie she offers me and it is still warm and melts in my mouth like some heavenly food of the gods. It is filled with something of a slight pudding consistency, sweet but not too sweet it is rich and filling but not too filling.

I think I'm in love.

She smiles as my eyes light up and her eyes light up as well. Suddenly, I realize just how blessed I am again and what sacrifices and efforts the people around me make for me. I know that one of the ways I can pay them back is by making a resolution to iron out the wrinkles in my pasts and lose the negative biases, fears and other negative baggage.

I extend my hand towards Yaylu. Yaylu grabs my hand with her long slender hand, her silver-blue fingers caress my skin and the candlelight flickers nearby.

"Let's go out back."

We walk outside, lean back on a large deck chair and with a remote control I activate the heaters which are cylinders which emerge from the cement around the pool and the courtyard and radiate heat.

"Look up."

She points up and I see an amazing sight!

"It's snowing!" I'm amazed and I realize it is her - she is able to influence the weather. "You really ARE the spirit of winter aren't you?"

Her silvery blue eyes sparkle and I swear I can see snow flakes glistening in her eyes. She sighs and she looks at me so wonderfully with a deep gaze that causes me to shiver and her hand reaches out to my face and her fingers delicately stroke my cheek. Her lips are rich, full and glisten in the light. Her white hair shimmers as though it were woven of silk and cast of pure moon-beams on a starlit night. Her silver blue skin looks so soft and gentle.

Snowflakes suddenly fall all around us - the first time in this low desert region in hundreds of years. Like some fairytale come to life I swing to my side, wrap my right arm around her and I pull her closer towards me. She has wakened in me that best part of myself - the part that I am and wish I could be all the time. None of this was an accident. All this was part of some plan much greater than just me or her.

Snowflakes land on her nose and lips. I kiss each spot where they land and I feel them melt between our lips and skin. She does something with her eyes - I can't explain it, but it is something quite incredible. I feel her eyes literally caress me. Some special nerve or organ in her large eyes can emit some sort of energy.

"I really hope you didn't think the cookies were dessert."
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