We started off the week with a whimper as the Dow fell 51 points on light volume.  The advance/declines were negative.  I would expect some decline this week or sideways at best.  We need to digest the recent huge gains in the stock indices.  I would look for higher prices in expiration week.  I am looking at getting some OEX calls for next week.  Perhaps later in this week.  There is not a lot of economic data out this week but it is the start of earnings season again.  GE was down a bit but closed off of its lows for the day.  I am looking at the GE January calls.  I did place an overnight order for the January GE 21 calls.  We'll need to see some decline for the order to be filled.  Earnings are due expiration Friday.  Gold was off just a couple of bucks despite a big drop in the US dollar.  The usual inverse relationship here hasn't materialized for the past few weeks.  It isn't a positive for gold in my opinion.  I am still looking to get long the gold shares though.  The XAU fell 2 1/3.  ABX and GG fell 1/2 and NEM dropped 7/8.  Volume was light.  I placed an open order for the February ABX 35 calls.  As with the GE open order, ABX will need to see some decline for this order to be filled.  The gold shares are getting short term oversold once again.  This is a trade that I have tried numerous times in the preceding months.  It hasn't worked yet.  Mentally I'm feeling OK.  I would expect the stock indexes to slosh around here this week.  I do not expect any dramatic moves one way or the other.  Obviously the trend is up but we are extended in the McClellan oscillator.  I'll be looking to purchase some January OEX calls later this week.  Nobody likes gold for now and sometimes that is when you have to like it.  I'll ponder this idea tonight.  It is entirely possible that I should simply let gold do what it does and concentrate my energy elsewhere.  We'll see what happens in the foreign markets and go from there.