To my Jewish friends, I either send Happy Holiday cards, or buy special Hanukkah cards.

I totally appreciate when my non-Jewish friends send me cards or call to wish me happy hannukah, and I really don't expect them to keep track of the lunar year and always hit me in time. I had one friend who called me last Wednesday to wish me a happy hannukah, and then she asked me when hannukah would be over. Sheepishly, I told her it had ended a week earlier but I really, really didn't mind that she missed it. I mean, I don't have any close Moslem friends but if I did I'd never get Ramadan right.

Offended by Merry Christmas or by Happy Holidays?

Well, either. People offended by Happy Holidays are probably the same folk offended by Good Morning. You can't please everyone.

Ooh. How long will you be in NY, Laura?

10 bone chilling days. I will be in the Adirondack Mountains visiting my sister. Wish me good snowman making snow.

ION I didn't have enough to do today so #2 son hooked himself in the back of the head fishing to add to my list. Luckily most of my customers are doctors so I ran to the closest one and he numbed it and yanked it out. Kids!

My flight has been cancelled. I have been on hold with the airline long enough to play two games of cribbage with my mother, and to screw up the login to the air canada website enough times that they have revoked my access. (I thought my member number was wrong when it was my password...whoops!)

But the good news is that my neighbors are home and on board for another day of cat feeding, so there's nothing for me to do but sit back, eat even more, and beat my mother at cards again.

I think most of my calendars have noted the first day of Hanukkah on them, and other Jewish holidays, as well.

It seems to me I read somewhere that since the Muslim holidays involve sighting the moon, and calculations, even Muslims make mistakes about the dates.

Oh, and growing up in a culturally homogenous society leads you to wish everyone Merry Christmas. Even the Jews and Hindus I grew up with celebrated Xmas. But I am much more careful now. Usually I say have a great holiday or vacation.

Ah, such joy coming in to the office and finding messages asking why I finished one segment of work and not another last week. Perhaps because I worked on the finished segment first, rather than magically doing both at the same time? Or because I was 85 miles and an icy bridge from the office Wednesday and it would require direct divine intervention to make me work over the Christmas holiday? Take your pick...

Oh well, Big Boss was thrilled with what I brought in this morning, AND I gave her stuck car a push to get out of the icy parking lot, so I think I'm good for now.

Must remember to deposit last week's paycheck before rent comes due, and to get my hair cut in prep for a potential date/hookup Tuesday.

Oh, wow. Reggie White has died. [link]

Age 43.

Bleaahhhh. Pouring rain here in SF this morning. I was very disinclined to get out of bed, much less go to work, yet here I am. JZ and Emmett are off to visit some friends and go see a movie today (probably the Lemony Snicket). I've got Emmett tomorrow, and then am taking Wednesday for my own self.

I don't like "Happy Holidays" because it's too generic. As a writer I'm all about the objective correlative and the concrete reference and the evocative detail. "Happy Holidays" evokes nothing in particular. I wish "Merry Christmas" to people that celebrate it, and "Happy Channukkah" to all my jews, and note the Solstice to the pagans and like that. I'm not very reflexive with the seasonal greetings, so it only crops up when I'm conscious of who I'm speaking to.

Age 43.

My age. Boo mortality!

My age. Boo mortality!

Chris is walking around in his new slippers, singing, "Stomp stomp stomp! Doing the Yeti stomp." I much prefer that to mortality.