Cool, quester. Do you know about this? [link]

No, Spidra, I didn't. But I've got it bookmarked now! Thanks for the link!

I'm probably not going to be able to get mine out to my Secret Santee until sometime after Christmas, either. Also, for whoever's my Secret Santa, I'm going to be leaving town next week, so if you haven't mailed it yet, it's probably best to wait until after New Years.

I checked the post office dates Priority mail is until the 21st. Since most boxes from my house end up going that way anyway I think the post office scolding was odd. First class mail has until the 19th. I hope to get my giftte's gift out by monday. Oddly, it seems to have a theme.

I mailed my Secret Santa present yesterday...turns out the APO has been open all week, rather than just Thursdays, to provide Xmas service, but they didn't tell anyone. So anyway, I hope that it gets to my Secret Santee by Epiphany or Orthodox Christmas. Or just gets there, knowing the APO.

I don't know what to say about this year yet. When I was 18, I had a major watershed year: left my small home town for the first time, lived on my own in a big city, went to college, fell in love, and completely changed as a person - looks, attitude, wardrobe, everything.

18 years later, I think I may be doing the same thing, though less voluntarily. Motherhood is changing who I am as a person. Who I was is being squeezed out, and I don't know the new me. The depression is changing who I am, or who I perceive myself to be, also. When all is said and done, I hope I like this new person.

erika, coolness! V. cool gift.

Ooh, thanks for the reminder. I'll take my Secret Santa stuff into work and mail today.

Thank you Seekrit Santa Beej! I'm looking forward to a cosy evening with all the ingredients you provided - book, chocolate, tea and candlelight! Just the thing to keep the cold at bay.

This year has been pretty eventful for me. I started this job a bit more than a year ago, so that doesn't really count, but I moved, wrote two actuarial exams, had a really scary time in the spring when my sister was in the hospital (she's posting here now, by the way) and went with her on a trip to Wales to visit our father (first time seeing him in five years) and meet our step-family. Oh, and my father had a heart attack in the spring as well.

It's been a good year overall, though, and I'm really happy with how my job is going - it's still a surprise to get positive feedback and to be working for a field that actually has money.

The main downside is that I haven't had a home computer set up all year (no grounded outlet). I hope to have that conquered soon, so that I can stop being ultra-grey.

Glee! I've been tapping the proverbial fingers, concerned that the mail minions would not get your package to you on time Ouise..."it IS another country you know" said the counter person. (sheesh) And I do hope you are keeping warm.

I need to look over my date book to see just what happened this year. So much in some quarters, so little in others. But I do feel like 2005 was much better than either Ot3 or Ot4. I started the decade feeling like I was living in the 'zeroes' in many more ways than one. Not so much now.

Ooh, my Secret Santa just arrived! Well, not in person, though that would be even better. Now I have to figure out whether to open it or wait for xmas. What to do, what to do.

OPEN IT!

Yes. I'm really that greedy. I don't simply want to know what I'm getting, I want to know what everyone else gets, too. NOW!

Or... you could wait.

Open It! Open It! (unless your santa indicated you shouldn't on the outside of the package, which would be mean)