Hmmm.... Tricky problem. I plan on getting my wife's Christmas present today, but I don't think I'll ever be alone long enough to wrap it before Christmas.

Can you have it wrapped while you're out shopping?

Yeah, that might be way to do it.

I shouldn't have gotten it yestday. I was alone in my house for 50 minutes last night. That's the longest that's happened for.... hmm..... 7 months I think.

Man, I have 5 hours to go before a 4-day holiday weekend. Why is massive stupidity rearing its ugly head in my office NOW?!?

I swear to all that is good and holy, if incompetent!boss gets in my face about one more nitpicky thing, I'm leaving. (For the rest of the day. Not, like, for good.)

We're insanely behind on our January issue, because we have all these special articles that must run in January, and since they're special articles, we don't have established guidelines for how to handle them or how to lay them out.

The people who make the guidelines? All 5 of them? Have been on vacation all this week and will be on vacation all next week.

It is SO not my problem that they failed to plan and then went on vacation. My peon cohorts and I are never part of the meetings where such things are planned (or not!planned, as the case may be). Maybe if we had been, the guidelines that we DON'T have would actually have been developed.

It's SO not my problem, and if anyone gives me any shit between now and 5:00, I'm going to gut them like a trout and then leave.

Cashmere, hooray for Christopher!!!

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over it, and give it a stir. Minute and a half on high, stir again to blend the melty choc. into the milk. Another minute and a half on high (time depends on microwave). Add the vanilla and stir unti smooth. You can also add peanut butter, nuts, coconut, or any thing else you like at this time, for an individual touch. Pour mixture into greased dish, and place in refrigerator to cool.

No one who has not made fudge in the microwave will believe you did not slave over the stove for ages.

I've never tried this specifically, but I bet it would work atop a stove too, because although the order and method differ, the ingredients are the same as my topping for what I like to call Angelus' Leather Pants Brownies, but which the mundane would identify as fudge topped brownies.

I make my favorite (of the moment) brownie recipe, or brownies from a box if pressed for time (I think Betty Crocker's chocolate tastes more like chocolate than Duncan Hines).

During the last 5 or so minutes of baking, I combine the chocolate chips and can of sweetened condensed milk in a sauce pan, over very low heat, and stir constantly, 'til the chocolate is all melty.

I lost the recipe a long time ago, so I don't measure, and I change the order every time, but it never fails to turn into fudge, and pretty much goes like this:

Once the chocolate is melty, add some vanilla (usually a tsp or two--I don't measure), some salt (I think a 1/2 tsp, and sometimes I put this in at the beginning, when I'm melting the chips in the sweetened condensed milk). Remove from heat, and stir until smooth, and immediately pour on top of the brownies, which are just coming out of the oven.

It's more important that the fudge mixture is poured onto the brownies as soon as the fudge mixture is ready, than it is that the brownies are fresh out of the oven. The mixture always turns into fudge on top of the brownies, so I don't know why it wouldn't turn into fudge if you poured it into a buttered pan.

Aww, fuckety. My paycheck hit direct deposit and it doesn't have all the overtime that should be on there. This puts a hamper on the run-around-and-spend plans for today.

Gut them like a trout!! Dang, I like that rant.

he passed his actuarial exam

Whee! Yay for more money, new cars, no more studying! passing the test! That's a great Christmas present, Cash. Yay for you both.

YAY! The tiara got there! I mailed it on Monday. Take that mean Post Office lady! Of course, I should have sent it in July, but at least it's finally gotten to the head on which it belongs.

The tiara got there!

It's amazing, Deena! You're amazing, Deena! I love it!

Aww, fuckety. My paycheck hit direct deposit and it doesn't have all the overtime that should be on there. This puts a hamper on the run-around-and-spend plans for today.

Goddammit. Didn't JZ get screwed on her OT pay for this month too? Did you two forget to sacrifice your goat or something?

I have a serious hate-on for your job.