Guess what? I'm on vacation!

Woo-hoo! Have some nog!

Hmm, maybe not first thing in the morning. But pancakes I could really get behind.

You know what's good? Puffs tissues with aloe, that's what's good. My nose is a happy nose. My glasses OTOH, NSM. But I can wash my glasses, and have done, and now--they're sparkling! I can see things I haven't seen in--

oh dear. I really should clean, shouldn't I? Ick. Darn those Puffs with aloe.

Today I have to

1. clean my filthy house
2. unearth the bag with the garland, wreath, and red bows in it
3. pop the shades off the candle lamps in the front dormers
4. empty the deck fountain and rescue the already-frozen (but unplugged, so it should be okay) pump, store the rocks, etc.
5. put up the lighted garland, red bows, and wreath
6. switch out the snowman flag for the Snoopy Santa one

Tomorrow I have to

1. mull cider while I
2. find and play the Christmas cds
3. decide how much I want to decorate indoors
4. do that
5. reset my altar for solstice

And sometime this week I have to

1. buy-make-put together-wrap presents for my writing group and
2. make something for our potluck on Wednesday night
3. shop for the ornaments we give the kids every year, and
4. buy kid presents

Everybody else is covered.

vw, I have. Just so you and Robin don't feel alone.

Teppy, that sounds like a most excellent gustatory evening! Hail holidays! Kristin, yay vacation! Vacation with a roof would be better, but that comes soon, yes?

(ed. for formatting. stoopid formatting)

My best friend of the wedding and ring sagas got pregnant on her honeymoon. Tuesday, it stopped. They just found out today and she's having a D&C tomorrow. They, and I, are heartbroke

Oh, I'm so sorry. Much strength-ma to them indeed.

but is high school a big improvement? How so -- is it the structure of the captivity that changes, or the people?

High school was better for me because there were more people (so more chance to find some people I liked and hang out with them) and people were less focused on making other people's lives miserable directly. Sure, they still managed to be all "we're popular and cool and you are slime beneath our feet", but that was just attitude and the occasional slur, and less "Ooh, i'm bored, let's make someone's life hell!".

But Pelecanos seems to find it funny that in D.C. his name is generic for boyfriend, "what you got a George?"

I have never ever heard that. Granted, I don't hang in *quite* the same neighborhoods as he writes about, but...I've definitely had those conversations on my street ("Ooh, girl, you want a little chocolate in your milk?" remains one of my favorites)

I hate appearing to be the go to person when I have no power and no knowledge

Ooh, that's very rough, indeed. Poor Nora. Have some hairpats, belatedly.

Is Yankee Swap when each person takes a number and then everyone picks a present in order and some stealing of presents can take place?

Ooh! We did this at work yesterday, but I'd only ever heard it called a Chinese Gift Exchange. Which my Chinese coworker said was Not Allowed. So we weren't sure what to call it. I'll have to tell people that. I don't think Yankees are allowed to complain.

Saw the Gay Cowboy Movie last night. It was good. Though my accent-picking-up-self had to fight not to try to talk like that all the rest of the night.

Beverly, I think that's so neat that you guys give the kids a special ornament each year. My DH's mom did that for him, and I'd never heard of that idea but thought it was wonderful.

We got Mallory a little Bavarian cowbell for his ornament this year - we tied it onto the backpack as we hauled him around. We were shopping in a very high-end store for formal drindls and lederhosen and the shopkeeper got alarmed: "Was klingelt?!?" She wasn't much relieved when I explained it was the baby that was ringing.

Ringing baby!

Hey, would you like a pair of gen-yoo-wine lederhosen, with the carved staghorn medallion on the suspenders crosspiece? Would you like two? We bought a pair for each kinder, which they wore occasionally for their first five years, and which we saved. For naught, as it now appears. So, next on ebay... kinder lederhosen!

The ornaments idea was so that when they moved out, they'd have the foundation of familiar ornaments for their own trees. Our trees without those ornaments were at first a little scary and sad for us.

And as it happened, with the breakups, their ornaments were scattered and mixed, although I think they're all sorted now.

Re vw's TMI, you know the fitness craze has gone to far, when my first thought was, "Someone's not doing her Kegels."

Aimee, I know I said this on IM, but I need to say again how very sorry I am about BF's miscarriage. How truly awful.

Oh damn. I'm still catching up, and I just saw Aimee's post. I'm so sorry for your friend. How sad. All strength and healing to them.

Ease and rest to Cashmere. All will be well wishes to her and her family.