We also decided that the candy cane Hershey kisses are crack, because they're that addictive.

Totally agree. I will be sad, sad, sad when they are gone.

Have found a single power outlet. Decided laptop wins since it can also charge the iPod. Phone is slowly dying and no internet for laptop, however, so I'm going to conserve power and resist the urge to pass the time through posting.

I got an A on my final project, which bumped my B in the class up to an A-.

I'm not surprised. Perhaps it was the influence of all that peppermint.

Happy stressless travels to those in motion.

Yay vw!

I've done all the shopping that I must for the moment. Some people can wait until later which is helpful. My choice this year for little gifts for odd people, neighbors and such is, Mimosa kits. Pretty glass, oj, and itty bitty champagne. It makes a nice little bundle, but comes in about $7.

Now to do some more wrapping, with eggnog to keep me going.

Some time tomorrow I'll have to hit the grocery store to get more stuff for Christmas dinner. It will have to happen while I am over on the west side. Need to do the round trip visit to the family on the other side of the state, then back here late tomorrow night. Then we do Christmas at my house and I feed DH's family and some friends. Whee!

Happy wishes for all. And Matilda, now would be a good time to get past that fussy baby stuff and calm down. That would be a very sweet first Christmas gift for mommy and daddy.

I forgot to fill a prescription today, and now the pharmacy seems to be closed until Tuesday

We picked up prescriptions today, too. We're going to need to go out at least for a little bit tomorrow, but that should be cool if we look at it as an anthropological expedition into Wildest Consumeria.

I hurt Hubby last night in my sleep. I have no idea what I was dreaming, all I know is that it involved buildings. But I latched on to his bad arm and I partially dislocated his shoulder. I woke up to him yelling in pain for me to let go.

I hurt my Hubby.

Granted, he's a lot more fragile than he was in the days when he jumped out of helicopters into forest fires, but he keeps looking at me in mingled worry and respect: "I never thought I'd lose a wrestling match with you. You're going to be scary if anyone really backs you into a corner."

I am pleased at the vote of confidence about my abilities to not go down quietly, but still . . . I hurt my Hubby.

{{Connie's DH}} And um, sweet dreams, connie.

Oh, connie. I hope you and your DH feel better soon, him physically and you for hurting him.

I know that the following isn't really Christmas conversation, but I'm so conflicted about it, and really needed to get it off my chest. Feel free to skip and skim onto more cheerful conversation which I'm sure will follow!

I may have mentioned a while back that my aunt and uncle, who are really like my second set of parents, are getting divorced after 46 years. The divorce looks to be a nasty one, considering my aunt and cousins have all be granted restraining orders against my uncle. Well, my uncle had a broken leg at the time that everything happened. Now, he has just gotten out of the hospital after having his gall bladder removed. The thing that's so amazing to me is that my aunt didn't divorce my uncle 30 years ago, but I feel so sorry for him, all alone and in pain, especially for the holidays, so I got him a present and called him to wish him Merry Christmas.

It was so very weird. We had this whole conversation not mentioning anything that has been happening, as if everything were normal and I was just calling to chat. I'm glad I called, but I feel kind of guilty for calling him, even though I really don't think it would upset anyone involved. It's just, half the family feels so sorry for him and pretty much thinks he's wonderful, and the other half thinks he's horrible and is ready to just write him off. I'm kind of in between. He can do horrid, awful things, and I'm sure he did in this case, but he's still a person and has been in the family longer than I've been alive.

libkitty, you have to do what is right for you. I'm sure your uncle really appreciated the contact.

You acted lovingly. That's just not something to feel guilty about.

Oh, libkitty, that sounds wretched all the way around. So hard to be in the middle when the whole family is taking sides; whatever the truth is of what happened in their marriage, and however the divorce ends, it sounds like you did a kind and right thing. I'm sorry it's all so hard and fraught.

Sweet San Francisco Xmas story of the day: This evening we went out for our annual pilgrimage to the giant Christmas tree at the edge of Golden Gate Park (a big oak or some such, with lights strung around rather than through it, so it really looks rather like a gigantic bulbous ornament -- still, very pretty) so Emmett could run around it and sing carols, and now so Matilda could goggle at the lights.

On the way, we passed the homeless encampment at the entrance to the park at Haight & Stanyan streets, usually a sea of grubby teens and confused older men and assorted dogs, where tonight a church group had taken over, serenading the homeless folk with carols (sacred and secular -- as we approached, they were singing "Feliz Navidad"), setting up a barbecue to grill hot dogs and sausages for everyone, and putting up a tree and carrying in armloads of presents. No preaching, no handing out of pamphlets, just grilled meaty stuffs and songs and prezzies.

I do like our city, I do.