Yes it is better than a gift card and a sweater. I finally got them to understand amazon wish lists and made one with about ten items on it and told them to choose something.

NoiseDesign, my 18 year old BiL is considering a major related to music/sound tech (or something--I'm not sure what the major is at his chosen school). Do you have any practical advise for him?

What school is he at and do you know what type of sound work he would like to enter? It's a pretty varied field and there are many practical ways to get some experience.

I finally got them to understand amazon wish lists

Will wonders never cease... And also, WOOT!

For all you sickies: I tried a couple of old cold remedies that I found on the internet yesterday and they seem to have helped a good deal. 1) Take 1,000 mg of vit c every hour for six hours and then follow up with 1,000 mg three times a day until symptoms are gone. 2) Soak a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and squeeze it into your ear. Hold it in your ear anywhere from five to ten minutes. (I'm assuming I had a touch of infection in my left ear since that's the one I felt a little bit of pain in while soaking. Still, not enough pain to discontinue the process.)

Get well soon vibes to all under the weather today.

I need to stop watching Ice Age on the teevee and get in the shower.

ETA: Here's where I found the info mentioned above.

Now it is time to listen to everyone complaining about things. My family must celebrate a weird version of Festivus without the aluminum pole.

Well then. It's Christmas morning (Merry Merry to all y'all) and we are about to kerfuffle. Sekrit message to my father: you are a fuckhead.

Sorry to all those with family issues!

We have opened stockings and had breakfast. We're moving slowly this morning. Presents are next.

Hit him with a candy cane, brenda.

SJ, the Pirates figure was well received and perfectly apt as EM's big present to Emmett was an actual painting of Captain Jack (fan art for xmas!), as well as the very cool Dread Pirate board game.

Also, fanishly, Emmett got a ton of Avatar goodies and is busy watching S1 while assembling his Avatar Legos.

I gave JZ the 12 DVD set of The Pallisers - a BBC production of five of Anthony Trollope's novels.

Matilda got Trumpette socks (so of course we talked about flea's endorsement of same), and board books.

I got a biography of Marc Bolan and the cool picture book on Edie Sedgwick and money to spend at Amoeba.

EM made a gorgeous stew for dinner last night - her Dad's recipe. I made a little wild mushroom stew for JZ.

We played a card game last night that was fun - Apples to Apples.

Matilda slept well last night in her Moses basket, and was very smiley and jolly all day yesterday.

We've all eaten cheesy scrambled eggs and quaffed coffees. This afternoon we'll scoot to JZ's Mom's house, with a pit stop on the way at her aunt's house for all the relations to coo over the baby.

Merry Christmas, Buffistas.

Merry Christmas to you lovely folks. S3 and 4 of Buffy is currently in purdah behind the locked post office gate, as I didn't get to my mailbox till after they closed on Saturday. Otherwise I'd be watching The Gentlemen and Watchers being unafraid of gravity.

Otherwise, Merry everything, and may the new year be blessed.

I woke up 7ish this morning with the sore throat and stuffy nose. After I fed the cats, and went back to bed, Harvey got under the covers with me. He proceeded to purr long and hard. When I woke up, I felt better. So Harvey must have cured my cold. It's a Festivus Miracle.

Merry Whatever to everyone!