Buffista~ma is powerful stuff. I was just sitting here thinking that I wanted a little something to munch on, and I remembered that my Seekrit Santa present had been delivered (I was on my way out the door earlier when I almost tripped over it. THANKS USPS FOR KNOCKING ON THE DOOR. and I'd forgotten when I walked in) I was a bit wary, because there was a warning label that said READ ME FIRST and talked about liquids under pressure, but it was covered with the return address label! However, seeing who it was from, I was confident that it was simply a reused box, and not a sender who wished to endanger me.

I opened it to find a cornucopia of goodness. There were many lovely kitchen gadgets, including a garlic press (which I really wanted), a microplaner, chopsticks, condiment bowls and a cute little canister (I forsee sea salt). There were also two books, The Time Traveler's Wife (which I almost bought to day, so yay), and Artists in Crime. Last, but certainly not least, a box of molasses cookies (with a very thoughtful ingredient list, I never would have thought of that), that, according to the card are "good for dipping in everything from milk to coffee to scotch"

THANK YOU JZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sympathies on your kitty, Megan.

I'm trying to think of the people who delurked at WX.

I delurked at WX, too, and I remember ND and Sean joining - Kristin also, that fateful long night that Tim was on and we started raising money for Nilly's travel, wow that was fun. I'm hardly ever around any more, I know, but I used to stay to post after work with the late crowd, the antipodeans, ND, most of the West Coasters. Good times.

2007 has been a pretty good year. I got a promotion and moved to a new dept. at work. I maxed out my deferred comp, a big goal met. Most everyone in my family is healthy, including 91-yr. old mom, with whom I just traveled to Mexico to visit my sister who lives there most of the year. The old cats are hanging in there. Java the cat is middle-aged now and kills the rodents before he brings into the house, which he does rarely. I've been mostly healthy, which I credit to good genes.

In the new year, I want to travel somewhere besides Mexico (in the last 18 months, 5 weeks of vacation were spent helping sis move to/from/to/from/to Mexico. Enough!), develop an exercise-today instead of exercise-tomorrow ethic, tick off more of my big house/yard chores from the long, long list, and maybe get out backpacking and/or scuba diving.

DJ: which episode of This American Life?

and now that I'm here:

Goodbye and Good Riddance to people who only come to the movies once a year and complain about how crowded it is.

Thanks everyone for the cat hugs.

Last night we got two new kitties. A 4 month old kitten we've named Dougal and a year old cat named Merlin.

Merlin

Dougal

Megan, I'm glad you get to start the new year with cats. Gorgeous shots of Merlin & Dougal.

I delurked January of 2000 on TT, but had been around for a wee bit longer. And all I can say seeing those early posts is that I find myself exceedingly annoying. I mean, really! It's as bad as reading old journals!

Shiny kitties! Very cute. Yay for the family expansion!

I found the buffistas back on TT and posted occasionally under a different pseud (don't recall which one). I lurked more often than not, but followed the migration to WX and then here. I officially delurked when the Nilly-tour planning started. That whole experience really inspired me and made me truely realize what an amazing group of people hang out here. I feel lucky to have met y'all.

I joined after everyone had moved here, I think. I know I joined in 2002, but I don't think I delurked until sometime in 2003 toward the end of season 6 of Buffy. I don't remember how I found it, but I was sure glad I did.

Love that picture of Dougal; it's got a real "At last, Mr. Bird, we meet again, but this time I shall be the victor!" vibe to it.

I delurked in February 2004, after not lurking very long at all. I found the board after hearing mentions of it on the Bronze: Beta, which had been my only online home till then, and felt like I'd wandered into heaven. All the different threads with different purposes! A writing thread! A book thread! I was so thrilled. And the people here were so smart and funny, there was no going back.