Little did I know you had a love of regional delicacies!

I do! I do!

Teppy has introduced me to other Ohio wonders. When I go South I seek out sweet tea and grits. In Utah I had fry sauce. In Portland I had salmon that made me weep. In Las Vegas someone offered me a hooker but I was too full.

I braved the post office today to send out gifties to my sekrit santee. I went at about 9:45am and there was only 6 people in line. Woot! Not bad for less than a week until Christmas.

In Utah I had fry sauce

We have fry sauce in the supermarkets. I can't guarantee how well it would survive shipping, but if you ever have a yen for some, I could help provide.

I will admit, fry sauce is not among the things I have subsequently craved.

Though if anyone in Indiana wants to ship me a Posey County melon...

I will admit, fry sauce is not among the things I have subsequently craved.

I will endeavour to keep the fry sauce jihadists at bay.

Can I please give the biggest of thank yous to my secret santa? Oh my god, guys, this was the best surprise ever. I had forgotten that I actually got a present in the exchange, due to, um, insanity. So when I got this package I was all, huh, what's this? And it turns out I got a box of AWESOME.

My secret santa? Totally did their research. Not only did I get puffed corn (which I had been missing something fierce!) but I got GRITS. You have NO IDEA how much I've missed grits, and there they were, in their happy little quaker oats box, all for me! But that's not all! I also got the most gorgeous-smelling ginger rolly perfume thing that smells wonderful, and a Pirates of the Caribbean calendar, and a Doctor Who storybook (!! omg so awesome) AND A BATMAN FIGURINE. So. cool.

So thank you, secret santa, for making me the happiest american in Ireland. I appreciate it so much more than you can possibly know, to have these reminders of home while I'm away, as well as my favorite fandomy things. You are the best. Thank you.

In Utah I had fry sauce

I had fry sauce for the first time ever on my trip to Oregon. My friend there told me it was an invention of a local restaurant. I don't know whether to disillusion her or not.

It turns out, I have been making fry sauce myself after a coworker at Dairy Queen taught it to me, but I just never knew it was anything formal enough to have a name. Actually, I like my mixture of ketchup and mayo better than official fry sauce, even if folks usually look at it and go ewww.

I had forgotten that I actually got a present in the exchange, due to, um, insanity.

Ha! The same thing happened to me for our office Secret Santa. Your Secret Santa looks to be awesome! Good for him/her!

You made Matilda a very cute hat!

I did indeedy!

The Good:

I got a promotion at work, in fact if not in name, but it's great because it's more challenging and more fulfilling than what I was doing before.

My son got married this year to a darling girl. I miss them something fierce.

Got properly diagnosed as Bipolar and started getting the right meds. A world of difference.

My daughter moved out into her own apartment. (Wheee! being able to go pantless whenever I want!)

I got a cat.

My secret santee got her gift in time! I'ma go kiss the woman who handles overseas shipments for our company.

The Bad:

Not being paid appropriately for what I do at work. Hoping like heck I see a little something extra in my annual raise in January. It would be a great way to start off 2007.

Had to put up with the topsy-turviness of misdiagnosed depression, but see "Good" above for positive outcome.

My daughter moved out. It gets a little lonely sometimes. Thoughtfully, she gave me a cat.

The Ugly:

What my scale says every time I step on it.

eta: verbs help.