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.

I got my seekrit santee gift off in the mail today. finally!

2006 has been a rough one financially, mostly due to my mismanaging, but also to being underpaid. I announced to my employers that I would be looking for greener pastures but I haven't written, let alone sent out, my resume.

I hope my giftee will understand that I had to do a bit of scavenging for the gift package.

My father died in January, but that was actually a relief. He lived one year and half a month longer than my mother, which is longer than I thought he would.

One of my nephews spent most of the year in Iraq, but he survived the experience and is supposed to see his mother the day after Christmas. So that's good.

I get wrapped up in my own stuff and forget how rough some others have had it, that I count myself lucky that I'm still here.

And that I can come here and commiserate.

This past August, I got a kidney stone. I arrived at the ER at 2:00 am, and a doctor didn't get to see me until almost 6:00. When I was finally getting helped, the nurses were surprised that I hadn't been crying out in pain, as their kidney stone patients often do.

So, anyway, an important lesson: If I don't cry out of help, the pain won't go away.

Now all I need to do is figure out why that's so difficult for me.

My Christmas miracle was getting my secret santa present out in a reasonable time. t looks at post above; ducks so Tom doesn't see me

And now I have fruitcake! Thanks, Anne!

My secret slacker gift will likely be a little late, but that's because of (a) baby making a hash of my every attempt to carry out any planned task on schedule; and (b) confirmation from a third party that my giftee would probably very much enjoy one of the two baked goods I'm actually really good at, so I'm'a attempt that this morning and send off the package as soon as it's out of the oven (baby permitting). And it's mildly fortuitous, as (c) yesterday I happened to stumble across a item on my giftee's Amazon wish list, so if I'd sent the package out already I wouldn't have been able to include this.

Still, sincere apologies. There's a reason I signed up for the Slacker exchange.

SailAweigh, I never thanked you properly for your Matilda gifts -- the Winsor McCay DVD helped me survive the doldrums of bedrest, and the portable changing pad continues to be the best thing ever. Thank you so very much!

And I think of all the Buffistas every time Matilda goes into her Baby Bjorn or her carseat, gorgeous things that are going to keep her snug and safe (and portable!) for years, and that we couldn't have managed in this strangled-by-poorness year without you. Matilda is utterly blessed in the community of loving folks she's been born into.

Last night we received a package. It said, basically, "I heard Santa might have a hard time finding your house this year, so I'm making sure that he does. Love, your Elf."

I'm not sure who it was. I can't recognize the handwriting and the box was addressed to me with all five of my names, which very few people know, and I'm not sure any Buffistas know it, but I wanted to cover my bases.

So thank you, secret Elf. We feel well and truly blessed that you think enough of my family to send us tokens of your affection for us.

MWAH!