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!

I am now the proud buyer (soon to be possesser, depending on mailing speeds) of Buffy DVDs S2-S4. Via eBay, financed by lovely Buffistas. S5 is waiting for the auction to end. I'd already have them, but neither Half.com nor Amazon takes Paypal. Stupidos! You lost sales because of that!

Still . . . mine, my precious, mine . . . soon to be reveling in Xander in a Speedo . . .

You guys are the bestest.

2006 is on my list. It was not a good year for me. There were pleasant moments, and some good things happened to people I care about here, and in my other lives. Personally the year was just an endless grueling stream of chores and work. School work and my boys are not mixxy things and it would be nice if less of my parenting life was spent in battle. Business is stressful and the rewards do not come close to justifying the hours. Blah.

I have much to be grateful for in my life. The health of my loved ones is good. There were losses, but such is life. I live in paradise and have great friends and family.

2007, please bring less struggle and more joy for all of us. Thank you in advance.

Dear Seekrit Santee, I did order the stuff in time, but I have been informed that the shipper can not track the order from the 4th and are shipping again since they assume now it is lost in transit. Rather than send part I think I should wait and send it whole. This makes me sad because I would love to think of you opening your goodies now now now. But it still should find its way to you before the end of year.