also, even though there are a lot of things that I wouldn't decorate my own house with, I love it all. Even the stupid inflatable things. I prefer lights and old fashioned and homemade but I just kind of dig the excess decorating. Of course, I live where I live. Just a few blocks from here:

[link]

In my un-sentimental holiday world, the tree goes out whenever the city is sending the truck around to pick them up!

Unless you miss the pick-up, in which case you leave the tree in the stand but saw off all the branches and leave it in the living room for several months until your daughter moves it out to the porch and then you still keep it around until next Christmas and move it back into the house and hang some fronds and lights on it and tell yourself it looks just like a real Christmas tree!

Or possibly that's just my dad.

This is my second year in the neighborhood, and the competitive Christmas lighting is in full swing. I suspect the streetlights may eventually not bother coming on because of the wattage from the houses the next block over.

I think it's neat, especially because in the old neighborhood, there was an old man with a small house who added something new every year to hang lights on. There was no design, just another couple of square feet of scaffolding or framing that lit up. During Christmas, we didn't even bother turning lights on in the kitchen, his house was so bright.

Then he died, and his house went dark. The neighborhood lost a bit of its charm.

Aims, take the classes.

Joe, go take classes, too. You need to get out of customer service. It's a crappy field, and you don't belong there. You deserve better than answering phone calls from dumb, insulting people.

ION, I'm feeling much better. Still not 100%, but so much better than the last two days. My tummy finally seems settled, and my back no longer hurts. I have had a bit of Dr. Pepper this morning, and it's settling okay. Later this morning, there will perhaps be an attempt at real food.

Aimee - take classes, chip away at what you owe and then you can transfer the credits and finish quick, quick.

I admire you doing this while Em is still wee. I know I struggled with working and going to school and my kids were older. It is a challenge, but it is worth the effort.

Run with that itch to learn.

Go community college, choose community college.

(!!!and, apropos of nothing, I find myself suddenly suspecting that I owe you an email from weeks ago! Do I? I do, don't I? God, I freaking suck!)

You do! But its no rush, really.

I do see your argument for going with Christian because of common usage, but I disagree. I really don't like muddy thinking about what is meant by Christian (or Muslim, or Jewish or whatever)... I think it's healthy to recognise how few of the trappings of the holiday season actually have anything to do with Christianity.

Hmmm... fair point. I'd say you can still call them "Christmas" (what with the five or six hundred years of trees) but ought to know they're not religious per se. I may be going with this theory because I think it would be dull to be a Jehovah's Witness.

Unless you miss the pick-up, in which case you leave the tree in the stand but saw off all the branches and leave it in the living room for several months until your daughter moves it out to the porch and then you still keep it around until next Christmas and move it back into the house and hang some fronds and lights on it and tell yourself it looks just like a real Christmas tree!

Or possibly that's just my dad.

Holy COW! Someone is worse than my Mom!!!!! She is going to looooove that story.

Aims, take the classes.... Joe, go take classes, too. You need to get out of customer service. It's a crappy field, and you don't belong there. You deserve better than answering phone calls from dumb, insulting people.

Ooooh! Seany is so smart! Both of you listen to him.

Thank-you notes, on the other hand, definitely do have to be handwritten and in the mail by New Year's, or I can't face my mother.

ditto. Or I can't face your mother either.

12th night!

I know - I told you it was weird.

OOOf Ginger - I messed up the street - it's 34th! What Lisah said.

BrendaM - bwah!

Hey, what's a good synonym/cover letter phrase for "worked on" or "worked with". I'm editing a cover letter for a specific position.

collaborated?