I usually do slacker, but I thought that there wasn't going to be a slacker santa this year. Now I have to be all ON TIME. We know I have an issue with that! Luckily, my santee knows me, too, so I suspect if I don't get my shit together, he/she will understand. :)

I had so much fun playing pinch hitter slacker santa last year I'm playing slacker secret santa this year. I know I'm not mailing my gift before January and I'm not going to feel guilty about it!

I love the slacker santa exchange, 'cause all the giftees are slackers just like the gifters, so there's no need for guilt!

I never play, 'cause I totally can't afford it, and that's fine. I love hearing about the exchanges anyway.

speaking of cost, what's the usual price range?

I don't know that there's a price range, per se. I try to get what I think the recipient will really like.

speaking of cost, what's the usual price range?

I don't know that there's a price range, per se. I try to get what I think the recipient will really like.

I know it's my first time doing this, but my impression from watching from the wings over the year is not to worry about cash - just to go with what you think will make them happy. We're all in various different financial circumstances, after all - I know homebaked cookies/DIY crafty things/whatever you can afford and think would be a lovely Buffistaish thing/things to receive.

I think most people don't spend more than $20 or so, but it just depends. One of my favorite things I've gotten, I still have years later, and my coworkers were very jealous of, was a home-made magic wand from Raq, that was glittery and special and good for three wishes!

oh that's awesome!

Well, this year was filled with both the good and the bad. The bad mostly consisted of disappointments (not getting accepted into the MLS program I applied to, not staying on the diet/exercise program I was on and gaining back about 20 pounds since mid-summer). But, the big thing is the company reorganizing that they have a tendency to do every five-ten years. We've already had some layoffs and some announced eliminations of jobs, and my department is still on edge trying to figure out what they're going to do with us.

However, the good was very good indeed! I (originally) lost about 65 pounds, so I'm still down 45 pounds for the year, and will be going back on my exercise regime this weekend, my cat's healthy and now possesses a mouth full of clean teeth, my mother is slowly recovering from losing her husband 15 months ago, my sister is now happily married (and the wedding went off with barely a hitch), and my nephew will hopefully be attending college next fall out here in Chicago.

I started working a part-time job at B&N that has done me a world of good, both financially (the extra $60-75 a week really comes in handy!) and mentally (getting out and interacting with people does give me a boost). And, speaking of financial issues, I just learned that there will be a nice-sized check being sent to me as a family investment dividend that will help with my bills! It's a huge weight off my shoulders to know that those will be taken care of, and that I can take afford to take a class or two at the local community college to add to my resume.

My goals for the next year are to get back to the exercise routine, take those classes, and try and reconnect with some friendships that I've let slide in recent months. In the past year, I've been able to rebuild the family connections that I had ignored for some time prior, so I have hopes for the friends.

This year was up-and-down, but it has ended well. I started the year very tired and anemic and all kinds of sick, but that was taken care of by having a hysterectomy in March. The surgery slowed me down for a few months, but the upside was no more of the I-Don't-Want-To-Talk-About-How-Bad-It-Was pain. Also up, the DH got a couple of lucrative writing gigs, and in the beginning of the year we got to pay back family loans which had been hanging over our heads for a couple of years and that felt wonderful. I also gained back some of the weight I lost a couple of years ago, and am cross about that. I did not get any real writing done this year--doubts and laziness and fear got in the way, and that is the major downside of this year.

The highlight of 2007 was buying a house, which I am still giddy over. Next year--back to roller skating, lose the weight, learn how to garden since we finally have a yard, and finish the damn play, doubts be damned.