I got:

• a beautiful box with six lovely hand-decorated Christmas cookies (2 gingerbread men, 2 frosted shortbread trees, 2 frosted shortbread santas);

• a box of 'Tiramisu Chocolates' (actually almonds coated in white chocolatey stuff);

• a pencil decorated with candy corn (this is the only obvious 'chosen by the kid' present I got, and it's from a little boy I taught

• a big silk gift box containing a gorgeous array of candles, incense, ceramic incense holders etc;

• another box of swiss chocolates;

• a gorgeous (and huge) dark wine-red pashmina shot through with gold thread;

• a gorgeous silk pashmina woven in various shades of vivid green with a pattern of flowers and leaves and butterflies;

• a lovely gift-box of aromatherapy bath/shower products;

• two boxes of Belgian chocolates (carefully hand-wrapped by the child in question, and decorated with a gorgeous artsy 3-fold Christmas Tree gift tag that I didn't initially realise she'd hand-crafted - VERY professional artsy crafty looking, 2 of the tree tags decorated with little 'baubles' made from hole-punching coloured card, and one with strips of 'tinsel' cut carefully from paper doilies. Bless bless bless);

• a cute little pretend chocolate cake thing - it's actually a little face flannel (and I could do with a new one!) but it's packaged like a little chocolate cake, complete with pretend cherry and pretend sliver of decorative chocolate - v. adorable!

• a startlingly large gift voucher for a swanky department store;

• a partridge in a pear tree.

...okay, no, I was lying with the last one.

Right. This morning's mission: secure Daniel a place to stay whilst I'm in the UK.

but whenever a big rainfall is on the way, my brother's IRELAND tattoo actually *raises up* slightly, like a topographical map.

My tattoo does that as well sometimes, but I always figured it had more to do with allergic reactions to something I ate or drank (...it seemed to happen when I drank certain beers, specifically). Though it hasn't happened much lately, that I've noticed, so it may have been also part of being newish.

Small EXPLOSION on the plane?? Good god. That's scary.

I am at home, after being at Barnes and Noble or Panera for most of the day. Target for a bit. And now it's cold and blustery and rainy out, and I don't really want to walk a mile in it to get to the dancing. Hrmph. Also there's a birthday party later that I feel obliged to go to, but I only know the birthday girl, and don't really want to go. Grump grump. Just wanna curl on the couch instead. Why can't I reschedule these things for another evening?

Aw, I never get to go back to the UK on holiday!

t /Cat Daniel

Well done, Fay. Good to see you get some appreciation.

{{Kristin}} I wish there was something that could be said or done to make this any easier. Loving thoughts and all kinds of ~ma for a better than anticipated outcome.

This could explain some things:

Fullest moon in 15 years tonight

My tattoo does that as well sometimes, but I always figured it had more to do with allergic reactions to something I ate or drank

Mine has done it a few times, but yeah, it feels allergic.

We are the only house on our street that has power. The streetlights are all off as well. I'm not complaining, but it is kind of eerie to look out the window.

Wow! This morning's mission: accomplished! Cat Daniel has accommodation lined up! (Nobody tell him, okay? I well remember the first time I had to do this, coming online and begging for assistance, bloody and traumatised. I now have a perfectly good strategy, but it needs secrecy, in order to trick the poor wee bugger into venturing into his beloved bathroom, where there is NOWHERE TO HIDE. Also, I shall strive for protective clothing this time.)

ita - how you doing, love?

Fullest moon in 15 years tonight

I got out of the car last night and thought I heard the sound from American Werewolf in London. I shrugged it off, thinking it was some random neighborhood hound. Now I see I may have barely escaped.

Still it is beautiful outside.

Maria, what is it exactly that you do vis a vis the auto industry?

(well, maybe not *exactly*, but more generally)