Well, today I feel like the new year has really begun. New President, I'm in a new city living with family, and hoping to find a new job soon.

Last year was a drag for me. It pales in comparison to the terrible things that others suffered, so I won't say it was horrible. But, I did get to a point where I could barely drag myself out of bed in the morning because I hated going to work, I felt unappreciated or respected, I felt like I was living in a cave, because my apartment was so closed in and I literally started thinking about suicide because I could not see a way out.

Well, in the tradition of "be careful what you wish for" I got freed from this rut by losing my job. Luckily for me, my favorite sister said, "come up and live here until you get a new job!" So, I have freedom from utility and rent bills, I'm living in the same town as my 2 favorite siblings and I just watched Barak Obama sworn in as President.

I'm thinking 2009 will be a better year for me.

I check back in on this in 6 months and see how I'm doing.

Thanks, Oakland mystery santa!

You're welcome! The Peet's guy assures me those are the two darkest roasts they make, so, Happy Java to you.

I have achieved GIFTED! Thank you JARS!

I have 2 skeins of beautiful pinky/purple soft yarn (which will become a hat to match my pink winter coat), some organic green tea (which made everything in the package smell delicious), some chocolate with raspberries Mmmmm!, a bag of mixed gummi candy (for immediate consumption after lunch today), and some candy with toy surprise for mac (how sweet! he will be thrilled).

THANK YOU THANK YOU! A great surprise on a messy cold day.

Oh I'm so glad you managed to read the card and figure out who it was from! It was only after I finished writing it that I realised how utterly illegible it was. I think I need that graph paper they make you practice on when you're a kid.

And again, I apologise for how horrifically late it was.

No worries. I actually think the gift I mailed out has been lost/stolen, so I'll get a replacement out to my giftee this weekend.

hey Kat - just wanted to say that today went all el guapo and then I shifted my new calendar blocks to tomorrow and it made a very cool pattern. Thanks for saving the day.

Oooh! I'm so happy, Sox. I have box number two ready to go. I'm just waiting for the new month.

A quick skip-and-drive-by to mention to any Secret Santa who has anything to ask their giftees (whether already-mailed gifts have arrived, for example) or let them know (being late, shipping stuff and so forth), that I'd love to mediate any of these messages.

(fwiw, I am still giftless. But I figure it's karma, because I am often unreliable and made of fail.)

I am often unreliable and made of fail.

Is that the British way of spelling "wonderful and made of win"? Is there a difference in pronunciation, on top of spelling?

I am still giftless

I can shoot an e-mail to your Secret Santa and see what happened - would you like me to do that, or would you rather wait?