My building manager just brought me a package--but I'm super late for work! Oh, the humanity!

One thing I'm sure of, either Tom Scola is my secret santa or my santa's minion. I'd know that address anywhere.

To be continued...

My plan is to finish and mail on Friday, which... I hope will make it where it's going on time.

I'm a slacker giftee, though, sorry, SS - I just this morning remembered there were questions on Elfster for me to answer. I hope for your sake this did not cause any added stress to the gifting process. Er, good thing is, I kind of like most everything, so... yeah, not helpful. Sorry.

Secret Santa gift is off in the mail! I hope my giftee enjoys it. I had less money and time this year, but I think it was a respectable effort.

SQUEEEE! I opened my package when I got home and there are multiple presents inside! I decided to open one a night until I leave on Saturday morning.

First up, fancy Jacques Torres dark chocolate. (It's the French name that makes it good.) I don't know what other flavors they have, but I can't imagine better choices than super super dark, ginger, and, my absolute fave, with chilies. Love.

The other presents are now under my tiny tree. I don't suppose one contains a Scola smile?

Night #2 of my own mini-Hanukkah. I have no idea what is in the remaining two gifts, but Scola has already outdone himself--a book I didn't know at all, but is absolutely gorgeous, Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas.

The only problem is I can never show it to Hec because I'm sure he will steal it as it's filled with beautiful, witty maps. Some examples? "Death and Beauty," which shows all of 2008's 99 murders and some of 2009's Monterey Cypress trees, "Dharma Wheels and Fish Ladders," which shows salmon migrations and Soto Zen arrivals, and "Monarchs and Queens," which shows butterfly habitats and queer public spaces.

This is awesomecakes with awesome sauce! Brilliant selection Scola!

That is an awesome sounding mapbookthing! Go Scola!

I have to finish my Christmas shopping soon. And apparently, to Europe, my brother has requested I bring: reese's cups (the small, not the large ones), and a carton of American Spirit cigarettes. ...I feel like this says something about America.

I feel like this says something about America.

If it makes you feel better, my French friend's husband always asks me to bring Big Red gum.

That sounds like such a cool book. Also,

If it makes you feel better, my French friend's husband always asks me to bring Big Red gum.

Hee. I love that the completely ordinary-to-the-person-who-lives-there item can be such a treasure to the person who doesn't, and can't otherwise acquire it.

A friend of mine in Austria, who'd been a nanny in the states, asked me to bring her Campbell's cream of mushroom soup so she could make tuna noodle casserol.

That mapbook sounds super cool!

When my friend E, who'd been my roommate in France, asked me what I wanted from Paris, it was Bonne Maman Reine Claude plum preserves. Nom. And when I was in Moldova, of course, I always wanted peanut butter.