people who requested cards should start getting them soon.

eeeeeee! I got my secret santa present today, from Suzi! Or should I say the rest of my present? A couple of days ago, I got the bubble calendar ita! linked to a while back [link] but Suzi pretended it was part of the thank you for the TJs stuff I sent (which also netted me two bottles of nice Colorado wine). Today, I got a box FULL of neat stuff, most of which was made in Colorado, like a few different kinds of candy, and an Almond Honey drenched sponge, plus some roller girl candy cigarettes.

WHEEEEEE

Yay! I'm glad the box got there in time, smonster! Isn't that wrapping paper adorable? I'm wishing I had bought a second roll while I had the chance. The dog cookies are made by a local baker, and the only grain in them is oats. As for the candy, that's from a local confectioner I discovered when some friends of mine had a chocolate tasting party there. So, so good...

I got secret santa'd! THANK YOU! I love the Gertrude Stein book and the kimchi paste is awesome. Also, the pistachio crack? Can't stop eating it.

Secret Santa is amazing!

Thank you, Secret Santa, for the gorgeous scarf, delicious candy, and amazing looking coffee! Three of my favorite things! The scarf has such a lovely pattern on the ends, and it'll go with everything I wear in the winter.

Yay! The scarf is all non-wool and washable (cold water). The candy is from a local institution in my home town.

I got my card and (first) gift from my Secret Santa. I have not tried the chocolate orange candy yet, but they look delicious and the journal is full of pretty fiber art pictures (and some patterns that I definitely want to try) Thank you!

Msbelle is, again, the nicest. Part of my secret Santa gift included a donation, in my name, to Heifer International. Thank you! Now I picture a cow with my name tattooed on it.

YAY! Glad you liked the journal! I found that at my LYS and thought of you immediately.

Since it's the end of the year, I figure I better get my last hurrah in with an update to my last status report (in Lurkers): SailAweigh "Delurking 1: Because we don't always check our e-mail." Oct 6, 2012 9:15:17 am PDT

Since that post, I've been promoted into a supervisory position with a substantial raise. My new department is very appreciative of me and the people I supervise are very happy to have a layer between them and the academic staff, which didn't exist before. I'm kind of sad to be leaving the course development part of the old job, but it's nice knowing my name will be on the credits for the two courses I did work on. Who knows, I may still get a chance to get my fingers in, in the new department. We have one staff member who is responsible for updating our part of the division website, but I know she has problems with it. It's a good opportunity to take on more onerous tasks (for someone else, not me) and add value to what I bring to the department.

Overall, it's been a very good year for me. I'm almost afraid of the coming year! My kids are doing well. The daughter is quite successful at work, she bought a boat this past summer, which while it was a lot of fun for her she's starting to realize the maintenance costs are a little more than she's happy with. The trade-off for fun is responsibility and she's still working on that. The son and daughter-in-law are keeping it together in Phoenix, better than many past years. The son got his medical marijuana card! I'm not sure how easy/hard they are to get, but now that he has it, he asked for a blender for Christmas so he could make weed butter to cook with. He's having a NYE party tonight and making brownies for it. ::headdesk::

I have a group of friends coming over for drinks tonight, and I have a coupon for a free on-demand movie (got my cable back with the new job -- yay, more money!) We're going to nibble on brie, fancy salami, crackers and other finger foods. If we get really daring, we may go find some fireworks. Although, I have a feeling with the amount of booze and having one of those friends a bartender, it will mean staying where we are and watching the ball drop.

So, this year is ending on a satisfying note. I know this year wasn't as positive for many of the Buffistas, so you have my heart-felt wishes that 2013 treats you all as well as 2012 treated me.

Also, Tom, you should be getting one more secret santa present. It's not coming from me, so you might not recognize it as such. It's from a friend, Jo Estep, who's a graphic novelist; I hope you enjoy it!

Oh, it's the last day of 2012.

Hmm. It's been a stressful year. My job situation has still not been resolved. I have not sold my house and moved to a better neighborhood.

We did move my parents into assisted living. That was unbelievably stressful and emotionally draining, and while the drama has mostly subsided, the work is not done. My father's trying to move out, and I have to clear out the old apartment and sell it.

In better news, I spent two weeks in Spain with my nieces last spring, and that was wonderful. I saw Bruce Springsteen live three times. I had a lovely weekend in Chicago in September.

My employers appear to still like my work (other than My Nemesis). My family is mostly fairly healthy, and I got to see my brothers at Thanksgiving. My sibs are grateful enough for the way I'm carrying most of the burden with the folks that they teamed up to buy me a marvelous new bicycle.

So, that was 2012. Some good, but a lot of draining stress and emotional drama. One way or another, 2013 will bring a new job situation, more drama with my folks, and probably (finally) an opportunity to move to a better neighborhood.

Thanks so much to the Buffistas this year, by the way: the folks in Natter have really helped me keep my head on straight while I deal with my demented mother and aging father. I can't say how much it's meant to have you all there supporting and advising me.