(I'm suffering from a cold apartment too. . . wtf crappy heating systems?)

Seriously!

eta because I somehow quoted the wrong post. WTF?

My year in review was much, much better than last year. There was still some tough stuff with the students (a double murder, lots of horrible stuff in the kids' lives, big problems for the partnering orgs) but that's why we're doing the work.

I quit a couple of things that were negative for me even though they looked positive and that was a good call.

We took two great trips to Santa Fe, and did a bunch of other travel, including seeing Buffistas in four cities!

The SO went on tour over the summer and it was nutty with an opening act and film crew and general mayhem, but it was a lot of fun and really good for our work (we really expanded our mailing list). I went to the last of my crazy anarchist Christian music festival, and will miss that, but learned to make cigar box guitars, which we will do with our students this year!

And I did some social justice work of which I'm proud.

So overall, much better in mental health, in relationships, in work, in life.

Now that most of the Secret santa (but not the Slacker santa?) exchange is done, do we want to talk about the Mardi Gras exchange?

I would love to make it multi-holiday, but that seems like it would stretch it out too long, so how about this:

Gifts should be purple, gold or green, or otherwise connected with Mardi Gras (so King Cake counts! )

Yes, no, other ideas?

Yes. And I think single holiday is good. If we want to do other little gift exchanges for other holidays, we can propose those in Press once this thread is closed.

I think the Mardi Gras Exchange is a great idea, but I'm not sure I have the wherewithal to participate this year.

What if it was a Mardi Gras/Easter/General Spring exchange from 2/12 (Mardi Gras) to 3/31 (Easter). I want to participate, but to start up right now is too much for me, in a month, I'll be good.

Lenten gift exchange? That's so crazy it might just work.

I might feel more able to cope with extra stuff in a couple of weeks. I should at least know better if I'll be able to cope or not - things are particularly amorphous for me right now.

Oooh, that kind of has slacker built right into it. *insert smiley emoticon of doom* Mardi Gras is rather quick on the heels (originally typed that as hells, maybe should have left it that way) of Chrismakwanzakkuh this year and while I'm not tapped out, I also have two birthdays coming up at the end of January. My kids are going to be 32 and 33! Inconceivable!

I like that idea,! Let's do it!

Lee, do you want to run it through elfster? I can walk you through administering from there and could help mark it such that no one who has done the gift exchange could get anyone they have had for the last few years. I hope some new participants will join the shenanigans