Oh ita, I'm sorry it's been such a week.

You know when you feel like puking must at least improve things?

Yep. It's awful.

I love how thoughtful your gifts for your sister are. I had an idea for my brother today and Googled and then half gave up because it's not simple and it'll either go over really well or really terribly. I don't need that anticipatory stress added to Christmas.

I'll discuss this in a meeting tomorrow with the department heads, but any ideas from creative thinkers would be appreciated . . .

Float the idea of a BBQ-off. Essentially another pot luck, but if you have competitive types it could be fun.

I wonder if I get to keep the two Blockbuster DVDs I currently have. I definitely need to document my queue somehow. (Presuming the at-home service will be streaming only; the article wasn't fully clear on that.)

May I whine a bit? None of my friends really give gifts to each other for holidays. I mean, that isn't my whine, it's a fact. Once we reached a certain age, and they had kids and all, the impetus for us spoiling each other over Christmas just vanished. And I just started giving gifts to the kids, mostly. Still, not my whine. However, my two surrogate families, one I spend Christmas Eve with, the other Christmas Day, are stuck in a really boring rut (for the last 20 years) of drawing names for presents. Still, not particularly my whine, but getting close. My actual whine is that I have a couple of dear friends in each surrogate family whom I would LOVE to give gifts to. I know their taste explicitly, I feel enthusiastic about spending time shopping for the perfect thing, etc. It would be a joy and pleasure to spend Christmas making memories of what their faces look like opening the perfect gjft.

Instead (here's the whine), EVERY year I get stuck with one of the guys as my recipient. Guys whom I am not particularly close to, don't seem to have interesting hobbies (one does, and the years I've gotten him have been fine), don't really like to do anything but play video games, work, and drink. And I'm sorry but I am tired of my Christmas shopping consisting solely of gift certificates to gaming stores and BevMo (what they usually ask for).

It's an empty whine because I'm not going to change things up; the fact is that we draw for bigger family because they're all spending so much on their immediate family that it saves their wallets. It's just Christmas and the shopping and the fun would be so much better if I got to shop for the people I actually want to give specific gifts to (and I'm not allowed to - made the mistake of showing up one year with the name-draw gift and a few other gifts just because and it was a mistake. An awkward mistake). And it's definitely more difficult for me because I don't have immediate family - these big gatherings are my sole Christmas deal.

Anyway, whine over. I just saw the list of names for the Christmas Eve drawing this morning and immediately was just so disappointed.

[edited to say not really looking for advice or brackets. I added a couple of local families last year to sponsor, and it helped fill the void a bit, but I still shopped with a generic list and didn't get to see happy faces. Oh, we'll.]

So far this morning on TV (the DIY Channel, of course) I'm learning that letting real tigers loose in your living room results in clawed furniture, and pee stains from hell.

do the family/friends in question celebrate birthdays?

We're currently in a debate in my family over whether we should draw names or not. I guess "not" is going to win, because at least one couple refuses to participate! And I just know one other person would buy stuff for everyone else anyway. So much for that bright idea.

I think I just got hit on by the water cooler? That was weird.

Jesse, I'm pretty sure you and a water cooler wouldn't work out.

I think I just got hit on by the water cooler?

It suggestively glug-glugs every time you walk by?

Stupid English -- I meant NEAR the water cooler. The water was polite and standoffish as always.