I received a copy of Christopher Moore's Sacre Bleu but I don't know if it was a santa or a straggler from the FB book pyramid scheme. Either way, I'm glad to have it!

2016 was a big year. I turned 60 and that seemed to kick off a lot of soul-searching, which led to a lot of changes. A lot of them were very good: I started doing stand-up, which I am really liking. My nephew got married to his way cool girlfriend in April and my whole extended family was there. We finished redoing our bathroom and have started a giant culling of stuff, to get rid of all non-loved and needed things.

Some changes were not good--The country's right wing shift is horrible for all of us. My mom's and my FiL's health continue to deteriorate. I gained a LOT of weight, I think due to the struggle of realizing that I not only kinda hate my job--I hate being in HR. After a lot of discussion and thought, we decided the best course of action will probably be moving to the Detroit area (most likely Ypslanti or somewhere else around Ann Arbor). The DH can continue his writing easily, and we can buy a place which is MUCH more affordable, which will allow me to work as a substitute teacher, and possibly try to get a provisional cert to become a fulltime teacher. We are going there at the end of the monthto scout out neighborhoods and unless it's radically different than we think it is, the move will happen in the Spring.

I just got home from NY and there were many holiday cards from Buffistas, as well as a lovely necklace from my Elf: lisah! Thank you so much! I'm wearing it right now, and I adore it!

It's also raining and I came down with a cold and I've been up since 4:45 this morning, so I'm going to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon. The cat and I are staring at each other from opposite couches.

as well as a lovely necklace from my Elf: lisah! Thank you so much! I'm wearing it right now, and I adore it!

Yay! My friend who owns the store where I got it made it. I love her work!

Thank you, Buffista elf who remains anonymous, for the gift cert to my favorite hot tub place. I had a soak last night, looking up at the redwood tree and sky, after a fun day around the Sausalito houseboat area. It was a great way to end last year and start the new year.

I really appreciate it. My own hot tub has been a cold water storage tank for some years, and I love this relatively-new-to-me hot tub place. Sometimes I do it for fun, like last night, and sometimes soaking in hot water is the only therapy that works to relax some muscles that get super tense that are a symptom of a medical condition. Either use, I love it, and this is much appreciated.

I thought I'd finally figured out how to link my own photos, but I fear I gave total access to all my Google universe everything in so doing, so I deleted them. If someone can tell me how to post photos here, I'd really appreciate it. And I'll post photos at FB. I love seeing photos over there - please post there too if you are on FB too!

So I am leaving for work this AM when my neighbour calls me from his front step. There were flowers delivered for me a couple of days ago but I was out, so they were delivered to my neighbour. He says they tried my door, but I was out. (He could leave a note...)

Anyway, Secret Santa, I have no idea who you are, but thank you for the lovely basket of tropical plants!

I Secret Santa present #1. A really cool TARDIS print...I'll post a picture on the FB group.

Thank you JenP.

Well. 2016 is over. I hesitated to make any sort of wrap up until then!!

While it's been a horrible year for my country and the world and my fears for the future, but personally it was a pretty good one. I finally got my promotion and got off the road. Dated someone for a while, though it didn't last. Made new friends, got closer to old ones. Had a lot of fun. Traveled to new and old places. I'm feeling pretty good about most of my life, though all the fun means right now most of my pants don't fit, which I don't feel good about--the one thing I'm really hoping to get back to in 2017 that I didn't do so well on in 2016 is running--I was doing so well in 2015, took a bit of a break, and then got a stress fracture and even after that healed never got back at it.

In short, I'm hoping to be my happiest best me in 2017...and thereby have the energy to fight the horrible things happening elsewhere and to others, I hope.

Globally/politically, 2016 has mostly been a dumpster fire.

Personally, it's been a decent year for me and mine. Both Gary and I are still employed in the same places we were in 2015. I've been in my job over 16 years now, and Gary's been in his job almost 11 years. In fact,he just got a promotion.

A good part of the year has been spent watching Mr. S go from baby to toddler.(Hoo boy, is he ever a toddler. Into everything he shouldn't play with, and his favorite game is throwing things down the stairs.) Adorable and exasperating, that's our boy!

There have been some not so great things that happened as well. Mr. S ended up in the hospital with bronchiolitis this summer.(Luckily, only for a weekend.) I got in an accident that totaled my old car, and had to buy a new one. And of course, the sprained ankle.

I hope Gary's promotion means he won't be traveling as much in 2017. He had 15 business trips last year, including one during Passover and a couple that occurred not long after I sprained my ankle.

All-in-all, a pretty decent year.

I got a dumpster fire ornament from smonster!!! That is so. damn. AWESOME! Thank you!