I just opened most of my Buffista cards! Total 7, awesome up to 11.

aurelia really got me with the holiday ghost light.

and one of the 5 I sent came back but since i received a card from the intended person, I will put it back in the mail tomorrow!

I did literally nothing. I have no personal holiday cheer at home, I thought about a movie but that would have involved a shower, so no.

tomorrow is back to work. oh joy.

I am packing packing packing packing and moving things out to car or a "not to move pile" since I have move estimators coming at 10am. Trying to get the place a little less cluttered with half packed piles, so they can estimate better.

The car carrier that my brother brought me will fit 2 big suitcases, a plastic container with all my nail polish and 2 full backpacks, so I am less stressed about what will fit in the car. I can have my clothes for 2 full days of travel, a medium box of toiletries, several bags and one igloo of food, a medium box of cleaners (things the movers won't move and/or I don't manage to get rid of), a box of houseplants, and a folded down dog kennel.

We were invited to some family friends' for dinner, and I hope that becomes our new thing -- it's basically my mother's best friends (two couples, who actually all lived together for years, so they are basically one family) and I like their kids, too! Way better than the people we've had dinner with the last two years, no offense to them. Some other friends of the people my age also came, and come to find out the dad was in the band Morphine, if anyone knows them.

That sounds fun Jesse.

I am hitting a wall. I need to do about another hours worth before bed, but ugh.

maybe I am just thirsty.

Yes, Morphine! That sounds great, Jesse.

That's nice, Jesse!

Gris, that sounds like a nice restaurant—and I didn't realize Brazil time zones were so far ahead!!

I'm pleased we once again avoided having political talk and needing to kill my brother. Only a couple more evenings..

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Buffistas!

Atropa, ouch! Sorry you had to go to the hospital, glad you're back home, hope your back is okay!

Christmas with the family was pleasant and low-key. Now I am home and soon to go to bed and sleep sleep sleep.

It's past midnight, even here, but I did want to wish my beloved Buffistas merry. To quote Christmas dinosaur, "It Christmas. Merr' Christmas."

I've got another perhaps-more-honest plumber coming over between 9 and 10 to get a second opinion on what's what. I heated water on the stove and successfully washed my hair in the sink, et cetera, but the no-hot-showers/baths thing is going to get old fast.

It could be that Plumber #1 was absolutely honest, but given the way he tried to push my roommate into a 12 or 18 month payment plan, I think he deserves to be given a metaphorical stink-eye and his suggestions looked at very critically.

Back to work today. I'm hoping a lot of my doctors took the week off making it quiet.

Wow msbelle, your moving efforts are so impressive. Almost every time I moved it was via U-Haul truck with me packing and unpacking everything. Also, as is evidenced by my attic and storage unit, never getting rid of anything.