Whew. I got up to try to make muffins for a solstice brunch. And took a Lyft even though it was like six blocks away. The muffins were supposed to be an "inspired by but easier than" take on this roll I loooooove at a bakery in Portland, called a Gibassier. The muffins are sorta but the bread is lots better but I think it needs more oomph. It's an anise and orange peel muffin. Which is weird. But I still dig it. Only problem was there were only about five people at brunch. So now I guess I'll find out how the muffins freeze?

Buffistas- I swear I read all the time and just jump in here in times of stress, but..

If you recall I found my fathers family. Which 2 years ago, I would have been really interested in. But my work life is so stressful and we are building a new theatre at my other job and my cat died and I feel like I will explode from the stress without this

I just turned off my lights and hid as my sister delivered Christmas Cookies.

I am a horrible person

I literally just can't deal

My question is- my BFF says I can't possibly have contact with them without telling my mom. But I do not want to get into this with my mom because that has the potential of my mom not talking to me for years and she is elderly and not in good health. I think maybe my friend is expecting my mom to have sane rational reactions and I am not... BTW my new sister is probably closer to my moms age than mine, so that is also a concern. I am not equipped for this !

Sophia, I would not tell your mom. I see absolutely no upside from what you have said here. I'm sorry this is adding to your stress.

Quiet here. DH is off watching college football in Fort Lauderdale. I've done some wrapping, and otherwise just lazing around.

One upside of shutdown, Trump canceled his trip to Mar-a-Lago, which awesome for traffic around here at this crazy time of year when everyone on the island is in residence. Plus, I'm sure it really pisses him off, and since Melania and Baron have been forced to return to DC it no doubt pisses them off too, so he has them mad at him as well as the rest of the world. Ahh.

Anise and orange peel muffins sound tasty to me.

Sophia, you do what you need to. Your mother's and your sister's and your BFF's needs matter to you, but you have to take care of yourself first.

I'm sorry about your cat.

Yeah, take care of you, Sophia!

I'm annoyed because my friend was going to go to a party with me, and canceled because she's staying with our other friends and she's like "they have a bonfire and Christmas movies planned. You can come if you want". Well, it's a $30 Lyft each way and I can't drive, so that lukewarm invited really makes me feel loved. No thanks. Now to figure out if I can get to the party on my own (it's only half a mile away, but that's too far for me right now!)

Sophia, hiding from someone delivering cookies because you can't deal is ok. I've done it myself - just a neighbor so not such a dramatic story, but yeah. Not horrible.

I think you know your mom best and you are the best judge of telling her it not.

Party~ma, meara!

I have been curled up with the cats all day reading and watching online TV. I have vague plans to see my parents and do something while I'm off work, but doing very little today has been so nice

Timelies all!

Here at my parents' house, aka the land without wi-fi.

hugs, Sophia, that sounds super-stressful. you are not a bad person, you are entitled to feel stress!

I ended my work week on Tuesday and went skiing on Wed/Thursday with my sister, which was lovely, and then came back to discover that the federal government had come apart even more than usual, and now it looks like we may not be back to work before... Thursday of next week? Maybe?

This is such a goddamned debacle.

I tried to go to Cost Plus yesterday to buy stocking stuffers but there were literally 50+ people in line, so I put all my purchases back on the shelf and went to BevMo instead, which was far more sane. Today I went running and to dog class, and I've done nothing else except wrap some gifts. I'm going to binge on Star Wars: Rebels the rest of the evening.

We got together with Tim's brothers and SiLs last night to eat all the appetizers and drink festive beverages -- and to exchange presents because we won't see them on Christmas this year.

For real, we all got each other the exact same present (gift certificates to a specific restaurant). That has never happened before, and it's not like we sat around in the past few months talking about how much we like this restaurant. Apparently Tim and his bros share a brain sometimes. That was hilarious. Plus, now we have 2 dates set up to go eat tasty German food with the bros and SiLs, so yay.

Wow, that's like a happy version of O. Henry!