Sounds awesome Laura.

Last night I went to Matthew's brother's for their annual Christmas Eve party/unwrapping extravagana (they do extended family and friends presents ). His sister got me some scented candles and his brother and sister in law got me a cat pendant and earring set. Our gifts were a hit .

We haven't opened presents yet this morning but I did do the first sort of present. I asked Matthew about a date he wanted me to move in. I decided if I have to drive back and forth for a bit it's fine. His reply was "this weekend!" Which was wonderful but impractical so it's going to be the third weekend in Jan. In three weeks. I'm scared but excited and besides figuring out logistics we also have to paint the front bedroom which will become a library/computer room for me.

I'm so excited for you guys, skye!

A plan! Very happy and excited for you, askye.

Thanks, Sophia! I'd love to meet you, f2f too. I have job opening auto searches set up for higher ed within ~45 minutes of Rochester, NY, so we'll see what happens. My niece just had her first baby last night, so now I have extra incentive.

I have still not mailed my gift yet, apologies giftee. Will aim for tomorrow.

Santa, Thanks for part one--between you and my mom's gift card, am well-stocked on current novels.

THANKS SO MUCH, SANTA RIO!(I guess I didn't figure it out because white girls get slow between muffins, but I'll enjoy this paperback very much.) (Liane Moriarty, if anybody wants to know what I'm reading right now.) Don't worry about being late, anticipation is also a nice part of Buffista gifts so you shouldn't feel like a FUCKO or anything...

Rio hasn't been on the board in a while and she wasn't a participant in the exchange. Methinks a sly gifter is at work here.

Ah, clever... I thought maybe she was in threads I lost track of, natter in particular being like word-rapids.

Hi friends, I'm thinking about the last day of the year and wanted to share my update with you all. My family and I are generally well and quite fortunate, and I hope (maybe with the exception of the teenagers among us) aware of how fortunate we are. Casper is now 15, six feet tall, still wonderfully-tempered in general but a bit prone to finding her mother annoying right now. She's a middling student at a very challenging high school, in the 10th grade, still not super mature in terms of thinking of her future. Dillo is 12, in 7th grade at the same high school, a staller student but bored, spending most of his energy on video games, a passion he seems to share with his friends at least. mr. flea and I have the same jobs and are doing okay. We're all in good health.

This year I did a number of new things: learned a little Korean; went to a pop concert in a stadium for the first time since 1992; got in the water of the Gulf of Mexico; started a running habit (which is currently largely in abatement because it's almost always dark and below freezing when I could run); made a really good new friend online for the first time since I met you people; wrote (fan)fiction.

I feel like my life is rushing towards the phase where I don't have children in the house, and while I love my children, I'm also interested to see what that freedom will look like (and see what they decide to do with their own freedom). It's amazing to me that you've known these children from their births and they're becoming independent people! (Meanwhile I am still doing their laundry and have to remind one of them to bathe. But, you know, eventually.) I love you guys. Thanks for being my people.