Dammit! Bunged up and forgot the [MI]

1. Coming to the end of a cold, which seems to have responded well to Benylin and Sudafed.

2. Costco has sold out of the Towers of Treats that I wanted to buy. I needed five of them. I knew I should've got them when I saw them six weeks ago. But where would I have stored them? But now I have to think of five other gifts to buy.

3. I have to bake brownies for my team on Sunday to take into work on Monday. Someone else at work made mince pies for her team and since then the rest of us have been getting shit from our teams about how all we've done is buy, not make, treats for them. Spoiled, or what?

(fixed it for you, msali)

1. Just got back from the holiday show for my kid's school. Adorable. Lots of dance - merengue and salsa; the obligatory kindergarteners singing Do you Want to Build a Snowman?; the school's chorus singing Ode to Joy and a song about winter that I've never heard before and was lovely and sort of creepy, which I like. etc. etc. Maddie's class danced to O Santa (Mariah Carey). There was much 6-year-old interpretation of breakdancing.

2. So. Behind. On. Work. Kind of freaking out.

3. Looked after my friends' kids yesterday while she was giving birth. Having 2 six year olds and a 3 year old in a NYC apartment -- let's just say it took me 2 hours to clean up afterward. And that was just tidying, not actual cleaning.

1. Things are finally good and interesting at work, after a year and a half in another office where I was basically ignored and bored out of my skull.

2. I am hopelessly behind in Christmas presents for my immediate family (none of whom live near me). I can buy things for one of my sisters, but everybody else, I never know what the heck to get. I may just send a warm letter to my mother and call it good.

3. I've decided I spend too much time in the evenings "watching stuff." I think I'll institute some "no screen" nights, two or three a week.

1. This year is just full of suck and I am ready for it to be over. Even if I don't know what my resolutions are going to be for 2015 yet.

2. So much slacking at work. I really do like my job, but I am just bored and lazy and ugh--I probably need a vacation.

3. All of my presents that I've ordered have finally come in, so I'm going to wrap up so much stuff this weekend so I can mail things out (including my overseas MeCha cards).

1. Got back from California the other day. Flying was harder on me than I expected.

2. 4 cards in the mail when we got back. THANKS! I will send mine out by the end of tomorrow.

3. The trip was mixed. My mom and brother have the TV on during all the waking hours, which is hard. I handle it better than my wife does, but it is still sort of weird for us. Nice to be at the beach, though, and warm.

01> show tomorrow, show Saturday (the latter doubles as a holiday coat+food drive!)

02> really happy with the website i've built from the ground up for my hip hop team (on an exclusive three-letter .nyc domain!)

03> doing a stint as a "big sibling" for a level 1 improv class, and they're all so talented; it's so amazing watching baby improvisors grow! my workshops are starting to hit their stride (at least as far as my coaching goes), and i'm signed up to take an improv coaching class with the owner of the theater, so I'm making steps in that direction. whoo, mentoring!

>>2015 really excited for this Carpenter film festival / special exhibit. might be time for a new job (career?) in the new year, though. brushing up my web design (+UX) skills & building a portfolio…

JL: re #2, isn't the answer always "typewriters"? except when it's "more typewriters"?

Can't afford to ship typewriters . . . .

you'll just have to hang on to them til your relatives come to visit

1. At home sick. Binging on "Revenge.". Ridiculous and trashy and quite the fashion show.

2. We leave for an Alaska family visit next week. If I'm back to normal health it should be a lot of fun.

3. All Xmas shopping is complete. I admit to feeling very pleased about that.

1) Finishing up a busy week at work. I thought it would be a quiet month but it's been really nuts. I don't mind too much because in many ways it is an easy job and I have a wonderful boss.

2) Going to see the in-laws for Xmas next week. I dread it, deeply. I don't enjoy being around them at all and it's a lot of schlepping of stuff, a lot of driving through boring Illinois winter landscape and their house is uncomfortably hot. I feel my lips chapping and my throat drying out as soon as we walk in. I get through it by focusing on how great it will feel to return home.

3) Doing very little Christmas shopping this year. Bought a few toys for the in laws to give my son (they can't be bothered, a topic for another time), bought a few obligatory things for them at Target, will get my hub the couple of shirts he wants, and .. that's it. Everyone has too much stuff already. I'd like to give away half of what I own .. don't want more.

1. Work is crazy, crazy, crazy. I am *not* working this weekend, whether or not things are done. We have 11 days off over the holidays, but all that really means is that I will work from whereever I am, instead of coming into the office. I am grateful to be able to do that, but hope that with the new year, things will change.

2. Christmas shopping is not complete - see number one. I still have very little idea what to get my dad - I think we're going to put together a package of taking him out to dinner/movies/events every couple of months, because he can't think of anything he needs or wants.

3. Am in the process of making new holiday stockings for everyone this year - I will finish them this weekend! The old ones were tacky use-to-play-music ones, and got mildewy in storage, so it was a good opportunity!

2. I am hopelessly behind in Christmas presents for my immediate family (none of whom live near me). I can buy things for one of my sisters, but everybody else, I never know what the heck to get. I may just send a warm letter to my mother and call it good.

And now, last night when I got home I found two shipping boxes crammed with presents from these people. Wrapped, even. There's like 7 presents. This is a severe break from traditional family Christmas behavior, it's just about unprecedented, and now I'm really screwed. Heh.

JanetLand: Scarves - pick wildly patterned/colored scarves! Less weighty to ship too...

1. Work has been uber busy here too. I'm getting only one day off per week for the last several months, and sometimes not even that one day off.

2. I finished shopping for my Mom's and a few friends. Thankfully, there's not a big list.

3. No cooking has been done and I usually give treats (friends have begun to anticipate my goodies). I've not had time and am not motivated, plus, a few of my friends are now on special restricted diets and there's none of my go-to goodies on their list. And, I want fudge, but darnit, I'll eat all of it if I cannot give it away.

4. Doc appointments galore this month. And I'm suppose to squeeze in a mammogram (heh) before the end of the year. Doesn't seem likely...

1.My upper respiratory system is toggling between itch and clog.
2.Also fighting a depression and I'm going to be late with the cards. I hate new years eve
3.My father said he wanted to see me at the end of January, but if my elderly cousin who is not doing well dies before then I'll come earlier.

1. Sick of Christmas
2. The reason for the season? Greed!
3. Yes you punk ass bitch I am sure your 10 year old son will learn to be a good man by seeing you threaten to kill me. I would have happily punched and kicked you down but I was there in support of two non profits and the children so my joy in beating you would have brought nothing but badness. You fled before you picked up your wife and daughter so at least they did not see your shame.

1. My boss (who doesn't usually stress about timelines) asked me if I thought our team would be done with a project by the end of the year. I told him that would only happen if all of the elves stop making toys to come help us (and then only if the elves know how to program.)

2. I was sick with a cold for a week, revealing the bad part of being able to work from home: working from home while sick!

3. I'm running out of clever places to hide presents from inquisitive children