If you see Jesus, tell him to take the gerbil babies, they're Christians!

Well, well, cyberland, Merry Christmas to you! I hope your Christmas has been half as wonderful as mine. Things here were wonderful. It has been so nice to have all six of us in the same house. Ten years ago I wouldn't have believed that we'd get along so well. Ten years ago, we were 12, 10, 9, and 8, and a lot different than we are now. :) We exchanged family gifts Christmas Eve, then came down together the next morning. We ate dinner at my grandmother's with her and Uncle Jim and Aunt Alice and exchanged some gifts there. Today Aunt Dana and Uncle Keith arrive with the cousins, though I'll be at work. Sad day. I'm off tomorrow, though! I'll be spending the day at the lake and the night at O'Brian's. Yay!

Yesterday Bach took a nap with me, then last night he slept here, too. He and Bo have been a lot of fun. Let's see... New Year's Eve Eve will be spent at Camp McDowell, and New Year's Eve... maybe Birmingham? Maybe home? I don't know.

Anyway, I just wanted to record this as being one of my favorite Christmases. Mom, Dad, Lindsey, Graham, and Meagan are amazing. Even if we weren't related, I would want to hang out with them. Love and some verses,

All the rest are wrong-- they know nothing about us...

Today I vacuumed up a brown M&M at work, but the vacuum spit it right back out, and I briefly considered eating it.  I didn't have a hard-core point-counterpoint internal debate, but the thought did cross my mind.  I like to think of this situation, not in terms off all the negative things it may say about me, but more in terms of all the positive things it says about chocolate.

   The Special Session Christmas Party is Friday, and I've never been more ready!  I probably think that each year, but I don't think that necessarily makes it ever untrue.  Hey hey, Santa Clause, Kee Sloan, campers, friends, pizza, Christmas lights and Camp McDowell...

I've spent more time than dear old Books-a-Million would probably appreciate organizing the politics section at work.  Truth be told, I'm not aligned with the liberal agenda any more than I am with the conservative agenda sometimes, but it still brings me great pleasure to organize the books on those shelves.  Most titles are, of course, spine out, as one would usually put books on a shelf.  Some, though, are turned so that you can see the cover; usually this is done to display certain texts or just to take up space so the shelf looks packed (or for both reasons).  Anyway, amid the copies of The Mighty and the Almighty and Dead Certain, these titles stand out:
Follow the Money
A Woman in Charge (I don't even like her that much, but we have such ridiculous anti-Clinton books that I felt compelled...)
The Thumpin'
Day of Reckoning (Also not a fan of Buchanan, but I didn't have much else to choose from)
It's Getting Ugly Out There
Armed Americans (This is my ironic choice... really, it's just a huge book and hast to face this way... this is the only link I must require you to click... trust me, it's worth it.)
The Big Con
Giving
Broken Government
War on the Middle Class
From Beirut to Jerusalem
Crazies to the Left, Wimps to the Right
The Assault on Reason
god is not GOOD
Restless Virgins
Hubris
Bill of Wrongs
The Conscious of a Liberal
Cruel and Unusual
The Audacity of Hope
Dreams of My Father
The Secret History of the American Empire
Turnaround
Common Ground
The Fall of the House of Bush
State of Denial

   Umm, I'm gonna go add the rest of the links later.  For now, I am le tired.  Also, I'm linking them for your benefit, but also to look up these books... some people are quite tricky, and having had about 17 seconds a book to determine whether I wanted to pull it or not may have hindered the selection process.

I am also le recommending you all go listen to Terra Naomi.  I just fell in love with her.  Really.  Like, thirty minutes ago.  When I get off the computer, I'm going to find her house and propose to her.  You are invited to our wedding, but only if you bring a casserole of some sort.  Terra and I are big fans of pot-luck.

Let's sip champagne until we break into smiles...

I'm incredibly anxious about my exams tomorrow. I had one today, and it went okay. Not great, but okay. A lot of stuff I studied wasn't on the exam. Boo. Tomorrow I have Geography and Women's Studies, then it's over for another semester at least.

Updates... Jeff and I got our new dishwasher, but it doesn't work. Last night I went to Annette's house (one of my managers) and ate chicken and dumplings and apple pie-- it was fantastic! I love her to death. She gave me two ferns for the apartment; they are lovely! I also got a lightbulb I had ordered for one of the tall black lamps we had in our basement growing up. I was nervous that it wouldn't fit, but it did, so we can actually light the back half of our living room! Great timing, too... it came two days ago, I think, and the one little lightbulb we have blew today.

Things coming up... Thursday my Bible class is doing dinner at the Marriot, and am going to attend if at all possible. Friday after work Graham and I are headed to Camp McDowell for the Christmas party for Special Session! O'Brian and Meaghan graduate this weekend, and I couldn't be more proud! Umm... New Year's Eve Eve Reunion at McDowell on the 29th... that's it for now. Any plans anybody? Let me know A.S.A.P.

In other goings on... I met O'Brian's friend Matt the other night, and he's lovely. I hope we can hang out again soon. Also, Jonathan has been incredibly attentive and hanging out a lot in the last month or two, and it's been amazing!!! I also love love love J.T.-- a kindred spirit if there ever was one! I've seen Jessica several times recently, however briefly, and I've spent some great time with my family and cousins.

Anyway, school stress will be over tomorrow, and then I shall be free!

This is what Florence always looks like.