The clock strikes

And we're not even talking about new year's eve here, folks!

Aqua_angel seems to have everything under control. I, on the other hand, despite having done the majority of my shopping still had to fly like the wind after work today to get that one last thing for my brother all the way in the northeast. I did it in record time, though, With the commute there, buying the dang thing, and coming home it only tacked on 2 hours onto my day.

And now I think I'm truly ready to celebrate Christmas *fingers crossed*

And the unifriends did finagle in their annual get-together...and it was a dinner, too! Yes, I was thrilled. I was getting a bit concerned the whole thing would get tossed aside. For the parents-to-be I added in a yearbook/calendar to record baby's first year. *excited* I also got the two couples George Foreman grills simply 'cuz I feel that no man or woman on earth should go without one. And for our vegetarian darling I got her a rice cooker/vegetable steamer. Yes, I appear to be promoting their domesticity...but small kitchen appliances rock my world for some unknown reason.

Sunny and Aqua_angel tag-teamed me on Christmas presents and got me Winnie-the Pooh pyjama coordinates. Happy is me. :)

And, whoa, Bizkette gave me a Funshine Bear. She said it was the Care Bear she saw that felt most "like" me. I am honored, truly. I love Funshine Bear. Those are some mighty big paws to fill.

I also got to meet Bizkette's friend from when she taught English in Indonesia. Super nice girl! I just wish I could think of more to say to her.

Aqua Boy called me out on that one...that is, he picked on me for being so quiet. I couldn't really think of much to say while I was there with my friends. I was just happy to be there with them. Yeah, I know that makes no sense 'cuz some of these girls I only get to see a few times a year...there ought to be lots to catch up on. But if we got into all of that our food would never get eaten. At least that's my opinion. :)

Joe thinks I should become an American for a summer. Either that or I should go skiing, he says. I'm not a big fan of skiing. Haven't done it in years. But depending on my knee's condition early next year I want to go give snowboarding a try.

But I wouldn't want to be in New York for the summer. Rather, I would give anything to spend a fall/winter there. Skating at Rockefeller, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Christmas shopping at the gorgeously-decorated department stores, eating chestnuts while taking a carriage ride through Central Park, watching the ball drop in Times Square (admit it, you ALL want to do that one at some point in your lives) I would love to spend the holidays in NYC. Or at least I think I would. Most likely I would end up missing my family and friends here at home, particularly at that time of the year, and I'd be terribly sad.

Another New York to-do: I want to try a knish. What in the world is that??? I keep hearing about knishes. What country do knishes come from? Knish knish knish.

Anyway, yeah, that was Joe's words of wisdom for me. Be an American for a summer...sounds kind of scary, huh? Heaven forbid I need some medical attention while I'm down there. Crazy money-hungry hospitals! You can read exactly what he said to me (and to numerous others) by following that link, just don't read too far down 'cuz he's got a really freaky picture in the following post. *shudders* It frightens me so.