Who knows where the time goes?

How on earth did it get to be 2008?! Where did 1997 go?! And how did Britney Spears get out of the psych ward?! (Just kidding -- NOT -- on that last one ...Obviously Dr. Phil needed someone for this week's victim.)

Honestly, I've been back at work for 4 days -- I took 5 personal days and had two "holidays" off -- and I feel as though NOTHING happened in the meantime ... Christmas came and went so fast that I didn't get "in the spirit" at all! I didn't listen to a single one of my many Xmas tapes or CDs, I didn't watch "Rudolph" or "Frosty" once [actually, THAT was a conscious decision!], I didn't drink a single glass of hot cider -- didn't even make my nice-smelling whatever-it-is on the stove that smells like hot mulled cider [hot water with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and a few allspice balls thrown in, then simmer on the stove ... but keep an eye on it!]. I haven't had a tree since I left Houston lo these ... whoa, fourteen years!! I used to give a kickass [well, in MY mind, anyway] Open House and Tree-Trimming Party [shut up, frogprofbro] to which I invited anyone I ever met, including all the chirren I was sitting on at the moment (which made for a noisy but joyful house, lemme tell you) (and, when my best friend was still married to Whattaface, and he wore his Santa suit, he brought the house down!). I provided everything, including ornaments, but most folks brought an ornament ... so I have a really cool collection of eclectic ornaments!

But anyway. No hassles with the fam -- thank God! -- even the alcohol didn't lead to any trouble this year in ANY of the venues, despite my fears [I think my dear cousin may have had a word with someone, and if she didn't, then he'd gotten a clue from my body language in the last few meetings on his own ... which I doubt!!]. Frogprofbro et al. gave me THE perfect MP3 player -- no video screen [although I do have to use the Hubble telescope to read the teeny scrolling titles there are -- heh -- but that's the fault of my eyes and not the player!] and nothing but the facts, ma'am ... JUST what I'd wanted and hadn't been able to find in anything but the iBlow Shuffle -- which I would never spend the money on, partly because I wouldn't put the money in Apple's pockets and partly because I just think they're WAY too expensive ...so this weensy ma-cheen from Radio Chack is poifick! It holds something like 940 songs [2 GB, whatever that means, heh], and I'm about a third of the way there. Even got 2 free songs from Wendy's just because I always ask for a small fries and a ginormous Diet Coke [which cancels out the fries, of course] when I get a combo [that's their newest scam -- the free download from Rhapsody with a large drink]. But OF COURSE the Rhapsody downloads don't work on my ma-cheen! *sigh*

And Agate gave me a TON of gorgeous clothes -- many of which fit [although, Adge, tell me why you buy some in size Medium and some in size XXL?! psycho much?! hee] and some of which I'll return for [ahem, ugh] OTHER sizes. The Kidlets there gave me a GREAT Coldwater Creek bag which I plan to load up with everything I own and start carrying to work as soon as I can get around to emptying the summer-y tote bag I'm lugging right now ... Coldwater Creek is my favorite place to shop for ladies' wear. It's not grandma-ish -- most of the time -- although the "Western" wear can really get up my nose sometimes -- and the sizing is just right. 'Cept for the length of trousers, but I think that's a me factor and not a them factor -- if my hips are this wide, I really should be 6'7" tall. Anyway, one day I'll stop trying to dress like I'm still in grad school AND am 28.

So I guess that's about all the news that'll fit for now -- besides, The Boss keeps walking by, and I have a feeling he's going to catch on any minute that I'm not really revising Safe Practice Survey questions! Toodles ...